Finnish Parents Launch Campaign Against Growing Acceptance of Racism
(MENAFN) Parents in Finland have started a campaign to challenge what they see as the growing acceptance of racist language and symbols in society, according to reports Wednesday.
The initiative was launched after three parents raised concerns on LinkedIn about shifting attitudes toward immigrants and minority communities. Since then, the campaign has gained the support of dozens of participants.
One of the organizers said there was now "a bigger permission space" for using racist slurs, noting that such expressions were becoming more common on online platforms frequented by young people.
Another parent described an incident in which her eight-year-old child was assaulted by two teenagers while riding a bicycle home from school.
"These things shouldn't trickle down to kids," she said, adding that "racism overall is just becoming more accepted throughout society."
Researchers have similarly cautioned that far-right messaging can spread among younger audiences through humor, memes and ironic content.
"Such expressions can make discriminatory ideas appear ordinary, acceptable, or even entertaining," a social psychology researcher at the University of Helsinki said.
Finland's Security and Intelligence Service has also raised concerns about social media being used to influence young people and draw them into recruitment efforts.
These warnings come as suspected hate crimes reported to police have climbed to a record level for the third year in a row, according to research conducted by Finland's Police University College.
A separate survey by the Finnish Red Cross found that 95% of people between the ages of 15 and 24 had either experienced or witnessed racism online or through social media.
The Interior Ministry said police were closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing that cooperation with schools and parents was essential to tackling extremist activities.
The initiative was launched after three parents raised concerns on LinkedIn about shifting attitudes toward immigrants and minority communities. Since then, the campaign has gained the support of dozens of participants.
One of the organizers said there was now "a bigger permission space" for using racist slurs, noting that such expressions were becoming more common on online platforms frequented by young people.
Another parent described an incident in which her eight-year-old child was assaulted by two teenagers while riding a bicycle home from school.
"These things shouldn't trickle down to kids," she said, adding that "racism overall is just becoming more accepted throughout society."
Researchers have similarly cautioned that far-right messaging can spread among younger audiences through humor, memes and ironic content.
"Such expressions can make discriminatory ideas appear ordinary, acceptable, or even entertaining," a social psychology researcher at the University of Helsinki said.
Finland's Security and Intelligence Service has also raised concerns about social media being used to influence young people and draw them into recruitment efforts.
These warnings come as suspected hate crimes reported to police have climbed to a record level for the third year in a row, according to research conducted by Finland's Police University College.
A separate survey by the Finnish Red Cross found that 95% of people between the ages of 15 and 24 had either experienced or witnessed racism online or through social media.
The Interior Ministry said police were closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing that cooperation with schools and parents was essential to tackling extremist activities.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment