Icelandic police launch campaign on digital violence against children
Tuesday 6th October 2026 on 19:01 in
Iceland
Iceland’s National Commissioner of Police and police districts have launched an awareness campaign on digital violence against children and young people, mbl.is reports. The campaign aims to prevent abuse and help professionals, parents and children know how to respond.
The campaign is being run with the Centre for Education and School Services, the Child and Family Agency, the Directorate of Health, the Media Commission’s Netvís initiative, Home and School, the Icelandic Teachers’ Union, the 112 emergency service, the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland, the counselling service for sports and youth work, and Taktu skrefið.
New educational materials for the upper grades of compulsory school and for upper secondary schools will be published each week in October at stoppofbeldi.mms.is. The materials are intended for teachers and other professionals to use with students. The first pack, released on Tuesday, focuses on sharing nude images and sexual extortion. Later packs will cover cyberbullying, artificial intelligence and deepfakes, and digital safety in young relationships.
Further resources for professionals and parents are due in the coming weeks. Community police will work with schools and youth activities in their districts to follow up on the materials and introduce brief response training, according to the National Commissioner of Police.
Results from the 2025 Icelandic Youth Study show that 45% of girls and 15% of boys in 10th grade said they had been asked to send nude images of themselves. That amounts to 30% of the entire grade. In the same group, 38% said they had received unsolicited pornographic messages.
A recent report from the National Commissioner of Police found that 93 cases of sexual harassment and digital sexual offences were reported in the first half of 2026, a 60% increase on the same period last year. About half of the complainants in all reported sexual offences were under 18.
The campaign is supported by Netöryggissjóður Eyvarar and is part of the government’s 2025 to 2026 action plan to address violence among and against children. Children and young people affected by digital violence, and anyone concerned about a child, can contact 112 in an emergency. The Red Cross helpline, 1717, is available to anyone who wants to talk.