Is Finland Dangerous?

[VanLarkin]

Lately I've been hearing that Finland is a pretty dangerous place especially at night.
That you can get mugged/raped/assaulted and all sorts of other crazy stuff after dark. (Not to mention the cold makes it dangerous too)

While most of you might think this is a stupid question, as all countries in the world are dangerous. Australia (which is where I am from) is quite a safe country.
I know literally I am not walking into a war zone like some parts of Greece is experiencing at the moment.

But can people here give their opinions on how dangerous exactly is Finland? and especially at night.
From what I've been able to see from Finnish News Headlines and Newspapers and also News Shows and the like, Finland seems pretty safe, not many murders, thefts and other small/large crimes. Just the odd school shooting, which is really sad... (and even then they are spread out far apart in dates, that they are probably not even worth mentioning).

But a few of my friends are saying "Don't go out into Helsinki or Vantaa etc at night! Unless you want to be bashed and robbed!"

So I'm starting to think that, well, is Finland actually generally a dangerous place?

I know there are exceptions for every kind, but there are people here telling me "Oh most Finns are very shy and well the men would only hit girls because they know they can win in a fight, that most arguements are done from behind a computer screen and that Cyberbullying is far more notorious then actual face-to-face bullying/assault etc).

Others are saying "Well because most Finnish males are quite big in nature, it has a small to medium affect on their ego and self confidence making them a little bit more aggressive and prone to start a fight in my opinion more then other types."

So I'm really quite confused here. I'm sure like most places, its just the same, you have your nasties and you have your nice ones, and that this thread and my question are probably stupid. But I am still interested to find out just how safe a place is Finland?

Thanks

[Pursuivant]

Australia safe? I heard you cannot go out in Australia in the day because you get burned to cinders and you cannot go out in the night as theres rapist gangs and rioting.

The thing is basically to avoid drunks and avoid being drunk as 90% of things happens to drunk people and 50% of the time its another drunk. And then you avoid being stupid as 99% of the time you get in to trouble being in the wrong place at the wrong time... like 3am drunk in the railroad station you get some multicultural enrichment thats you digging the blood out of your nose or cutting the taxi/sausage stand queue. So avoid drunk natives and sober foreigners in town at 3am... and if you're unemployed male in a rural area in your mid-40's don't stay at home drinking with friends as you're statistically more likely to wake up dead.

[jas_rho]

Hehe, yeah I have to agree with Pursuivant.. don't be dumb and don't get wasted and go wandering around town at night. Otherwise Finland is extremely safe in my opinion, even at night. I have been in far worse places in the US to even have to worry about going anywhere here in Finland alone. Of course part of it might be cause I am a guy. Finnish men aren't so prone to fighting if you ask me. I mean they do fight and you'll hear about it. But most of the time, if you really do get "challenged" by some Finn and they see that you aren't going to back down and that you are ready to physically fight, they'll back down. At least that's my experience. Of course I don't go out looking for fights either Just my experience over the last 10 years.

[Mölkky-Fan]

Vantaa is a very dangerous place, and you can get a severe beating especially if you turn over from the soap operas and instead watch the first game of the ice hockey play-offs final on TV.

I have experienced this even last night, and I was not even drunk (at least at the start of the game).

If you do not believe me, try watching NCIS or CSI instead of the President's Ball or Eurovision Song Contest or Idols... the Finnish women act in the same violent way everytime!

[Pursuivant]

don't get wasted and go wandering around town at night

I forgot to elaborate... don't go doing that on "amateur nights" i.e. when all the people who drink once a year go get drunk in the centre, the taxi queues are a mile long etc. the amateurs get more aggro than professionals... I walked home from the centre when I was younger and that was to the Leppävaara border... and defining "night" in the summer is a bit difficult...

[Rip]

Some studies :

Homicides (in English)
http://www.optula.om.fi/uploads/coixzx0dv6vk7ih.pdf
"The majority of Finnish homicides occur in the context of drinking quarrels
between unemployed, middle-aged male alcoholics. During the period
2002–2006, in 71% of all homicides all persons involved were intoxicated.
In 85% of the crimes at least one of the persons involved was intoxicated."

(Lesson, if you don't want to get killed here, don't drink too much. For women: don't marry a drunkard either)

Violence in Finland: (In Finnsih)
http://www.optula.om.fi/uploads/yjxmp1zt96i0.pdf
"Vuonna 1980 jopa yli neljä prosenttia miehistä oli
kokenut fyysistä katuväkivaltaa, kun vastaava osuus oli
1,4 prosenttia vuonna 2006"
= "In 1980 over 4% of (interviewed) males had experienced physical street violence, in 2006 the figure was 1.4%"

[VanLarkin]

Sounds like you've all got a good sense of humor as well.

Ok point taken, stay away from drunks and drunk people. But that means I'll be a loner the whole time I am in Finland.
Oh well.

I'll do my best. Thanks for the advice

Australia safe? I heard you cannot go out in Australia in the day because you get burned to cinders and you cannot go out in the night as theres rapist gangs and rioting.

Rapist gangs? Not in my neighbourhood, we haven't had a crime here in 3 years. If you don't count a little bit of grafitti and maybe someones window getting smashed by a rock thrown from the wheel of a passing car.

The cronulla riots were just a 1 off. Too many lebs came into our country and started bashing up on Australians and then telling all of us that they were going to take our land right from underneath us. Even when we outnumber them 15:1.

As for the crips and the bloods, they're mainly an american gang but they do have a small group here in Australia as well. Not that they bother anyone.
As far as I have heard, they haven't hurt anyone yet. (That we know about).

All the inhuman murders and serial killings were back in the 80's and early 90's. People have smartened up here. (I think/hope).
Oh well for the next 3 months to a year it wont matter to me.

As for the sun, yes it sucks and we got a record high in Victoria "47C" this summer. So you do get burned to a crisp.

Finland safe? You cannot go out in Finland in the day because you get bashed to a pulp by drunks and you cannot go out in the night as you'll freeze to death.

[AlexInHelsinki]

No. It's laughably safe. At least in Helsinki, no drugs to speak of, barely any theft...people don't even lock their bikes up. If you forget your wallet or iphone on the bus, chances are it will get returned to you. Biggest problems are alcohol and the main train station late at night, which gets kind of dodgy.

Yawn.

[Pursuivant]

And to compensate for the man-eating crocodiles and rabid wallabies we have roadcentred reindeer and oinking seals

[jas_rho]

And to compensate for the man-eating crocodiles and rabid wallabies we have roadcentred reindeer and oinking seals

Don't forget the ever so dangerous city-kani

[EP]

Don't forget the ever so dangerous city-kani

Last night when I was locking the door (it is locked only at night here in dangerous Finland) there was a city-kani SITTING ON MY DOORSTEP. It was a kani, not these hares and rusakkos that usually jump around the yard. So it has now spread to Espoo. How do I defend my plants?

[fatherchristmas]

Both my in-laws have had their cars broken into and smashed up during the last six months.

Is Finland really dangerous? Not really, just don't trust just anyone to take you out for some Ice Fishing. It may crack up to be more than you bargained for.

[otyikondo]

No. It's laughably safe. At least in Helsinki, no drugs to speak of, barely any theft...people don't even lock their bikes up. If you forget your wallet or iphone on the bus, chances are it will get returned to you. Biggest problems are alcohol and the main train station late at night, which gets kind of dodgy.

Yawn.

Yes, of course, for the really decent Helsinki drug-scene, you had to be here a good few decades ago, when Finland was a trailblazer in that department.

Also read the linked story about the guy who skied 400 km on Pervitin.

Them's war tha days.

[maurine]

According to a Global Peace Index, that gathered information on 121 countries, the safest countires in order are:

1. Norway
2. New Zealand
3. Denmark
4. Ireland
5. Japan
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Canada
9. Portugal
10. Austria

i don't see Australia there. do you? Finland is one of most safest countries so far in the world "at the moment"

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

I was actually going to say it's all relative. In my experience Japan is far safer than finland but compared to the UK...??

Finland is quite a safe country. Of course, things can go wrong and there's always the odd bad apple. If you go looking for trouble, then you will find it. But generally it's very safe.

Too many lebs came into our country and started bashing up on Australians and then telling all of us that they were going to take our land right from underneath us. Even when we outnumber them 15:1.

Yeah - history really does repeat itself.