Thursday, September 18, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

More Swedish children call Bris helpline – worried about school, self-harm, violence

Published 17 March 2024
– By Editorial Staff
3 minute read

In 2023, calls to Swedish children’s rights organization BRIS increased by 16 percent compared to last year. The increase was mainly in the contact areas of school, self-harm and crime.

Among other things, minors talk about how they feel a strong concern for their own or their family’s life and safety.

The Children’s Report 2024 (Barnrapporten 2024) analyzed children’s contacts with BRIS, as well as current and relevant research that highlights what needs to be changed in society to protect children’s rights. It notes that BRIS has had 51,587 supportive contacts with children up to the age of 18 via telephone and email. In the conversations, it can be seen that in addition to the child’s individual difficulties, there is also a feeling of hopelessness about social developments in the world.

– The increase in calls to Bris is not negative in itself; it is always positive when children take the step of seeking help. It is courageous to dare to share their life situation and great to open up about their feelings and their well-being. It is far from everyone who needs help who dares to ask for it. That’s why we know that when children talk, there is hope for change and that conversations make a difference, says Magnus Jägerskog, Bris Secretary General, in a press release.

Self-harm and school

Conversations about school have increased by 34% compared to 2022. In many of them, children describe a sense of inadequacy and that performance requirements lead to a bad feeling, which then affects school results. In Sweden, around 15% of pupils finish primary school without achieving passing grades.

At the same time, calls about self-harm are also increasing, with a 42% increase compared to 2022. Around one in six teenagers have deliberately harmed themselves without intending to take their own lives. This figure has increased significantly in recent years, with an estimated 390% increase since 2016. Conversations about suicide occur in about 29% of self-harm conversations. Anxiety occurs in about 26% of the conversations.

Another development that has occurred is that self-harm was previously something that was carried out in secret, but is now shared more openly on social media. The report highlights, for example, a study showing that high use of social media can increase the risk of self-harm, but also studies showing that the effects of social media can also depend on how they are used.

Children lured into gang crime

In 2023, the nature of calls about crime to BRIS changed and became increasingly about children being lured, tricked or forced into criminal networks. Calls about crime have increased by 60 percent in 2023, compared to the previous year. Compared to 2020, there has been an increase of 150%.

Half of the calls have been about gang crime, where children often express concern for their own life and safety or that of their relatives. Bris testifies that the change in calls became clearer during the summer as violence also increased in Sweden. Statistics on child crime, including from the Swedish Prosecution Authority, show that suspicions of weapons offenses, drug transfers, extortion and fraud have increased significantly in recent years for children who are not of legal age and also for children under 18.

The Swedish Customs Service also recently warned that the recruitment of underage “parcel goalkeepers” is increasing significantly, is taking place all over the country, and is mainly via social media such as Snapchat and TikTok.

Need for action

Bris believes that society needs to take action to prevent children from becoming involved in crime. Among other things, they point out that conditions are needed for long-term work in, for example, schools, social services, health care and child and adolescent psychiatry.

“It is ultimately about providing support and help to children, young people and their families to develop resources that can lead to lasting and positive changes”, writes Bris.

They also believe that the school system needs to be reviewed to ensure that all children are guaranteed a good and equal education. In order to reduce mental illness, it is also crucial that every child completes school with passing grades. To reduce mental illness, solutions are also needed at the societal level, which includes conscious work on norms and societal climate, increased knowledge about mental health and also access to care and support.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Only 1 in 80 Swedish special shelters meets modern standards

The new cold war

Published yesterday 9:36
– By Editorial Staff
The Igeldamm Garage in Stockholm, Sweden is the only major shelter in Sweden that meets modern standards.
2 minute read

Swedish authorities have intensified their messages in recent years about citizens needing to prepare for crises and war. Meanwhile, an investigation of the country’s own shelters reveals major shortcomings in the maintenance of critical infrastructure.

Of Sweden’s eighty special shelters – intended for nearly 100,000 people – only a single facility has been upgraded to modern standards after decades of neglected maintenance.

The Igeldamms garage in Stockholm, Sweden stands today as the sole example of a completed special shelter, while the remaining 79 facilities still await necessary upgrades, reports Swedish public television SVT.

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has begun modernization work in approximately thirty of the eighty special shelters. The work has cost €7.7 million in the past year alone, but the pace is said to be far from sufficient to meet political ambitions for improved crisis preparedness.

Henrik Larsson, head of population protection at MSB, cannot provide information on when all facilities will be remediated:

— It depends. We need to get into all facilities and see what condition they’re in. In some facilities, quite extensive renovations may be required, and then it becomes very costly.

— If all facilities are in the same condition as here (Igeldamms garage), then it shouldn’t be any problem to do it before 2030, but I suspect we’ll have some facilities that we’ll need to spend time and significantly more money on, he continues.

64,000 shelters to be inventoried

During the Cold War, thousands of shelters were built around the country, but many have been used for completely different purposes for decades without proper maintenance. Now MSB has been tasked with inventorying the country’s total stock of 64,000 shelters between 2025 and 2030.

For the current year, approximately 10,000 minor inspections and around 2,000 major inspections are planned – a pace that MSB itself considers insufficient:

— We need to increase by 500 more per year to go through the entire stock by 2030. We need to be between 12,000 and 13,000 annually, estimates Larsson.

Inadequate protection

In addition to the already approved Igeldamms garage, with space for 1,200 people, two additional facilities are planned to be completed next year – one in Stockholm and one in Gothenburg, Sweden. This means that only three of eighty special shelters will have modern standards before 2027.

MSB’s assessment shows extensive shortcomings in the existing stock: only half of all shelters offer satisfactory protection against shrapnel and bombs, while only about ten percent have reasonable protection against chemical warfare agents.

Since the responsibility for addressing deficiencies lies with individual property owners, MSB cannot provide any timeframe for when the shelters will actually be in functional condition.

About Swedish shelters

Sweden has over 64,000 shelters with space for approximately seven million people. The shelters may be used for other purposes during peacetime but must be ready for use within two days during heightened alert or war. When a shelter is activated, it must have water, heating, ventilation and toilet facilities – however, there is neither food nor hygiene products.

The shelters are built to protect against shock waves and shrapnel from explosions, fire, chemical weapons and radiation from radioactive substances. People should be able to stay in the shelter without interruption for at least three days. It has never been the ambition to build shelters for the entire population, and their placement has been determined based on threat assessments.

During air raid alerts, people should immediately go to the nearest shelter or other protective space such as basements or subway stations. People do not belong to any specific shelter but use the one that is closest.

Source: MSB (Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency)

Swedish PM: “Don’t bring Middle Eastern conflicts to Swedish streets”

The genocide in Gaza

Published yesterday 8:27
– By Editorial Staff
The loud pro-Palestinian protests have become a very troublesome disruptive element for the Kristersson government.
2 minute read

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party presents new measures against demonstrations and says he now wants to remove “Middle Eastern conflicts” from Swedish streets.

Critics note, however, that the Moderate Party has for many years pushed for mass immigration specifically from the Middle East – and continues to do so.

In a post on X, the prime minister writes about how politicians have been confronted outside the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), ministers have been followed home from work, and Jewish families have been subjected to threats, and now the government promises tougher action.

“Don’t bring Middle Eastern conflicts to Swedish streets and squares. We must take care of the Sweden we love”, the prime minister appeals.

The statement comes from the same party that during Fredrik Reinfeldt’s government from 2006 significantly increased mass immigration to Sweden from the Middle East – a policy that continues today despite all problems and warnings, even though the rhetoric has changed.

In just these two decades, Sweden has received hundreds of thousands of people from various conflict areas in the Middle East, and a large portion of them have today been granted Swedish citizenship.

After Israel’s invasion of Gaza, however, Swedish politicians from the Moderate Party and other liberal parties have shown growing frustration and anger over the vocal protests from many of the immigrants they themselves allowed into the country.

These demonstrators protest almost daily against Israel’s genocide against Palestinians and demand, among other things, that Sweden cease its support for the Israeli state – demands that have become increasingly troublesome for those in power.

“Intrusive” demonstrators may face harsher punishment

Therefore, Kristersson now announces the following measures, among others:

• Review of criminal liability for demonstrators who act “intrusively or aggressively”
• Police given greater opportunity to decide on alternative times and places for demonstrations
• Clearer opportunity for police to intervene if decisions are not followed
• Police must report on how they work against disturbances at gatherings

The government is also reviewing possibilities to deport pro-Palestinian demonstrators who are considered particularly troublesome or who are accused of “glorifying terror” by, for example, expressing sympathies for Hamas or other groups designated as terrorist organizations.

“Whipping up hateful sentiments”

Kristersson writes in his post that “a heavy responsibility also rests on those who, by spreading lies, terror romanticism and antisemitism, polarize and whip up hateful sentiments in Sweden”.

For many, however, it appears ironic that the prime minister now claims to want to stop Middle Eastern conflicts from Swedish streets – conflicts that have largely come to Sweden through policies that his own party has implemented.

Others point out that it is telling that those in power react so strongly and condemningly only when they themselves are affected by disturbances and discomfort, while ordinary Swedes have been affected daily for many years by significantly worse immigration-related incidents without this receiving any attention whatsoever.

Swedish teachers’ union warns: Threats and violence becoming normalized in schools

Published 14 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

An increasing number of teachers are being subjected to threats and violence in their professional roles, according to a report from Sveriges Lärare (Swedish Teachers’ Union). Staff working in after-school programs are the worst affected.

One in three teachers has been subjected to threats or violence in the past year. Meanwhile, four out of ten have witnessed a colleague being subjected to the same.

The report also shows that violence is becoming increasingly normalized – many teachers have stopped reporting incidents due to lack of support from school management and unclear procedures.

Threats and violence in schools are no longer isolated incidents – this is a systemic failure. That we teachers cannot feel safe at work is unacceptable and must never be normalized. The limit of what we teachers can endure has been exceeded, says Anna Olskog, chairperson of Sveriges Lärare in a press release.

Problem worst in after-school programs

Teachers in after-school programs are the worst affected – six out of ten have been subjected to harassment, threats or violence. Half of all teachers experience high stress, one in three suffers from depression and one in five is considering leaving the profession. The report also shows a clear connection between increased exposure and staff shortages.

Sveriges Lärare demands zero tolerance for threats and violence from school management and that authorities address the problem.

Threats and violence in schools are not just a school issue, it’s a societal issue. When teachers hesitate to report incidents and when colleagues leave the profession, we lose both quality and safety in schools. We have long demanded a national effort – from the state, from school management and from society as a whole – to reverse this development, says Olskog.

More Swedish adults worry about children’s mental health

Published 12 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Mental illness among children has become a widespread societal problem, experts warn.
2 minute read

Nearly half of Swedish adults have felt concern for a child’s mental wellbeing, according to a survey conducted by Verian on behalf of Bris (Children’s Rights in Society), a Swedish children’s helpline. At the same time, many don’t know how to get help for the child.

A large portion of calls from children who contact Bris concern mental health issues. During the summer, for example, 46 percent of calls dealt with this theme, showing a stable trend. Last year, the proportion of calls about mental health issues was 44 percent, confirming that these issues have been prominent for several years.

The survey shows that five out of ten adults have at some point felt concern about a child’s mental wellbeing. Of these people who felt concern, 64 percent say they know how to get help for the child. At the same time, 22 percent are uncertain and 14 percent say they don’t know.

We know that many adults want to act, but the fear of doing something wrong can sometimes become an obstacle. We often give the advice that as an adult, you don’t need to be an expert on everything. The most important thing is that you reach out to the child, says Sara André in a press release.

In recent years, mental health issues have increased among children and young people. Among other things, the number of young people seeking help for depression and anxiety has increased, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare. The proportion of ADHD diagnoses has also increased markedly among children, where it increased by 50 percent just between 2019 and 2022.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.