Abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and exploitation

(a) Ensure the implementation of the proposals made in the government report entitled “Safe childhood, secure future” by allocating sufficient financial and human resources

(b) Strengthen the child’s position in child welfare cases by ensuring that the child is heard, including by appointing a children’s representative, providing guidance on the assessment of the child’s best interests and strengthening competence requirements among the workforce

(c) Ensure the implementation of the recommendations in the evaluation report on Statens barnehus (State children’s houses), in particular by strengthening the medical component, and strengthen collaboration with local child protection and follow-up recovery services

(d) Ensure a systematic response to bullying in all its forms and provide adequate human, technical and financial resources for its implementation

(e) Strengthen prevention efforts and protection, support and redress for children who are particularly vulnerable and exposed to violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, including unaccompanied children, children with disabilities, children who break with gender and sexuality norms and Roma and Sami children

(f) Establish a statutory duty for municipalities to have action plans to combat violence against children and violence in close relationships

(g) Take further measures, including campaigns with the involvement of children, to enhance awareness of child sexual abuse and exploitation and respond to all its manifestations, in particular online, including by strengthening professional capacity and software tools to detect and investigate such abuse and promoting training for parents and teachers about online risks and the risks associated with sexting, and to combat the stigmatization of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse

(h) Ensure the mandatory reporting of all forms of violence and abuse against children by promoting awareness among parents, professionals and children themselves of the importance of reporting and early intervention in such cases