Torture in [Finland] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Finland] [other countries]
Street Children in [Finland] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Finland] [other countries]
 

Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children

In the early years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/streetchildren/Finland.htm

Republic of Finland Although Finland has been one of the best performing economies within the EU in recent years and its banks and financial markets have avoided the worst of global financial crisis, the world slowdown has hit export growth and domestic demand and will serve as a brake on economic growth in 2009 and 2010. The slowdown of construction, other investment, and exports will cause unemployment to rise. During 2009, unemployment will climb to over 8% of the labor force. Long-term challenges include the need to address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Finland. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

*** FEATURED ARTICLE ***

Children in Viipuri Attest to Sex Trips by Finns

Marjo Ollikainen in Viipuri/Vyborg, Helsingin Sanomat, 29.1.2000

www2.hs.fi/english/archive/thisweek/05082000.html

[accessed 15 May 2011]

There are about 200 street children in Viipuri, and they have anything but an easy life. For example, 13-year old Andrei and 14-year-old Vova are on the street because of their parents' alcoholism, and many of these street children are driven to prostitution because of drug addiction, because they are hungry, or just because they want a warm place to spend the night.  Sergei Semenkov, a doctor living in Finland, issues the reminder that there would be no supply unless there was demand.  The clientele of the Viipuri child prostitutes is 98% Finnish.

homes for street kids.  She said professional counselling was needed for the street people.

*** ARCHIVES ***

Runaways - Where To Turn For Help Before You Are Homeless

Rebeccas Community -- This is for anyone aged up to 13 years old who is thinking about running away

www.homeless.org.au/runaways.htm

[accessed 15 May 2011]

Here are the best phone numbers to call …They are Confidential - which means they won't tell anyone about your call unless you want them to talk to somebody for you, or you are in danger. They are open 24 Hours - it doesn't matter what time you call In Finland, call 09 753 5121

Human Rights Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 8, 2006

www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61647.htm

[accessed 5 February 2011]

CHILDREN - The government was strongly committed to children's rights and welfare. Public education and health care systems were well funded. Education was free and compulsory for all children ages 7 to 16, more than 99 percent of whom attended school. Most children attended school until graduation from high school. Education at universities and trade schools was also free.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 30-09-2005

sim.law.uu.nl/SIM/CaseLaw/uncom.nsf/0/e75b499842881be7c1257092002e4f76?OpenDocument

[accessed 5 February 2011]

[42] While noting the State party's efforts in this regard, the Committee expresses concern at the high dropout rate from school among Roma children and at their difficulties in accessing education, which negatively impact their development and future access to employment. In addition, the Committee also notes with concern the lack of teachers and of pre-school teaching material in the Roma language.

Finland - Other Hazardous Child Labor [PDF]

EFCW, Roberta Cecchetti, Living on the Edges, Children Who Work in Europe- from exploitation to participation, citing Council of Europe, street children June 1998

beta.globalmarch.org/resourcecentre/world/finland.pdf

[accessed 12 October 2012]

OTHER HAZARDOUS CHILD LABOUR - The problem of street children is not large and estimates suggest that there are about 100-200 children.

Meeting “Children on the Street” [PDF]

Ministry of Education, Russian Federation, Council of the Baltic Sea States Working Group for Co-operation on Children at Risk, Moscow, 27th to 29th of April 2003

www.childcentre.info/projects/street_children/dbaFile11658.pdf

[accessed 15 May 2011]

[Page 74] In Finland we still have quite few immigrants. At least in the survey of the Council of Europe it was found out that the risk to become a street child is bigger in immigrant families. A cultural gap between generations is sometimes so deep in families that the only choice for a youngster is to run away. Appropriate services for street children are shelter houses in bigger towns, run by the Red Cross Finland. Also outreach work is done in the streets in bigger towns.

Children in Viipuri Attest to Sex Trips by Finns

Marjo Ollikainen in Viipuri/Vyborg, Helsingin Sanomat, 29.1.2000

www2.hs.fi/english/archive/thisweek/05082000.html

[accessed 15 May 2011]

There are about 200 street children in Viipuri, and they have anything but an easy life. For example, 13-year old Andrei and 14-year-old Vova are on the street because of their parents' alcoholism, and many of these street children are driven to prostitution because of drug addiction, because they are hungry, or just because they want a warm place to spend the night. Sergei Semenkov, a doctor living in Finland, issues the reminder that there would be no supply unless there was demand. The clientele of the Viipuri child prostitutes is 98% Finnish.

Street Children and Homelessness

Youth Advocate Program YAP International, 5/17/2004

www.yapi.org/street/

[accessed 15 May 2011]

PROTECTING CHILDREN - The Finnish devised a plan in 1987 including house-building, social welfare, health care service, and a duty to provide a decent home for every homeless person. The number of homeless people in Finland was cut in half after 10 years.[9] However, the major problem with State programs is that children often reject the alternative assistance offered by the State.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Street Children - Finland", http://gvnet.com/streetchildren/Finland.htm, [accessed <date>]

Torture in [Finland] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Finland] [other countries]
Street Children in [Finland] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Finland] [other countries]