High North News

Iceland: Schools to Screen Children for Violence

Trine Jonassen
domestic violence crime children youth violence

Screening for violence against children will begin in primary schools across Iceland in October, while a new clinic for children who have experienced violence opened in August, RUV reports.

The initiatives are among 25 measures aimed at addressing violence against and among children, announced by the government in autumn 2024 and presented in spring 2025.

Health Minister Alma Möller says the screening in primary schools will primarily be carried out by school nurses.

“We are using a resource that is already there – a conversation between a healthcare professional and children in a familiar environment, somewhere they feel safe,” Möller said.

The programme was piloted in five schools in the spring. Initially, screening will be offered to pupils in Years 7 and 9. Möller says the programme is likely to be expanded to include more year groups at a later stage.

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