Children and young people are serious municipal influencers just like adults.

Janakkala is part of the Unicef Child-Friendly Municipality model, which helps municipalities ensure the rights of the child (under 18 years old) are upheld. The goal is to achieve permanent, structural changes in municipal operations.

Children’s rights include the right to receive information and the right to express their opinions on all matters concerning them. Opinions must be taken into account according to the child’s age and developmental level.

It is important that all children can participate in joint decision-making. Together, we can create ways for participation so that everyone finds a suitable channel and method to influence. The experience of participation only arises when the participant learns about or experiences the effects of their participation. If they are always asked without knowledge of the impact of their answers, the enthusiasm for participation fades.

A weakness of Finnish democracy can be seen in the inequality of social participation and social passivity. A better future is created by boldly reforming methods of influence, including increasing interaction among children, youth, employees, developers, and decision-makers.

Children have expressed their willingness and ability to voice their opinions and influence their own and communal matters. Below are the key results from recent surveys. The next shift belongs to adults. Janakkala is a youthful decision-maker by genuinely including children’s perspectives in decision-making and activities and renewing together with children!

We already believe! 

Children and young people highlight the same issues through various surveys and forums. The following key issues have emerged:

• Bullying must stop! It is the adults’ responsibility, and it must be stopped together with children and young people.
• Children and young people want to influence genuinely, and this must be taken seriously.
• Information should be conveyed to children and young people in clear language and an understandable manner.

Surveys and forums and their results

Initial survey of the Child-Friendly Municipality model (2020)

Over 1300 children and young people participated in the survey.

The Child-Friendly Municipality model helps municipalities ensure that children and young people have their voices heard and can influence matters concerning them.

Here are a few highlights from the survey results:

• Stopping bullying was selected as the main action of the Child-Friendly Municipality model.
• Children and young people would like to express their opinions more often on issues related to education and leisure. Environmental issues are also of interest.
• The experience of opportunities to influence is minimal at school.
• There are at least 101 children and young people in our municipality who want to express their opinions more often on communal matters.

School forum – topics bullying and participation (2022)

The school forum included two representatives from each municipal school, totaling 28 children and young people. The students had prepared for the forum at school, and the work continued at the municipal hall, first discussing in small groups and later as a whole group.

Summary of small group discussions and joint discussions:

• Bullying must always be reported to adults, and it is the adults’ duty to stop bullying.
• The bullied should be listened to and allowed to influence how the situation is handled.
• Bullies need help, as there is a reason why they bully.
• An electronic platform through which bullying could be reported would facilitate reporting.
• Children and young people want more genuine influence for student councils and youth councils.
• Children and young people want to influence the content of school days: e.g., teaching methods, working styles, meals, overall workload.
• Children and young people want information in an understandable way and also want to produce it, for example, through their own magazine.
• Feedback boxes at schools and a common electronic platform would help express opinions.

Developing things – survey (2022)

The surveys were conducted as group surveys for members of student councils, youths in youth spaces (Varikko and Satama), and the youth council. The survey included children and young people from Harviala, Tervakoski, Turenki, and Viral, with 191 children and young people responding, totaling 14 groups.

The aim of the survey was to identify the needs of children and young people regarding communication, communication channels, and methods of influence, the assistance children and young people need, and what officials and decision-makers should consider when making decisions related to children and young people in schools or in Janakkala.

Messages from the survey to adults:

• Engage with children and young people genuinely, listening and with an open mind.
• Do not become defensive when children and young people make suggestions for improvement or provide feedback.
• Value children’s and young people’s opinions and views.
• Consider whether the influence opportunities for children and young people in Janakkala are real.
• Do not consider children and young people to be foolish.
• Ask for children’s and young people’s opinions before making decisions. Do not act in a way that makes a decision first and then ask for children’s and young people’s opinions afterward, knowing that it will not affect the decision in any way.
• Engage in dialogue with children and young people as equals, as citizens and service users.
• Avoid speaking to children and young people condescendingly.
• Listen to children and young people; do not question what they say
  – take the matters seriously.
• If young people are asked for their opinion, it would be good to inform them how it is taken into account, and not just ask for the sake of asking, without it affecting anything.
• Young people want to influence school meals even more.
• Young people’s opinions must be taken seriously, but this also depends on the decision and how significant the matter is.
• The more a topic relates to youth, the more important it is to listen to them. It is vital to help the youth learn to justify their opinions themselves.
• Young people’s questions should be treated seriously and not dismissively.
• Youth representation at all tables.

School health survey (2023)

School bullying has decreased among 4th-5th graders: in 2021, 58.9% had not been bullied at school, and in 2023, the figure is 60.1%. The percentage of those bullied at least once a week has dropped from 9.5% in 2021 to 8.2% in 2023. The national average has been 8.6%, and Kanta-Häme’s average is 8.3%.

For 8th-9th graders, in 2021, 74.5% of students reported that they had not been bullied at all. In 2023, the figure is 73.9%. At least once a week, 7.3% experienced bullying in 2021, and in 2023, the figure is 8.5%. Although the numbers have risen in upper secondary school, Janakkala’s results are better than the averages for Kanta-Häme and the entire country for those not bullied at all. The result is slightly worse for those who experienced bullying at least once a week.

Participation model

In line with the goals of a Child-Friendly Municipality, we are developing a participation model for children and young people to promote their involvement. The aim of the model is to bring children, young people, developers, employees, and decision-makers closer together. It presents ways and models to consider perspectives from both sides.

Assessment of child impact

Janakkala has decided to design a model for assessing child impact in decision-making. The municipal working group participates in regional assessment model work. The aim is to prepare a model that considers the statutory children’s rights in decision-making that significantly affects children and young people.

Rights stipulated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child

A child has the right to express their opinions on all matters concerning them, and these must be taken into account according to the child’s age and developmental level.

A child has the right to express their opinions as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others. A child has the right to receive information.