Perheongelmat

"One finds help and healing only with others and by talking and exchanging opinions. Isolation increases pain."
(Nigerian saying)

With regard to family problems, you can turn to your local social worker (aluesosiaalityöntekijä). Social workers can be contacted if your family needs financial support, day care for children, help in domestic tasks and help in finding activities for children during school holidays, for instance. Social workers also help to solve problems in relationships and within the family and give advice on bringing up children.

Couples counselling and family counselling deal with different relationship problems. These problem can be, for example, communication problems, infidelity, jealousy, mental health problems caused by difficult relationships, drinking problems and difficulties related to changes in the life cycle. Family counselling centres and family mediators, psychiatric clinics, family counselling centres of the Church and the family therapy centre of the Finnish Association for Mental Health provide help.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence can be physical or mental. It can entail deprivation of freedom or sexual harassment. Domestic violence is an offence. Women are the most common victims of domestic violence, but elderly people, children and men are also targeted. Assault in private premises is also a crime and a person can be charged for it. For help in situations of domestic violence, contact e.g. the Police, Social Services, the Finnish Service for Crime Victims (rikosuhripäivystys) or Refuges (turvakoti).

Women and girls who have become victims of violence can telephone the National Women’s Line in Finland (Naisten Linja) helpline. Women’s line provides service also in Swedish and English. Check the phone numbers and call times on the website.

Monika – the Multicultural Women’s Association (Monika–Naiset liitto ry) – provides help for immigrant women and children who have been exposed to violence. Help from Monika comes in Arabic, Dari, English, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Monika’s national hotline (Mo-Su 24 h), tel. 09-692 2304

Monika service brochures:

Finnish
English
Spanish
Persian
French
Somali
Tagalog
Thai
Estonian
Russian

The Kitke (Kitke) project of the Finnish League for Human Rights works to prevent honour-related violence. More information on honour-related violence and the Kitke project in Finnish, English and Turkish.

The service line of the Finnish League for Human Rights provides service in Finnish, English, Turkish, Tatar, Kurdish, Dari and Farsi 040 760 03 23, Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Often also the violent party can be helped. The websites for refuges contain information on places where the Violent Party can seek for help. Lyömätön linja helps men that want to abandon their violent behaviour.

Also visit the pageViolent Situations

Divorce

Information on divorce is available on the Info Bank page Divorce.