Monday, September 15, 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.

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

Published yesterday 11:36
– 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.

Swedish government proposes prison from age 13

Deteriorating safety

Published 10 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Despite decades in the corridors of power, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has failed to tackle gang crime – but now things will be different, he claims.
3 minute read

The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered from 15 to 13 years for particularly serious crimes such as murder and serious bombings. This is promised by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson together with the party leaders of Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals.

In a debate article in the Bonnier publication Expressen, they argue that the law change should be time-limited to five years and only apply to the most serious crimes.

“In the serious situation we are in, we must try new measures. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we have always done, things will keep turning out the way they always have”, the party leaders write.

The party leaders point out that the number of suspected crimes involving children under 15 has doubled in a decade and that those suspected in life-threatening shootings have become increasingly younger.

“This development must be stopped”, they state, arguing that serious crime is creeping down to younger ages.

At the same time, they highlight that the total number of shootings has decreased since 2022 and that they have more than halved so far this year compared to the record year of 2022. “But we still have levels of violence that no decent society can accept”, they write.

Three reasons for the reduction

The Swedish government and Sweden Democrats cite three main reasons for lowering the age of criminal responsibility. First, they argue that the chance of a child breaking a criminal lifestyle is greater the earlier appropriate measures are implemented.

“By lowering the age of criminal responsibility, we open up the entire toolbox of police and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service at an earlier stage”, it states.

Second, it concerns the state’s obligation to protect citizens from crime. Sanctions such as community service, youth care, youth supervision or prison enable more control and recidivism prevention measures, the party leaders argue.

Third, the sanction is important for the victim’s vindication and the legitimacy of legislation, particularly for young crime victims who are most severely affected by young criminals.

“Today’s system is not sufficient”

“It is obvious that today’s system for young criminals is not sufficient”, the party leaders write, directing criticism at previous policies. They argue that preventive measures should have been implemented ten years ago when today’s young criminals were small children.

The party leaders point out that several other countries have lower ages of criminal responsibility. In Ireland it is 12 years, and 10 years for certain serious crimes. In the Netherlands the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years and in England 10 years.

In addition to lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the government and Sweden Democrats highlight several other measures that have been implemented or are planned, including the establishment of youth prisons and the abolition of the so-called youth discount for young adults.

Police will also be able to use secret and preventive coercive measures against children under 15 in order to reach those who order crimes and prevent crimes before they are committed. In addition, secrecy barriers between schools, social services and police have been removed so that authorities can collaborate more easily.

The Church of Sweden organizes a “march of grief” for the climate

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 8 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Swedish Bishop Andreas Holmberg is one of the key speakers at the left-wing political event.
3 minute read

The Stockholm diocese of the Church of Sweden will conduct a climate alarmist manifestation later this week where participants are encouraged to express their grief over the ongoing “climate emergency”.

For many, however, the event confirms the image of a church that has abandoned its Christian core and replaced it with left-wing radical activism.

The Church of Sweden in Stockholm is inviting the public to what they describe as a grief march on September 11.

“We invite you to a march where grief over what has been lost or is being lost through the climate emergency is given space. A public manifestation and an opportunity to grieve together with others”, write those responsible for the church in their press release.

The initiative comes at a time when the Church of Sweden has long been receiving harsh criticism from both conservatives and believers for becoming increasingly politicized and non-Christian.

Critics argue that the church has been infiltrated by left-wing radical forces that prioritize climate alarmism, LGBTQ issues, mass immigration and other “leftist issues” over Christian theology and faith in God.

Participants should come “dressed in mourning”

Bishop Andreas Holmberg will lead the march that goes from Nybroplan via Hötorget to St. Clara Church in Stockholm, Sweden. Participants are encouraged to come dressed in black or “mourning clothes” to manifest their climate grief.

“We walk in silence, with drums, without placards and shouts. The demands presented in the march: Listen to climate research, Live up to the Paris Agreement, Make decisions that secure peace and future for children, Act now”, states the invitation.

Among the co-organizers are a number of left-wing radical or climate alarmist groups such as Grand Panthers, Greta’s Elderly (Gretas Gamlingar), Grandparents For Future, Rebel Mothers (Rebellmammorna), Rebel Fathers (Rebellpapporna) and Climate Action – organizations that have previously conducted various forms of climate alarmist protests.

The Equmenia Church, PRO Stockholm County (a Swedish pensioners’ organization) and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation are also behind the event. Professor Nina Wormbs in history of technology will speak together with the bishop.

“Has nothing to do with Christianity”

For many Christians, the “climate march” confirms what they have long warned about: that the Church of Sweden has largely lost its Christian orientation and that the church’s high-ranking representatives today seem to be passionate about completely different issues.

On social media, many express grief and disappointment over the development and wonder how one should actually proceed to “take back” the national church from activists and lobbyists.

“Jesus himself emphasized the difference between politics and religion. What the Swedish Church is doing has nothing to do with Christianity”, states one user on X.

“Due to low voter turnout, politically extreme organizations have been able to take power in the Church of Sweden. The church’s gospels have been replaced with postmodernist and nihilistic messages. Go and vote next week! Banish the activists to the political arena where they belong”, argues another.

The church election takes place September 8–21 and all members of the Church of Sweden over 16 years old can vote in it.

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