Better Internet for Kids

Relevant sections of the Criminal Code cover various aspects on online child sexual abuse and exploitation, namely:

• Distribution of a sexually obscene image (Section 18),
• Aggravated distribution of a sexually obscene image depicting a child (Section 18a),
• Illegal display or distribution of an audiovisual programme to a minor (Section 18b),
• Possession of a sexually obscene image depicting a child (Section 18c),
• Sexually obscene marketing  Section 20)

(Source: Criminal Code)

The goal of the New Literacy development program is to strengthen children's and young people's media literacy, information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and programming skills in early childhood education and preschool and basic education.

In the fall of 2020, the Ministry of Education and Culture launched the New Literacy Development Program for the years 2020-2023, and it is part of the Ministry's broader Right to Learn development program.  

The National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme is a horizontal programme, which the Government adopts every four years with the aim of promoting a good environment for young people to grow up and live. In the Programme, the Government defines its youth policy objectives and the measures to achieve them. The Programme also outlines youth work, including the priorities for the selection of national centers of excellence in the youth sector for this programme period, and sets Finland's national objectives for European and international activities in the youth sector.

Media literacy in Finland is the media literacy policy and the national media education policy document, published by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2019. The document updates and extends the cultural policy guidelines for media literacy published in 2013.

The objectives of the Act is to promote young people’s social inclusion and opportunities for exerting an influence; improve their skills and capabilities to function in society; support their growth, independence and sense of community and facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, adoption of skills and pursuit of free-time hobbies and activities in civic society; as well as to promote non-discrimination and realisation of civic rights while improving young people’s growth and living conditions.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the preparation of the legislation on child welfare and for the general steering of child welfare services. The Child Welfare Act safeguards children’s rights and provisions on child welfare are laid down in the Child Welfare Act. Provisions on the rights of children are laid down in the Constitution of Finland. Furthermore, the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are also binding on Finland.

The Act lays down provisions on comprehensive school education and compulsory education, pre-primary education, voluntary additional comprehensive school education, preparatory education for comprehensive school education, and morning and afternoon activities.
(Source: Website - Key legislation on general education).

Entities responsible for implementation: Ministry of Education and Culture.

This Act lays down provisions on the rights of a child to early childhood education and care (ECEC), the organisation and provision of early childhood education and care, and the data repository for early childhood education and care. 

Early childhood education and care is provided as:

The Local Government Act obliges municipalities to set up a youth council and ensure that it operates properly. According to Section 26 of the Act, Youth councils must be given the opportunity to influence the planning, preparation, execution and monitoring of the activities of the municipality’s different areas of responsibility in matters of importance to the well-being, health, education, living environment, housing or mobility of the municipality’s residents and also in other matters that the youth council considers to be significant for children and young people.

The law aimed at combating school bullying has created a new offence in the penal code which is the offence of school bullying, punishable by article 222-33-2-3 of the penal code.  Forms of school bullying are  in this way treated as acts of moral harassment committed against a student. For the offence to be constituted, it is necessary to demonstrate repeated actions. The offence is also constituted when words or behaviours are imposed on the same victim by several perpetrators. These acts may be done in a concerted manner or at the instigation of one of them.