Finland is a country in mourning this week, following a deadly school shooting.
The event has rocked the nation — especially as the alleged killer and victims were all 12 years old — and while not the first school shooting in Finland, the event has shaken the general feeling of safety in Finnish society.
Police are now investigating how the child accessed the revolver-style handgun used in the shooting. The show explores the idea that Finland has a strong gun culture — particularly as there are 1.5 million licensed firearms in a country of just 5.6 million people.
"Finland has a gun culture and I got a lot of pushback when I said that… people were very angry. I got people swearing at me and on social media and one person even alluded towards something that could have been read as a death threat," Iain Overton, the executive director of London-based research charity, Action on Armed Violence told APN.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Police say they suspect that school bullying was an underlying factor in the shooting, and the show also explores youth mental health struggles in Finland.
We spoke with Anna Weckström, who works with the helpline of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare. She said mental health concerns were the topic of around a fifth of all conversations.
"It's understandable that it probably will stay in our children's minds for a long time and I think the most valuable thing we can offer is to continue to offer that safe space to listen," Weckström said.
We have also compiled an article of suggestions for how to talk to children about this traumatic event.
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This week's show was presented by Ronan Browne and Miyuki Jokiranta. The sound engineer was Anders Johansson.
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