Plikten som kan redde liv
Får du vite om at noen kan bli utsatt for vold eller overgrep, har du mulighet til å hjelpe. Du kan også ha en lovpålagt plikt til å forhindre at det skjer.
Alle former for vold er uakseptabelt. Avvergingsplikten innebærer en plikt til å avverge vold som er til stor fare for liv og helse og viser til noen bestemte lovbrudd.
Se oversikt over hvilke volds- og seksullovbrudd avvergingsplikten gjelder for her.
Det kan være utfordrende å vite når du har avvergingsplikt og hvordan du kan avverge på en trygg måte for den det gjelder. Disse spørsmålene kan være til hjelp hvis du lurer på om du har avvergingsplikt.
Les mer om ulike handlingsalternativer på siden “Hvordan avverge?
Do I have to intervene?
Violence and abuse often take place in secret and without other witnesses present. If someone confides in you, or you learn in some other way that violence or abuse will occur, it is important that you listen and act.
Some situations require you to act immediately. This does not mean that you have to intervene or put yourself in danger – you can notify the police and/or Child Welfare Services. If possible, you can also bring the victim to safety – to a crisis center, for example.
Other times, you may have the opportunity to talk to the person concerned. Then you can listen and ask questions. Try to find out how serious the situation is and how quickly it is necessary to intervene. Try to find safe solutions together.
For many, it is difficult to talk about violence and abuse, especially if it has been committed by someone close to them. They may not be able to talk about it right away. Therefore, it may be necessary to ask on more than one occasion and show that you still want to help.
Marius’s experience was that people knew that something was wrong, but chose not to report the situation to either the police or Child Welfare Services.
Seek advice
Contact Child Welfare Services or the police on 02800 if you are in doubt. Explain the situation and ask for help in assessing how to proceed. You can remain anonymous, and you do not have to provide any names.
If you are an adult and you are worried about a child, you can also contact the Alarm hotline for children and young people on 116 111. A crisis centre or a public health nurse can also give advice, depending on who is in danger and the urgency of the situation.
