What to do about sexual abuse among the young?

The number of young people in Stockholm who reported sexual abuse has doubled compared with 2016. Women's shelters warn that young women are being forced to take part in increasingly harsh sexual practices, and suspect that this is because young people are copying online porn. Politicians want prospective teachers to receive better training in sex education.

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ETC (SE) /

Sex education must start early

The announcements do not go far enough, feminist activist Lisa Palm writes in ETC:

“The situation is acute. With every passing day more young girls are being harmed. The government announced last week that courses on sexuality and partnership would become a compulsory part of teacher training. Unfortunately, however, the programme for preschool teachers is exempt from this. That's too bad because many values are communicated at an early age. For the young people who are exposed to these attacks today, the changes come too late. We cannot afford to wait for newly qualified teachers to enter the job market. ... That's why the city should already provide five million crowns [around 500,000 euros] for sex education measures in Stockholm's schools.”

Svenska Dagbladet (SE) /

Unrealistic reactions

Svenska Dagbladet points out the difficulties those in charge face when dealing with this issue:

“Porn is like drugs. As a parent, you need a certain amount of knowledge in order not to be dismissed as totally clueless. To some extent the way in which online porn is discussed in public has nothing to do with reality. For example, the organisation Porrfri Barndom [Pornfree Childhood] claims that mainstream porn is full of homophobia. Is that so? Anyone who questions the statement disqualifies himself as a porn consumer. Perhaps that's why it's so difficult for the investigating authorities to shed light on the issue with a structured approach.”