You must not be bullied or hurt

The Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees you the right to physical and mental integrity and protection from all forms of violence, injury, negligence and mistreatment. No one is allowed to harm you: no matter if they are members of your own family, relatives, friends or acquaintances. You must not be subjected to physical punishment or treated in a humiliating or degrading manner.

If anyone harms or bullies you, or subjects you to violence or exploitation, always tell a trusted adult or contact a helpline or chat service. Do not suffer in silence.

If your physical or mental integrity is violated at school, bring the matter to attention. Schools have a legal obligation to intervene in all forms of harassment and bullying.

You also have the right to refuse physical contact in leisure activities. Adults must protect young people’s physical integrity and intervene without delay in the case of violations.

What does this mean?

Violence can be physical, for example when someone causes you bodily harm or touches you against your will or in an inappropriate way, but it can also be emotional, for example when someone insults you, calls you names, excludes you from their company or ignores you.

Sexual self-determination means that you decide who is allowed to touch your body and in what way. Trust your feelings about what feels right and do not feel ashamed to say ‘no’ if someone touches you in an inappropriate manner.

You must also respect other people’s boundaries and their right to physical integrity. Under Finnish criminal law, no sexual acts may be committed against a person under the age of 16, and sexual activity always requires the consent of both parties. Remember that if your integrity is violated, it is not your fault and you have no reason to feel ashamed. Tell an adult you can trust about the incident.

You may also experience bullying, emotional abuse and/or exploitation online. Be careful when using the internet and tell an adult about messages or contacts that feel frightening or strange.