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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/more-swedish-children-call-bris-helpline-worried-about-school-self-harm-violence/

Sweden

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

Published March 17, 2024 – By Editorial staff
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-public-broadcaster-aired-ai-generated-clip/

Sweden

Swedish public broadcaster aired AI-generated clip

Published yesterday 11:12 am – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

During Sunday evening's SVT Agenda, an AI-generated video was broadcast without the editorial team being aware of it. The clip appeared to show a confrontation between a New York police officer and an agent from the federal immigration agency ICE.

The video was part of a longer report about tensions in the United States surrounding deportations of undocumented migrants, where ICE operations have led to conflicts with local police in several Democrat-controlled cities.

The AI-generated material was shown on two occasions: first in the program's intro and then as part of the longer US report.

— It is unfortunate that we mistakenly published an AI-generated clip. The audience should always be able to trust that images in Agenda are authentic, says Agenda's editor-in-chief Michael Kucera.

The broadcast has been temporarily removed from SVT Play (the broadcaster's streaming service). A corrected version will be published as soon as possible, along with a correction notice. The editorial team states that they are now reviewing their procedures to avoid similar errors in the future.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/residents-in-vulnerable-areas-most-supportive-of-swedens-new-return-grant/

Sweden

Residents in vulnerable areas most supportive of Sweden’s new return grant

Population replacement in the West

Published November 17, 2025 – By Editorial staff
After the Swedish government, together with the Sweden Democrats party, significantly raised the cap for return migration grants, support for receiving the grant is now increasing among certain immigrant groups.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government's significant increase of the return migration grant at the turn of the year is meeting mixed reactions among the population. A new opinion poll shows that support is strongest among foreign-born residents in so-called vulnerable areas – and weakest among left-wing voters.

At the same time, debate is growing about how the grant should be used and what effects it may have for municipalities and the state.

When the Tidö government (Sweden's center-right coalition government) raises the return migration grant from approximately €900 to €31,000 at the turn of the year, the goal is to encourage more migrants who are deemed difficult to integrate to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.

The reform has created extensive political debate, not least after several red-green (left-wing) municipalities indicated their opposition to the measure.

This has led representatives from the Tidö parties and the Sweden Democrats to question whether state support should continue to municipalities that do not participate in the program.

Now a new survey from Indikator Opinion, commissioned by the Järvaveckan Foundation, shows that support for the significantly increased grant varies greatly between different groups.

Support varies greatly

According to the survey, attitudes are significantly more positive among foreign-born residents living in vulnerable areas than in the rest of the country.

In these areas, 39 percent say they are positive about an increased return migration grant, while 30 percent are negative. In the rest of the country – including both native Swedes and immigrants – the proportion of positive responses is 27 percent and the proportion of negative responses is 38 percent.

The most positive group is migrants who have lived in Sweden for less than five years and who also live in vulnerable areas. There, 46 percent say they view the grant increase positively.

Ahmed Abdirahman, CEO of the Järvaveckan Foundation, believes the reaction says something important about how people experience their situation in Sweden.

— That support for an increased return migration grant is greater among foreign-born residents in vulnerable areas may seem surprising at first glance. But the results show how complex the question of integration is. I see it as a sign that we need to talk more about opportunities, not just about benefits. When people don't feel included in nation-building, the willingness to consider other alternatives also increases, he says.

Right-wing voters more positive

The survey also shows large differences between different party sympathies. Among Sweden Democrats' voters, 47 percent are positive about the grant increase, while the corresponding proportion among Christian Democrats' voters is 45 percent.

The least support is found among Left Party and Green Party sympathizers, where a majority view the government's direction negatively.

Per Oleskog Tryggvason, opinion director at Indikator Opinion, emphasizes that the proposal is still unpopular among broader segments of voters.

— A significantly increased return migration grant is a relatively unpopular proposal among Swedish voters – clearly more people think it's bad than think it's good. Even though the proposal is significantly more popular among the Tidö parties' voters, there is a considerable proportion of right-wing voters who are skeptical. Based on these figures, it doesn't appear to be an election-winning proposal, he says.

The grant increase takes effect at the turn of the year. How many people will actually choose to apply remains to be seen – interest has been lukewarm so far, but the government hopes the new amount will change the situation.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-public-health-agency-wants-to-classify-red-fly-agaric-as-narcotics/

Sweden

Swedish Public Health Agency wants to classify red fly agaric as narcotics

Published November 14, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Products containing muscimol from fly agaric mushrooms have become increasingly popular and are often sold as natural medicine. Now the Swedish Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten) wants the government to stop the trade by classifying the substance as narcotics.

The fly agaric has long been regarded as a symbol of poisonous mushrooms, but it is not quite as toxic as the destroying angel (Amanita virosa) – which is deadly. Historically, the fly agaric is said to have been used by Siberian shamans, among others, to alter their state of consciousness in order to establish contact with the spirit world in rituals.

In Sweden during the 1800s, people hardly ate any mushrooms at all, but the fly agaric was still considered useful as it was used as an insecticide against flies, from which it also got its name. When food became scarce for Swedes, authorities tried to encourage more mushroom consumption, which briefly led to a group of mushroom enthusiasts claiming that the fly agaric was edible, something that Populär Historia has written about. During the 1970s, the mushroom began to acquire its bad reputation after new knowledge about mushroom species began to take shape.

Poses a risk

Muscimol is a psychoactive substance that can produce sedative and hallucinogenic effects, and today the substance is often promoted by so-called alternative health groups as a remedy for sleep disorders, among other things. So-called retreats are even organized where participants ingest the mushroom in ceremonial settings.

Now the Swedish Public Health Agency wants to classify the substance as narcotics. According to the agency, the substance is currently available for purchase as candy and in e-cigarettes through various online stores, and they emphasize that the mushroom is poisonous and that people are exposing themselves to risk. In addition to relatively common symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and hallucinations, there are reports of people falling into comas after taking the preparation.

— It has properties that pose a danger to people's lives and health and which can be assumed to be used for the purpose of achieving intoxication, said Adli Assali, head of unit at the Swedish Public Health Agency, to P3 Nyheter.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned trade in muscimol at the end of last year. This summer, the Swedish Public Health Agency initiated its own investigation following a request from the Swedish Customs Service (Tullverket), which had seized the substance at border controls. The Swedish government will now decide whether the substance should be classified as narcotics in Sweden.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-prison-service-opposes-plan-to-lower-criminal-age-to-13/

Sweden

Swedish Prison Service opposes plan to lower criminal age to 13

Published November 12, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government's proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 is facing strong criticism. In its consultation response, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården) states that it is not equipped to receive such young children in prison and that they should be cared for in other ways.

By July 1 next year, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service is expected to have built prison units for children where both 15–17-year-olds and 13–14-year-olds convicted of serious crimes will serve sentences. At the same time, places at the special youth homes (SiS homes, state-run institutions for youth care) will be phased out.

In the consultation response, the Prison and Probation Service writes that imprisonment at a young age can lead to negative consequences, and that children "as young as 13 should be cared for in other ways".

— These concerns become more significant the younger the children in question are, says Elisabeth Lager, acting legal director, to TT.

The Prison and Probation Service is clear that the organization does not have the required resources. It lacks both the expertise and suitable facilities to handle children as young as 13 within prisons, detention centers, or community-based sanctions such as probation. Practical issues such as education must also be addressed. At the same time, it is noted that the level of the age of criminal responsibility is ultimately a political matter.

Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer writes that the government will "carefully analyze all consultation responses". He emphasizes that society must "care for children in a completely different way than today" in cases of the most serious crimes, both to protect victims and society, but also the children themselves.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com