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Friday, October 31, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/danish-students-most-affected-by-bullying-in-the-nordic-countries/

The Nordics

Danish students most affected by bullying in the Nordic countries

Published December 9, 2024 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Danish fourth graders were the most exposed to bullying among the Nordic countries last year, according to a study. More than half are reported to be regularly bullied.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international study that primarily examines the knowledge of fourth and eighth graders in mathematics, science and technology. The study is conducted every four years and includes countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. In Denmark, only fourth-grade students participate, while both fourth- and eighth-grade students are included in countries like Sweden.

The study also includes questions to students about different forms of bullying, such as being teased, excluded from friendship groups, subjected to violence, coercion or online bullying.

Half of Danish fourth graders bullied

Among fourth graders in Denmark, 52% reported being bullied on a weekly or monthly basis last year, according to the study. In comparison, 37% of pupils in Sweden and Norway said they had experienced the same, while in Finland the figure was 30%.

The figures also show that bullying had a negative impact on students' learning. Those who were bullied performed significantly worse in math, science and technology compared to those who were not bullied.

– I think this is a serious problem. It is also one of the factors that can help explain why well-being at school is declining, Ane Qvortrup, education researcher and professor at the University of Southern Denmark, told Danish state broadcaster DR.

However, the TIMSS study showed that Swedish fourth and eighth graders have improved their math skills since 2019, when the survey was last conducted. Sweden is now at the EU average for grade 4 and above the average for grade 8, according to the Swedish National Agency for Education.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norwegian-buyers-rush-to-purchase-electric-cars-before-the-new-year/

Norway

Norwegian buyers rush to purchase electric cars before the New Year

Published today 1:08 pm – By Editorial staff
Norway is a world leader when it comes to electric cars. The VAT exemption, which has driven the development, is now being phased out.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Car dealers in Norway report sharply increased demand since the government proposed lowering the VAT exemption threshold for electric cars. Many buyers therefore want to register their cars before the turn of the year.

Norway has had a VAT exemption for certain electric cars for an extended period, aimed at enabling more Norwegians to invest in one. In its budget proposal for next year, which the Norwegian government presented in early October, it now wants to lower the threshold for VAT exemption on electric cars.

Currently, the threshold for VAT exemption on an electric car is 500,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €42,000), but the proposal would lower it to 300,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €25,000). If the change is approved, it will take effect on January 1, 2026, with the goal of completely eliminating the VAT exemption by 2027.

— We have had a goal that all new passenger cars should be electric by 2025, and with an electric car share of 95 percent this year, we can say the goal has been achieved in practice. Therefore, it is time to phase out the benefits, said Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg in a press release, according to alltomelbil.se.

In practice, this means that an electric car in the price range of €42,000 will become approximately €4,200 more expensive after the turn of the year. The only way to avoid the new fee is to have the car registered before the proposal takes effect.

Importing from Sweden

Following the announcement, the country's car dealers now report increased demand for electric cars. Volvo Car Norway describes the situation as a period of "very strong demand" from customers who want to secure a car before the change takes effect.

— We are now working to meet the demand, including by sourcing cars from other markets, such as Sweden, says Henrik Juel Teige, press contact at Volvo Car Norway, to Norwegian Motor.

Ford and Tesla in Norway also confirm the trend and say that more customers are asking questions and placing orders. The importer Harald A. Møller, which represents Audi, Cupra, Skoda and Volkswagen, has chosen to meet the demand with a special VAT guarantee – customers who enter into a new agreement with the company from October 28 until next year's state budget is approved will be covered for any VAT increase.

— To handle the great uncertainty we see, we are prepared to cover any VAT increases for customers who order a new car from our brands now, before next year's state budget is approved, says CEO Ulf Tore Hekneby.

The final decision will be made in December when the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) votes on next year's budget.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-police-warn-of-growing-online-abuse-targeting-children/

Sweden

Swedish police warn of growing online abuse targeting children

Published today 11:41 am – By Editorial staff
Research shows that children who have been subjected to internet-related sexual offenses often suffer from serious mental health problems.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Children and young people are increasingly falling victim to sexual abuse and extortion on the internet. Cyber investigators are calling for more education and adult presence as countermeasures – not bans on apps and games.

Innocent chat conversations in gaming environments and on social platforms are increasingly turning into sexual exploitation and extortion of children and adolescents, and Swedish police are seeing a clear increase in internet-related sexual crimes against young people.

Alexandra Lindgren, police assistant and cyber investigator within the unit for internet-related sexual abuse of children (Isöb) in Region East, believes that the solution does not lie in banning digital platforms. Instead, better education is needed.

— We need to talk with children and young people and really make them understand that they need to be critical about who they choose to talk to. Often there isn't that mindset to question things, she says.

Certain platforms recur in police investigations: Snapchat, WhatsApp, Discord and various gaming environments. What begins as a harmless conversation can quickly develop into something dangerous.

— Children lack consequential thinking. In certain apps, such as Snapchat, there are different points to earn by adding many new friends. Then you don't reflect on who is behind the usernames, says Lindgren.

"Feel bad and ashamed"

It's not only adults who commit the abuse – young people also victimize each other. In some cases, the young people themselves take the initiative, driven by a desire for expensive branded clothes or other status symbols. They send images in exchange for money or products, without understanding that the images can then be used for extortion.

Girls are the most common victim group, but boys are also subjected to abuse to a greater extent than statistics show. The dark figure is also significant because boys have a harder time talking about the abuse.

The most common crimes are exploitation of children for sexual posing and child pornography offenses. Research shows that victims often develop mental health issues, partly because the abuse lacks a clear end – the images can be spread further and the victims never know who has seen them.

— They often feel very bad and ashamed. They don't want mom and dad to find out. Some also get scolded when it comes out, which in my opinion is the wrong way to go. It's much better to talk and listen and support, says Alexandra Lindgren.

The police have been criticized for investigations taking too long. Lindgren confirms the problem and points to bottlenecks in digital analysis and dependence on external parties such as internet service providers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/how-sweden-could-be-affected-by-denmarks-bandidos-ban/

The Nordics

How Sweden could be affected by Denmark’s Bandidos ban

organized crime

Published yesterday 11:52 am – By Editorial staff
Researchers disagree on whether gang bans actually work in practice.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The motorcycle gang Bandidos has been banned and dissolved in Denmark through a ruling by the Helsingør District Court. The decision means that the gang's symbols will be illegal to use in the country.

Swedish experts are now warning that the ban could have unwanted consequences on the Swedish side – Danish members may move their operations here.

David Sausdal, associate professor of sociology at Lund University in southern Sweden, has had contact with Bandidos members in his research who openly stated that if they are banned from wearing their gang vests in Denmark, they will cross over to Skåne (the southernmost region of Sweden) to do so there instead.

— They meet and know each other. MC gangs are quite large in Sweden. It's not unthinkable that they might think, well then we'll move to Sweden, or operate more in Sweden, he tells the Swedish news agency TT.

Kim Moeller, professor of criminology at Malmö University in southern Sweden, believes the consequences for Sweden are difficult to predict.

— Bandidos in Sweden, Denmark and the rest of Europe cooperate, so a ban could in one way weaken Bandidos in Sweden, he explains.

At the same time, Moeller also points to the risk that Danish members will become more visible on Swedish soil.

— It could also strengthen Swedish Bandidos if some of the most motivated Danish members start traveling more to Sweden or perhaps even move here.

Significant capacity for violence

During the trial, Bandidos defense attorney Michael Juul Eriksen argued that the organization is fundamentally a motorcycle club with a long tradition of fellowship. He also highlighted charity work, including collections for Ukraine.

But the district court didn't buy that argument and instead pointed to the crimes committed by members as part of the motorcycle club's activities. Bandidos is considered one of the gangs in Denmark with the greatest capacity for violence.

This is not the first time a gang has been banned in Denmark. Five years ago, Loyal to Familia was banned, but the gang is still active in the country.

Unclear effect

In Sweden, work is underway to introduce a ban on participation in criminal gangs, but new legislation is not expected until January 2027 at the earliest because it requires a constitutional amendment.

Whether gang bans actually work is also debated among researchers. Kim Moeller believes the effect is obvious and points out that Loyal to Familia has become both less visible and less criminally active after the ban.

David Sausdal, however, has a different view and regards gang bans as a costly and complicated symbolic measure with limited effect on crime.

— They haven't succeeded in breaking them up. Several reports indicate that they exist and are still involved in various types of serious crime.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/fewer-young-people-died-from-drugs-in-finland/

Finland

Fewer young people died from drugs in Finland

Published yesterday 8:20 am – By Editorial staff
Last year, 197 men died as a result of drug use, compared to 50 women.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Significantly fewer young people died from drugs in Finland last year compared to the year before. At the same time, the number of drug-related deaths continues to increase in other age groups, where men still account for the majority of fatalities.

In Finland, the most common cause of drug-related deaths is the medication buprenorphine in combination with other drugs – something seen in both younger and older victims. Often it involves a mixture with, for example, benzodiazepines or alcohol. Amphetamine and the synthetic drug alpha-PVP are also not uncommon in fatal cases.

Primarily, it is men who die as a result of drugs, with 197 men dying from drug use last year compared to 50 women.

Last year, however, significantly fewer young people died than the year before in Finland. The largest decrease can be seen among men in the 20-24 age group, but also among the younger population, though what lies behind the decrease is unclear, says forensic chemist Pirkko Kriikku at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

— I cannot say with certainty why so many fewer young people died from drug poisoning in 2024, but it may be due to measures taken in municipalities and welfare regions to prevent deaths, she tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle and continues:

— I hope, of course, that this positive development continues.

The number of drug-related deaths continues to increase in other age groups, however. Among other things, an increase could be seen, primarily among men, in the 40-44 and 45-49 age groups.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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