Similar development in consumption and crime and 30 years ago
Bragi Guðbrandsson, a member of the United Nations Children’s Rights Committee and the former Director General of the Child Welfare Office, says the situation today in children’s affairs with a variety of problems « sad », and to some extent similar to it 30 years ago.
At the same time, a concerted effort was made for the purpose of responding to the problem and, among other things, a number of treatment homes and remedies were established. As a result, in ten years, there was a complete revolution in this area.
It does not necessarily have to go the same way as 30 years ago, but it is clear that the treatment system in Iceland is collapsed and it is important to take action immediately. Both consider solutions that could be implemented in the near future and consider future solutions. Bragi came up with this in panel discussions yesterday because of the presentation of the report of the Children’s Ombudsman on a child -friendly judicial.
« I think this is terribly sad and it is overwhelmed by my understanding how this could go like this. There are both all kinds of mistakes safely and so that no one got the recruit, such as fire and mold and more, » says Bragi in a conversation with mbl
Set up 7 treatment homes in 5 years
As is the case today, Article 79 is actually inactive. It stipulates that the state should ensure that households and institutions are available to provide children in emergency, to ensure their safety, due to alleged crimes and serious behavioral difficulties. And at the same time analyze the problems of children who need specialized treatment and ensure children’s treatment for serious behavioral difficulties, substance abuse and alleged crimes.
« The situation we are facing now in the general situation in children and adolescents regarding consumption, crime, behavior and so on, it is in some ways analogous to what was shortly before we raised the age of autonomy and when the Child Welfare Office was established, » says Bragi.
At that time, every other child in the tenth grade had been drunk and the element of children in crimes was large.
« Then the first task of the Child Welfare Office was to implement a plan that had been made for the development and re -creation of the treatment system for adolescents. In a relatively short period of time, or five years, seven new treatment homes were established.
Institutional solutions not always the best
With that, it was possible to bring adolescents to a loss of treatment and says Bragi the situation has actually improved in ten years. He points out that not many years since the treatment system managed to meet demand and no waiting lists were after treatment. It also does not take long for circumstances to change for the worse, as we have been looking at real in recent years.
« I’m not necessarily talking about it being done exactly the same as it was done.
Institutional solutions are not always the best and are never the only solutions. It has to be a lot more complex solutions, ”says Bragi, but he would, for example, want to see more of the individualized actions.
« Now our treatment system is collapsing. But it is also quite clear that it takes time to build an organization. This is a very sad development. »
« It has to end it immediately »
Bragi points out that a new treatment home has been in a child protection plan that has been approved by Parliament for the past 13 years.
This is a treatment home that was set to build in Gardabaer, but now there is uncertainty with where will be located. Negotiations between the Ministry of Finance and Gardabaer on the allocation of land allocations were strained on disputes over building rights fees in 2023 and nothing seems to have been successful in the matter since.
It was thought that the treatment center would meet the needs of an older age group of children, aged 16 to 18, with the most important problem. And also changed the demands that came into being due to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is expected that there will be facilities for emergency care, detention and even servant.
« It has to bring together, as was done 30 years ago, all the institutions that come to these issues and the ministries of course. Then there is a need to create a plane, both in the short term, on appropriate intervention regarding the issues of these teenagers who are currently saving in Flatahraun.
Not complicated to build a foster home
Since the end of October, children down to 12 years have been an emergency at the police station in Flatahraun, up to six days at a time, despite the fact that the facilities there are unpopular children.
« There, people need to think out of the box. There are more resources than buildings. We have resources such as MST treatment that could be used more powerfully.
Such remedies have been established 35 years ago, when dull events took place, and Vista became children who were dangerous to themselves and others, outside the home. The remedies were then tailored to the needs of the individuals involved.
« At Flatahraun we have children down for 12 years who are stored there. When we are talking about such young children, it is not complicated to build around that foster care environment. Even if they are very difficult, you can look for foster parents who are used to and experienced. The foot of individualized resources, ”says Bragi.
« We need to reach the hardest group and then these multiple effects that occur when it goes loose. He is blaming all acute and treatment remedies, » he adds. There are therefore various ways.
« I think that the Children’s and Family Agency, which is responsible for this issue, needs to receive support from many parties to manage this issue as it is today.
« We as a community learn from the past, this is not unprecedented, we were in this position 30 years ago and we worked very well out of it. So well that it attracted international attention in terms of drug consumption in a short time. There was not one operation that was going on. »
« This is very quickly going to a very bad place »
Child protection staff, as well as those working in the treatment system, have talked about increasingly younger children with serious problems and that they are slowing down into drug use faster than before. Parents have also described in interviews on mbl.is and in Morgunblaðið how their children, who were even exemplary students or sports children, have in a few weeks gone into the world of drugs and crime.
Bragi recognizes similar development from the 1990s.
« This is exactly what we saw there ’95, it became such a multiplication effect. It’s always what happens. This is very quickly going to a very bad place if nothing is done.
I think it simply needs to shuffle the cards we have on hand today and play from those cards. At the same time as we try to ensure that these new agencies that are supposed to come in are careful about it, but we know that it is not something that happens in a short time. «
In 2023, a steering committee submitted a report on the arrangement of services for children with a variety of problems. There were 14 proposals for remedies that were desirable to be established. Among other things, certain emergency action was mentioned in this regard. None of these proposals, however, have come true.
« This seems to be the fate of the last decade or so, it is not missing the ideas and suggestions, the conversation and the integration, but it is to implement things, that’s what the issue is about. This needs funding. It has certainly been some of the problems, but it’s not always all about money. »
