Stay smart this summer

Reykjavík City is launching the Stay Smart prevention campaign to raise community awareness about the challenges we face in preventative work. The campaign aims to reach children and young people with positive and constructive messages, as well as parents and other important parties involved in preventative work. The main message for parents is: Stay smart about what truly matters for the welfare of our children and young people.

The good results in preventative work over recent decades have been achieved partly through parental solidarity—parents talking together, not allowing unsupervised gatherings, and respecting laws about age limits for alcohol, drugs, nicotine use and curfews. Discipline and boundaries in child-rearing from birth are extremely important. Research shows that protective factors in children's and teenagers' lives include family time together, parents monitoring what their children are doing, where they are and who they're with, and knowing their children's friends and their parents. It's important for parents of teenagers to talk with their children about healthy relationships, consent and boundaries. It's also protective for children and teenagers to stay engaged in activities like school or work and participate in organized recreational activities.

Unfortunately, recent years have brought setbacks, both in parental supervision and with increasing drug use and growing violence.

We want to encourage parents to stay smart about the importance of working together, protecting these protective factors and respecting age limits. City festivals and Culture Night are not meant for unsupervised children and teenagers. When it comes to young people's social and entertainment life, parents play a key role as both role models and supervisors. Children who grow up without boundaries struggle to set limits for themselves and others. Research demonstrates the importance of parents taking the lead in their role, setting clear boundaries and discussing with them, for example, when and how they come home in the evenings.

It's important to follow rules and agree on standards for children's smartphone and computer use. The age limit for social media is at least 13 years old. By respecting age limits, we can prevent children from seeing or experiencing something that could harm them. Let children of all ages join us in summer adventures, spend time with them, talk to them and limit screen time. They're often more tech-savvy than adults—for example, location apps can provide false security since location data can be frozen.

We all need to feel important, that someone cares about us and that our well-being matters. Let's all stay smart this summer—work together, care about these issues and become champions of love.

Reykjavík City youth centers stay open through the summer and parents can always contact the City's Centers if they have concerns about their children's welfare or that of others.

With summer greetings,
Reykjavík City