Action group against youth violence begins work

Ritstjórn
Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs, addresses the task force at its first meeting today
Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs, addresses the task force at its first meeting today

A working group to address violence against and among children started work today. The group will implement actions to combat increased violence among children and young people and enhance preventative work.

The working group will prioritize actions and create an implementation plan. Fourteen actions aim to counter rising violence trends, increase prevention, and unite diverse service and response agencies in a coordinated campaign against growing violence among children and young people in Iceland.

The actions include:

  • Increase interdisciplinary approach to violence issues among children
  • Support treatment options at the Agency for Children and Families to address waitlists
  • Establish procedures for non-criminally responsible children and interventions for children who commit serious violence
  • Review case handling and interventions for criminally responsible children
  • Strengthen community policing
  • Implement regional consultation nationwide
  • Enhance the National Team of the Education and School Services Center supporting children, parents, and schools
  • Establish interventions for 16-17-year-olds not in employment, education, or training (NEET)
  • Strengthen youth work in Breiðholt
  • Enhance Flotinn – mobile youth center
  • Increase education and prevention
  • Activate parental involvement in children's environments – SAMAN group
  • Start international collaboration project on sustainable communities
  • Coordinate actions and develop future strategy
  • The total cost of these actions is about 360 million ISK over two years.

Group representatives include the Ministry of Education and Children's Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Association of Icelandic Municipalities, Reykjavík City, Education and School Services Center, Agency for Children and Families, Primary Care of the Capital Area, National Commissioner of Police, other police departments, and Home and School. Group members:

  • Hlín Sæþórsdóttir, specialist at the Ministry of Education and Children's Affairs, chair, without nomination
  • Drífa Jónasdóttir, nominated by the Ministry of Health
  • Kjartan Jón Bjarnason, nominated by the Ministry of Justice
  • Alfa Dröfn Jóhannsdóttir, nominated by the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities
  • Anna Lára Pálsdóttir, nominated by the Education and School Services Center
  • Funi Sigurðsson, nominated by the Agency for Children and Families
  • Guðrún Halla Jónsdóttir, nominated by Reykjavík City
  • Kári Sigurðsson, nominated by Reykjavík City
  • Elín Birna Skarphéðinsdóttir, nominated by Primary Care of the Capital Area
  • Sigurður Sigurðsson, nominated by Home and School – National Parents Association
  • Eygló Þóra Harðardóttir, nominated by the National Commissioner of Police
  • Þóra Jónasdóttir, nominated by Reykjavík Metropolitan Police
  • Skarphéðinn Aðalsteinsson, nominated by the Northeast Iceland Police

More on actions against violence among children.