– We must be very clear about who is responsible in whistleblowing cases, and it is not the person who has been exposed to something they are reporting about. So says Lene Sivertsen, general manager at the Support Center against incest and sexual abuse (SMISO) in Troms. Next week, she is invited by the Army to share her experience and knowledge of how they can meet whistleblowers in a better way. – We cannot get away from talking about power and hierarchy. Those in positions of power must have an understanding of how it feels to be the person on the other side. Lene Sivertsen, general manager at the Support Center against incest and sexual abuse (SMISO) in Troms. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news Must raise competence In recent years, there have been several cases of bullying and harassment in the Armed Forces. In a report from November 2022, it emerged that the warning systems do not measure up. As a result of the report, the various branches of the Armed Forces set up local notification receptions. Now the head of notification in the Army, Lise Folkestad, wants to increase the knowledge among the contact persons at the notification reception desks, who are the ones who will receive the notifications. – The contact persons are our spearheads to ensure that the procedures and routines we have are actually followed, says Folkestad. She believes that competence must be raised in order for the Army to create a good professional environment for notification matters. – Why haven’t we been better at this before? – The criticism that came in the report last autumn was about the fact that we had not put this into a system. One of the measures in the report was to ensure a uniform treatment of notification cases, including by establishing separate notification reception desks. The army’s notification reception was established following this. Head of notification in the Army, Lise Folkestad. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news The notification cases the Army receives are very different, but the abuse cases stand out, Folkestad explains. – We need to know more about how to talk to people who think they are vulnerable to abuse. And that is why she has invited SMISO. – We want to enable those who investigate these cases to handle them better. They are skilled people, but they need specialist expertise. Will dispel rape myths Sivertsen explains that it is important to build trust with whistleblowers. And that can take time. – Even if there is a system to notify, that does not mean that people are automatically ready to tell. – What mistakes can be made? – It may be trivializing the experiences of those who report. Sivertsen rambles on: “You put up with this, I guess” “Many have experienced this before, so it’s going well” “You’re so lucky to have received attention from a woman.” Lene Sivertsen, general manager at the Support Center against incest and sexual abuse (SMISO) in Troms. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news – It’s all these rape myths that people make fun of, without necessarily having a reflection on what it does to the person who has to tell, she says. Being met in that way can cause the whistleblower to stop talking, says Sivertsen. – You only hear that you are not understood, and then there is no point. At the same time, whistleblowers must feel that it is a real possibility – and safe – to report, and that matters are quickly clarified. – Duty to investigate Folkestad does not have figures on how many notification cases about abuse have come to the Army’s notification reception in recent years, but says that there are cases every year. – There are continuous cases that are processed, and there are varying degrees of seriousness. That’s how it will be in such a large organization. What is important is that this is put into the system now, so that the process is done properly. Many of the cases end up with the civilian police, and are not investigated by the Army. – But still, we have a duty to investigate the cases. Then the follow-up of the whistleblower is important, she says. – It should feel okay and safe to speak up, the cases should be properly dealt with, and you should be followed up. Head of notification in the Army, Lise Folkestad. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news Folkestad points out that there are approximately 5,000 new conscripts in the Army every year. – It can be very overwhelming to come straight from upper secondary school and into the framework of the Armed Forces. There are probably higher requirements for morality and ethics, which differ from civilian life. – Do you think it affects which notification cases appear? – Yes absolutely. Incidents that may be experienced as severe or unfair may be entirely within a military setting. But you must be allowed to speak about this, and in that case training of those who receive such messages is important. Lack of professionals is a headache for the hospitals in Northern Norway. Darkness and Advent mean Christmas lights, to both joy and irritation.
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SMISO trains the Army to receive alerts – news Troms and Finnmark
