Everyone is mandated to report to the child protection services if they have reason to believe that a child is living in unacceptable conditions.

Child Protection Act 16, Article A.

Neglect

Neglect of a child is when it isn’t properly taken care of, thus damaging its development. Neglect can begin immediately in the womb. It is generally not considered neglect when the child’s needs are not taken care of well enough on the odd occasion. Neglect is divided into four categories.

Physical neglect

  • A child doesn’t receive necessary health care service.
  • A child doesn’t get appropriate food or clothing.
  • A child’s hygiene is not sufficient.
  • Housing isn’t liveable.

Neglect regarding supervision and looking after

  • A child is left alone and unsupervised without being old or mature enough.
  • A child is left with an unfit individual.
  • A child is left with someone for an abnormal length of time.
  • A child isn’t protected and even in danger due to a strange condition of a parent because of alcohol- or drug use. Neglect regarding studies.

Neglect regarding studies

  • A child arrives repeatedly at school without necessary tools or clothing and suggestions to parents are unsuccessful.
  • A child attends school poorly and parents are passive.
  • A child isn’t registered for school or misses school a lot due to illegitimate reasons, for example, because of babysitting younger siblings or parents don’t wake up.
  • Parents don’t respond to the school’s suggestions for special aid for the child.

Emotional negligence

  • A parent responds late or not at all, for example when an infant cries or a child needs support due to external trauma.
  • A parent doesn’t stimulate the mental development of a child, for example by pretending to neither hearing nor seeing the child.
  • The independence of a child is barely stimulated and the child therefore so overprotected that it affects its development.
  • A parent doesn’t set normal boundaries for a child and doesn’t discipline it.

Call 112 in the case of suspicion or knowledge of a child being abused.

Available resources

View all resources

Child Protection Services

Child protection service committees in each municipality help children who exist in unacceptable living conditions and provide support for families.

Þrjár dökkhærðar stelpur sitja á grasi. Þær snúa baki í myndavélina og spjalla saman.

Save the Children

Save the Children (Barnaheill) offers consultation about the welfare of children. On their website, it is possible to report inappropriate online behaviour against children.

1717

The Red Cross Helpline 1717 is a phone service and webchat for those who need someone to talk to in confidentiality. They are open 24 hours, and it's free to call.

Bullying

Bullying is repeated abuse, physical or mental, in which one or more bully and individual who has difficulty defending him-/herself. In order to stop the bullying it is important to recognise the signs.

Manneskja styður höndum á gagnaugun. Henni líður greinilega illa. Eldingar eru teiknaðar hjá höfðinu.