The goal of the initiative SEE THE CHILDREN is to reduce the number of children exposed to witnessing domestic violence. In Sweden, at least 160 000 children experience domestic violence between relatives in their homes, which has serious effects on these children’s psychological and physical well-being in both the short and long term. SEE THE CHILDREN was founded to shed light on this issue, to improve the social support system, and advocate for the plaintiff status of children who witness domestic violence.
The feature documentaries My life my lesson and Say Something have served as a catalyst for social change. Both documentaries have been awarded the prestigious Kristallen Prize for Best Documentary. In total, they have reached over 13 million viewers on TV and have been screened in over 400 targeted workshops with more than 25 000 participants. Results from our impact activities indicate that the knowledge of children experiencing domestic violence has increased for nine out of ten participants after having watched the films.
In 2019, the initiative contributed to the adoption of the new Higher Education Ordinance, meaning that the university curriculum of doctors, lawyers, sociologists, and other critical professions incorporated the study of domestic violence as a part of their programs. In parallel, the impact work of SEE THE CHILDREN has resulted in the adoption of the Swedish Barnfridslag in 2021, which criminalizes the act of exposing children to domestic violence and assigns children who witness violence plaintiff status.
Today, we run the sub-project MY STORY within SEE THE CHILDREN. The project seeks to strengthen young people's participation in the initiative and break taboos surrounding domestic violence. We continue to reach new audiences through our outreach and impact activities as part of our work to ensure every child’s right to a home free from domestic violence.
