HEUNI / The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control

07/08/2026

Olemme laatineet kyselyn, joka on suunnattu henkilöille, jotka ovat olleet ns. eheyttämisen kohteena jossain vaiheessa elämäänsä. Hyödynnämme vastauksia raportissa, jonka laadimme oikeusministeriön tilauksesta ns. eheytyshoitojen kieltämistä koskevan lainvalmistelutyön tueksi.
Lainvalmistelun taustalla on ”Rikkomaton – kielletään eheytyshoidot” -kansalaisaloite. Kyselyvastausten perusteella voidaan tehdä myös akateemisia julkaisuja.
Vastauksista raportoidaan sekä raportissa että mahdollisissa julkaisuissa niin, ettei vastaajia voida tunnistaa. Linkki kyselyyn: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/s/eheyttaminen?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
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Vi har utformat en enkät riktad till personer som någon gång i livet har genomgått så kallad omvändelseterapi. Vi kommer att använda oss av svaren i en rapport som HEUNI utarbetar på uppdrag av justitieministeriet för att stödja lagstiftningsarbetet om förbud mot omvändelseterapi.

Lagstiftningsarbetet bygger på medborgarinitiativet ”Människan är hel – Förbjud omvändelseterapier”. Svaren på enkäten kommer att redovisas både i rapporten och kan också komma att användas i eventuella akademiska publikationer, givetvis på ett sätt som säkerställer att de svarande inte kan identifieras. Länken till enkäten: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/s/eheyttaminen?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Seta Helsinki Pride Monika-Naiset liitto ry
Sateenkaariyhdistys Malkus ry Regnbågsallians rf

13/03/2026

Nuorten rikollisuus on monimuotoinen ilmiö. Vakava ja toistuva rikollisuus keskittyy hyvin pieneen joukkoon nuoria, joilla on usein merkittäviä kasautuneita riskitekijöitä. Usein nämä nuoret ovat olleet viranomaisten tiedossa jo kauan esimerkiksi lastensuojelu- tai perheväkivaltailmoitusten kautta. Vaikuttava kriminaalipolitiikka edellyttää täsmällistä ongelmanmäärittelyä, lapsen oikeuksien kunnioittamista ja oikea-aikaisia, kohdennettuja toimia.

Rangaistukset yksin eivät lisää yhteiskunnan turvallisuutta. Ne saattavat jossain tapauksissa pahentaa nuorten rikosaktiivista elämänpolkua – etenkin, jos rangaistuksia suunnataan laajasti ja etupäässä matalan rikosriskin nuoriin. Samalla on selvää, että myös rangaistuksilla ja pakkokeinoilla on paikkansa kaikkein vakavimman ja toistuvimman rikollisuuden torjunnassa.

04/03/2026

Ammattilaisille suunnattu materiaalipankki tukemaan työtä sukupuolistuneen väkivallan teemoissa, erityisesti maahan muuttaneiden naisten kanssa.

tarjoaa käytännön työkaluja, ohjeita ja koulutusmateriaaleja väkivallan tunnistamiseen, ehkäisyyn ja uhrilähtöiseen kohtaamiseen.

➡️ Ota materiaalit käyttöön työssäsi: http://heuni.education/tuva_materiaalipankki

14/01/2026

Child trafficking doesn’t always look like what we see in films.
In reality, the signs are subtle, especially in cross-border situations where children may be controlled through fear, manipulation, or misinformation.

SafeBorders project is working to improve early detection by:
📌developing tools that help professionals recognise vulnerability patterns;
📌creating shared protocols across 9 countries;
📌gathering evidence from the field to understand how traffickers adapt their tactics.

Better identification means earlier protection before exploitation occurs.

12/01/2026

[ENG] Child trafficking doesn’t always look like what we see in films.
In reality, the signs are subtle, especially in cross-border situations where children may be controlled through fear, manipulation, or misinformation.
SafeBorders is working to improve early detection by:
· developing tools that help professionals recognise vulnerability patterns;
· creating shared protocols across 9 countries;
· gathering evidence from the field to understand how traffickers adapt their tactics.
Better identification means earlier protection before exploitation occurs.


———
[PL] Handel dziećmi nie zawsze wygląda tak, jak pokazują to filmy.
W rzeczywistości oznaki są subtelne, zwłaszcza w sytuacjach transgranicznych, gdzie dzieci mogą być kontrolowane poprzez strach, manipulację lub dezinformację.
SafeBorders pracuje nad poprawą wczesnego wykrywania poprzez:
· opracowywanie narzędzi, które pomagają profesjonalistom rozpoznawać wzorce podatności;
· tworzenie wspólnych protokołów w 9 krajach;
· gromadzenie dowodów z terenu, aby zrozumieć, w jaki sposób handlarze dostosowują swoje taktyki.
Lepsza identyfikacja oznacza wcześniejszą ochronę przed eksploatacją.

12/01/2026

Huijausten tekotavat ovat muuttuneet, m***a ihmisten tunteet eivät Romanssihuijausilmiö on muuttanut muotoaan nopeasti, m***a toisaalta rikolliset painelevat edelleen samoja nappuloita kuin sata vuotta sitten. ”Meillä on edelleen luolamiehen aivot, ja samanlaiset manipuloinnin keinot toimivat k...

27/12/2025

As the year comes to an end, Finland observes , the Declaration of Christmas Peace. It is a moment that emphasises calm, consideration and the responsibility we hold toward one another. Adults and institutions play in creating environments where children can feel safe, during the holidays and in everyday life.

In the project, it invites us to think about children who do not experience stability at this time of year, including those who move across borders, who have been separated from caregivers, or who are targeted by traffickers.

Our partners across 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇹 Italy 🇵🇱 Poland 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇮 Finland and Western Balkans continue working to make protection more accessible and actionable for children at risk.

Our efforts focus on:
✨ improving the chances that a child is recognised when they need support
✨ ensuring professionals have the tools and confidence to act
✨ developing analytical tools that help identify those who exploit children
✨ supporting cooperation between countries so no child is overlooked
✨ engaging communities to strengthen understanding and awareness

December brings many traditions, but for children experiencing exploitation, the calendar does not change their situation.

10/12/2025

December 10th marks Human Rights Day, established to recognise the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This Day, we focus on a core element of the -funded project: every child has the right to safety and protection, no matter where they are or how they move across borders.

Through the SafeBorders project, partners from nine countries 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇫🇮 Finland and the Western Balkans
are working together to strengthen how Europe prevents child trafficking, identifies risks earlier and protects vulnerable children more effectively.

Across these countries, the project advances work to strengthen responses to child trafficking through:
🔸Interviews and focus groups with judicial actors, frontline responders and community-based organisations to understand gaps and develop practical guidelines for prevention, identification, protection and prosecution.
🔸 Training 495 professionals, including judges, prosecutors and frontline workers, to better recognise trafficking indicators and apply child-sensitive approaches.
🔸 Creating an AI-powered platform to help identify trafficking patterns and support evidence-based decision-making in a GDPR-compliant way.
🔸 Conducting community workshops and an EU-wide outreach campaign aimed at improving safeguarding knowledge among both professionals and the public.

Child trafficking is a human rights violation and there is a need for stronger systems, stronger cooperation and stronger protection for children at risk. #

10/12/2025

December 10th marks Human Rights Day, established to recognise the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On Human Rights Day, we focus on a core element of the -funded project: every child has the right to safety and protection, no matter where they are or how they move across borders.

Through the SafeBorders project, partners from nine countries 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇫🇮 Finland and the Western Balkans
are working together to strengthen how Europe prevents child trafficking, identifies risks earlier and protects vulnerable children more effectively.

Across these countries, the project advances work to strengthen responses to child trafficking through:
🔸Interviews and focus groups with judicial actors, frontline responders and community-based organisations to understand gaps and develop practical guidelines for prevention, identification, protection and prosecution.
🔸 Training 495 professionals, including judges, prosecutors and frontline workers, to better recognise trafficking indicators and apply child-sensitive approaches.
🔸 Creating an AI-powered platform to help identify trafficking patterns and support evidence-based decision-making in a GDPR-compliant way.
🔸 Conducting community workshops and an EU-wide outreach campaign aimed at improving safeguarding knowledge among both professionals and the public.

Child trafficking is a human rights violation and there is a need for stronger systems, stronger cooperation and stronger protection for children at risk.

📍 Themistocles and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation - Centre for European Constitutional Law (Greece – Coordinator)
📍 Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης & Ασύλου - Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum
📍 CESIE ETS (Italy)
📍 Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) (Bulgaria)
📍 Missing Children Europe (Belgium)
📍 ADPARE – Association for the Development of Alternative Reintegration and Education Practices (Romania)
📍 Vela.ngo (Poland)
📍 IPS_Innovative Prison Systems | ICJS Innovative Criminal Justice Solutions (Portugal)
📍 Saúde em Português (Portugal)
📍 HEUNI – European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (Finland)

Learn more about the project: https://heuni.fi/-/safeborders

21/11/2025

Technology is reshaping our world. And, unfortunately, reshaping how harm is done. From online child sexual exploitation to AI-enabled human trafficking, digital tools are now central to both offending and our collective response.

Want to understand how technology is used to facilitate child sexual exploitation?

Our joint webinar with Australian Institute of Criminology started unpacking the issue from multiple angles:
• Samantha Lyneham on the landscape of online CSE
• Michael Cahill on exploitation through dating apps and websites
• Dr Timothy Cubitt on digital tools used by offenders
• Finnish insights from Detective Chief Inspector Maria Hietajärvi

🎥 Watch the full recording here: https://youtu.be/ZiczPHI5sc4?si=iiEs51pf7N6SqcmH

But the conversation doesn’t stop at understanding the problem.
Criminal networks are also adopting AI and digital platforms at speed: creating synthetic identities, targeting vulnerable communities, and masking cross-border operations. As these methods evolve, so must our responses.

🔍 This is exactly where the project steps in.

We’re working to strengthen Europe’s ability to prevent and investigate trafficking by combining three key elements:
✅ Capacity building for judges and frontline professionals
✅ Cross-border cooperation among justice and law enforcement actors
✅ AI-powered technology to detect patterns and disrupt criminal networks

Learn about the experiences of underage users, the risk factors involved, and how online platforms enable perpetrators to exploit technology a...