Growing up in Finland, we always had two-three classmates who were treated extremely poorly by their peers, with no intervention from teachers or guidance counselors. Criminal negligence on the part of the school system.This would be nearly impossible in the US--there is a larger school safety net!

VK, Princeton, NJ, USA

The remarks on the school system and Boyes' whole curious quest against this 'disturbing, proud, self-regulating Nordic culture' of ours reek of vengeful glee and not a drop of empathy. And why? Low - at a time when Finland is in mourning. It is time Mr Boyes looked hard and close at his commentary.

Hanna, Helsinki, Finland

It is a nightmare to live in the present-day Finland. Something is really seriously wrong in this society, which has become so cold, uncaring, materialistic. I am going to move abroad as soon as I can afford to.

Thank you Mr. Boyes for your perspicacious comments, you are absolutely right.

Esa, Espoo, Rotankolo

This could've happened anywhere. Sick people is everywhere, you can't help them all.sad but true. After Jokela, efforts were made to prevent this, but wasn't enough. And - this guy tricked all his friends and the police. Luckily, most of the finnish young adults are allright, like anywhere else.

Maija, Helsinki, Finland

Can't blaim on the laws, the school education, the internet, the weather, the finnish mentality nor the long distances, of this kind of acts. If a person hates the world & is ready to kill others for that, +fools the people around him, he's just sick. But ofcourse, there are things to be done anyway

katariina, Helsinki,

Amazing how many Finns in here can't engage in some self-criticism without seeing it as some sort of unpatriotic manifest. And what is it with this competition about which country's (UK or Finland) youth are the most violent? Does it somehow make our own problems less severe?

Katarina, Helsinki,

Finns lack proper communication skills. Problems are ignored and smoothed over until someone goes berserk. The whole society is aimed at silent mediocrity. Differences between people only cause jealousy, bullying and exlusion from the group. The results can be seen in the news.

ST, Helsinki,

As a Finn I can see that there clearly is built-in violence in our culture, killing innocent people before suicide is very Finnish. It's almost a cliche that desperate Finnish man kills his (ex-)wife and then himself. I see this as a one form of honor killing.

JJ, Helsinki,

What can you expect in our country of busy careers, negative attitude towards life in general, some sort of gloominess everywhere? I think we are lost as a nation. We think that good life comes with things to buy, terribly fancy houses, expensive trips, when all our children need is presence.

S.J., Jyväskylä, Finland

I have lived in England and Finland and have to say that I could never leave doors unlocked, let my small kids play outside the house, go for walks in the forest etc. in England like we do here in Finland. Despite all these terribly things happening, people can still feel safe in their everyday life

Helen Davis , Helsinki, Finland

I am of Finnish ancestry and know of the quiet nature of Finns.
This is an embarassing incident for them bringing unwanted attention but is something that has to addressed now before it gets worse. I feel for the families of the victims.

Wayne Maki, Romeoville, USA

You're good. Keep on writing.

William, Vaasa, Finland

It´s so sad this has happened again. I don´t think it´s a finnish kind of behavior but I know that young men in our country are raised too keep "bad" feelings inside. And when you have too many of those, something is gonna happen. We have to learn our children it`okey to be emotional!

PIA, Mariehamn, finland

Finns like to drink alcohol. Most fights happen while drunk, outside the bars and during the night. You should remember that usually a normal person doesn't have to be afraid at all when he's walking down a street. While we do have our problems, this is still a safe country.And this box is too short

Arto, Oulu, Finland

It´s not only a finnish issue! In our culture we learn boys to hide "not acceptable" feelings inside. But anger is a feeling that we think that´s normal for a boy. But what about all the other feelings!!!
When a young boy gets angry he hits his enemy. Isn´t it like this?

pia , mariehamn, finland

"Without God, the man is a poor, rational and talker animal that comes from nowhere and goes to nowhere", free translation from Petre Tutea, a Romanian philosopher. We must recognize that we live in a secular society, which now severely signals through alarming symptoms about young people status.

Marianne, Espoo, Finland

Mr. Boyes,

I see you're at it again. You have some very good points there, but could you please lay off the leering at a grieving nation? I agree 100% the way we devastated youth psych care in nineties was idiotic. They gotta do something about it.

Joona, Helsinki, Finland

Last time it happened, I was really shocked. I was scared to go to my school(sixht form) the next day. Some classes talked about it, some didn't - and that was it. So we didn't handle it well.
This time I didn't feel anything at first, there's huge news about it, but people won't talk but deny it.

Victoria, Tampere, Finland

We should listen Mr. Boyes. Perhaps he's wrong, perhaps he's right. What's 'Finnish' and what's not, anyway? After what happened in Kauhajoki I feel that I don't recognize my home country anymore. However, something really must be done. Defending our country or comparing things to UK is unproductive

Peter, Helsinki, Finland

Roger,

yes, we can a start a debate. But let´s have a look first on UK. How is it with the known UK teen violence, I mean the knife stabbings and so on. I think we should proceed in timely fashion and start cleaning your neighbourhood first. But why I bother, you won´t even publish this.

Jukka

Jukka, Turku, Finland

How very true analysis. I agreed with you after Jokela, I was just waiting it to happen in Finland. Success is everything in here. Celebrity is the most popular "occupation" according to studies. No empathy, no "parenthood". Everyone just keeps looking at themselves, "no need to worry about others".

Maria, Espoo, Finland

Im so sad and disappointed of this world :(

Anna, Kauhajoki, Finland

Sure,every country has it's stereotypes,and some truth can always be found in them.Most Finns agree on your aspects about social & mental problems & the finnish way of not talking about things.
The rouse last time was caused by your attitude and extreme stereotyping - we do see that we have problems

Iina, Vantaa, Finland

The comments here serve as a very demonstration of the phenomenon of the Fennic psyche.

Finland is a conformist society and Finns are not Western. Rates of murder, extremely violent assaluts and suicide have always been relatively high.

After many put-downs some take revenge.

This is Finland.

Serpens, Turgu, Finland

There definitely is something wrong with Finnish culture. Perfectionism, competition, isolation. Men are not machines, they should not be pushed to limits.

The Finns don't talk much, and we are even worse at listening. Someone should have listened and some lives would have been saved.

Ville, Kouvola, Finland

Finns need to look at themselves, not just the kids. Anyone who has grown up around Finns (I did in Canada) chillingly knows this shooter type, I am sorry to say. Read Terttu Leney's Culture Smart! for more. A 'Saari' is an island ... says it all.

Jaynie B. Mayfield, Palo Alto, CA, USA

My family is Anglo-Finnish and we live in both countries. I always feel safe in Finland, but English streets can be very scary places. If we had more guns they would be used as we have had our massacres even with stricter laws than Finland.
Absent parents seem to be a common theme. Where are his?

John Moate, Newbury, Berkshire

I think it's actually good that foreign media criticizes Finland in this matter. Hopefully this will at last make us pay attention to the real flaws in our country, and take real steps to correct them. (Apparently that's the thing that makes us click every time..)

Anna, Helsinki, Finland

As a Finn living in London, I have to say Boyes's commentary has improved from the appalling comments after the Jokela shooting. Here he draws much more on facts and social issues than vague 'national characteristics' that are by definition stereotypes. It's never a bad time for introspection.

Jan, London,

Three wars within a century, famines and other hardships have traumatised Finns, and it can still be seen in our variant of "machismo" culture: men don't complain or ask for help, they'd rather die (or kill) with their boots on. School bullying is still a big problem.

Lasse, Helsinki, Finland

There's something very wrong with the Finnish society. Finland is a very violent society, and that is a fact that many Finns won't admit.

Kaarina, Kuusamo, Finland

I have moved to Finland after many years of teaching in the UK. Most days I was scared - both of students and for the students, and I was not in a rough school. Here I do not feel scared, but very very sad. Everyone here feels it and is in pain, and is asking why. It is not up to you to tell us why

Karin, Oulu, Finland

This was an absolute tragedy, but is it really only a 'Finnish issue' or rather a current phenomenon everywhere? Is it possible that the same happens in different form in the UK too? Does it make any difference if the victims die at school or at random on the streets, as victim of a knife crime?

sanna, oxford, uk

I am Finnish and largely share the views of Mr Boyes. It is shocking that Finland has so many suicidal young men, some of whom are also willing to commit extended suicide. Whether that is because we strive for perfection, I am less sure. But something is certainly wrong.

Jenni, Brussels,

It was terrible for the people from Kauhajoli, what this young man did to them. Of course should they search for the reasons and take care for their children. But Kauhajoli and Jokela don’t change that Finland is one of the safer countries in the world - with a very good education for their kids.

Marianne, Gera, Germany

What is a purely Finnish issue here is that Jokela repeated itself because of complacency - gun laws and mental health care have not changed since then. A lot of talk but no action. Shame on the Interior Minister and shame on the police who in Finnish-style do not need to account for their inaction

Keke, Espoo , Finland

Hm. Kind of a low blow to be pointing fingers at this stage.

Jay, Europe,

This killing is related to the way Finnish men have vented their final frustration for ages: have a final slaughter. Until these school shootings, they've vented on their own families. They still do. The behavior is not new. A new method has been adopted as if a trend. See UK dads killing their kids

Juha, Oulu, Finland

I know that we do not live in a paradise. I know that we have to do something - what kind of things, what kind of measures, that I do not know yet. We will see. But it is unfair to say that only Finnish kids live in isolation and without moral guiding. We are not alone with this problem!

Lina, Turku, Finland

If there's a "Finnish issue" it's not called "school slaughter problem". Finnish young people have quite a broader and more fundamental problem that leads to personal and social dramas that are not smaller than these ones who go on newspaper.

Simone , Sassari, Italia

Aren't we all responsible?
I really see the gunman as a victim too. He was harshly teased at school and felt very bad inside. Why don't we take a good look at ourselves and feel deserved guilt for what happened. Saari pressed the trigger but his teasers at school and army set the bomb.

Katja, Helsinki, Finland

Mr Boyes,
Thank you for writing this.
I share your opinion that we finnish parents should look after our kids much better than we do. Hope this awakes us to think what is important and what is not.

Mikko, Raahe,

There is something really wrong in Finland. I just heard that Lottery and ammunition (!) administration of Ministry for Interior affars will sell over 200 guns in auction on October. Old rifles, revolvers and other hand-guns. Strange indeed.

Petri, Liminka, Finland

There may be many reasons for what happened here. It seems at least that the perpetrators of these kinds of tragic crimes all feel they no longer have a stake in society.
It also seems that social networking sites are not helping to fill the void.

James, Helsinki, Finland

Maybe we should really think WHY we need more psychologists in scoohls and mental healthcar?. Why has the need increased so much? When we are able to answer that question, we can remove the cause and not just treat symptoms.

Echo, Jyväskylä, Finland

Peter Sobrak-Seaton,

You are so right, Peter, so right....

Once again, this has nothing to do with Finnish gun laws or such, then again this "moral vacuum" is sign of the times unfortunately.

Nikke, Tampere,

This is not hard. Boyes does not know Finland so here's the deal:
Why Finland - Finland is still a colony of Sweden (got colonized by a vikings no luck like Wales and Scotland) Colonies are often violent and bad.
Why school - Bullying is an institution, all have to study Swedish, nobody likes it.

Jani Saari, Helsinki, Finland

Again,you are patronizing and shallow . And here we are responding to you in plain english, thanks to our school system. Since finnish weather always plays such a big part in your analysis,I wonder what you suggested to people of Columbine or Virginia Tech? Move to sunny Florida perhaps?

Mika Myotyri, Warwick, Bermuda

Obviously some people dont see the point in this article. I dont see it as "attack" against us finns, but more as a provocative peace of writing to cause conversation. As said before problem is not only with finns/uk/us, it's a global trend which media feeds to get bigger sales.

Antti, Greenock,

Mr Boyes. I must now admit - I did not after Jokela - that there is a violent trait in us Finns.

We have a lot to learn about ourselves. We must alter our gun control laws. Especially, we must learn to care for each other.

But Brittish food is still as dreadful as it was one year ago.

Pekka Ahonen, Helsinki, Suomi

"There should be more money on psychiatry of kids,"
There is lots. Usually (thus far all the americans and the finns)the school shooters are such who HAVE been medicated.
Maybe there is way too much.
Drugs = extremely severe violence against the youth.

Jani Saari, Helsinki, Finland

Even if Mr. Boyes' views are critical, it doesn't mean they are arrogant. Rather than attacking back, us finns should welcome the views of foreigners in trying to solve the problem points in our society. Instead of Pisa score obsession,how about paying more attention to the well-being of the people.

Matt, Helsinki, Finland

The killer says his motive is that he hated mankind. As Boyes says, we Finns are brought up to be proud and consensus-loving. We are brought up to hide our emotions. I believe the key is here. If you have a lot of hate and always keep it inside, in the end it will burst out in an unproportional way.

Minna , Helsinki, Finland

Boyes got a good point of view. Socialdemocratic utopia can't replace good parents and good caring family. That's very important lesson in this tragedy. However Boyes was wrong about suiciderates of Finland. Suicides have decreased heavily in Finland. Some 40% since early 1990's.

Antero, Kuopio, Finland

With the benefit of hindsight, it is now easy to say everyone with a handgun portraying himself as "misanthropist" should be disarmed. Without doubt, the legislation will be hereafter discussed and reviewed in Finland. Please don't be silly, it will not be considered unpatriotic or un-Finnish.

Hannu Mononen, Lerwick, U.K.

Roger, you are so right about the mental state of Finland. The school they showed you was probably a model-school, the average reality is somewhere else. Most teachers deal with bullying by closing their eyes. And it's not just teenagers, check the article that Suomen Kuvalehti did about Lastenlinna

Lina, Helsinki,

As a Finn having lived in the UK for seven years I would say that Finland is still the safer country to live in. Yes, Finns do have to take a long hard look at why this happened, but when it comes to providing good schools for all children – rich and poor - there is no competition.

Caroline, London, UK

The massacres are very sad, but even with two massacres in less than one year, Finnish kids are still safer than kids in the UK. A striking difference is that in the UK, and most other countries, it is the big cities that are most dangerous while the countryside is more violent in Finland

Andreas, Mariehamn, Finland

Familiy as an institution is crumbling in Finland. People call for bureaucrats, social workers etc. to stop these tragedies from happening.The truth is that young people do not often have strong families to support them and take care of the when needed - as in Italy or in Greece. Boyes has a point!

Torsti, Tampere, Finland

Pointing out other nations' problems isn't going to solve anything. How about concentrating on what happened twice already, or are we waiting for a third? Many Finns disturbingly seem to want to deny any problem and redirect attention elsewhere instead of getting eye to eye with the real reasons.

Victoria Thompson, Tampere, Finland

Still continue: 4) And if the Brittish kids are such an angels and good student's why are we still #1 on PISA school testing system? And maybe you should come here to see what Finland is really like. I see that you've never been here and just judging us. You are very welcome to visit my school.

Ella, Helsinki, Finland

It seems here in Finland are some individuals who can’t resist foreign influence. They have foreign nicknames, overseas chat-mates, web-pages in English and they behave just like their foreign role models to get global publicity.

Esa H., Oulu, Finland

Person who lives in UK has no right to say that Finns should look hard and close to their kids. We have two incidents we are not proud of..but what about all the drugs, teenage pregnancy rates, teenage binge drinking, knifes and murders you have in UK. I am Finn in UK and disgusted by your issues...

Virpi , Livingston, Scotland

Made your point Mr. Boyles.
In our consuming and cost-effective society parents just have no time or resourses to be present in their childres lives. All parents should take a closer look at their values in parenthood and in life in general. A violent person seeks only attention. Desperately.

Jenni, Keuruu, Finland

Is it an over-generalization to claim that "The youth of Finland seems to live on a short fuse"? I agree with many of the arguments of Mr. Boyes, but I doubt the majority of the Finnish youngsters being depressed or whatnot. The minority is left behind, and the majority is living the stereotypes.

Hermanni, Rovaniemi, Finland

In both school massacres there is evidence of a strong influence from extremist, neo-nazi hate movements. It's hard to control these web sites, especially the American sites, as you have almost unlimited freedom of speech in America. Morbid and dark heavy metal music also feeds desctructive thoughts

Chris, Helsinki, Finland

I agree with Mr Boyes in his point that certain portion of the finnish youth is becoming more isolated and lacking the normal social confrontations. Still, I'm having hard time linking that aspect directly to these shootings. Furthermore, I'm struggling to see this issue as a finnish deal.

Rauli, Jyväskylä, Finland

Hang on a second, he was a 22 year old MAN. He is not a child. Blaming his parents (and other Finnish parents) is just cheap. How about English parents start taking responsibility for the generation of knife wielding, intimidatory, anti-social CHILD thugs that roam the streets of England.

murph, Blackheath, UK

How can you Mr. Boyes, say that this is only our problem?
This is a world-wide problem and we all should think about it!
Here in Finland we have many things better than for example in UK, so why this cruel judgement right now, when our whole home country is shocked of yesterdays tragedy?

Sarianna, Helsinki, Finland

Give it a rest already! Looking at Finnish society critically is not the same as saying there are no issues in other countries. This may not be a purely "Finnish" issue, but it sure is disturbing and an issue that must be talked about.

Ulla, Vantaa, Finland

I’ve lived in Finland and overall it’s a better place than England. Helsinki feels a lot safer than London. However I think Roger Boyes is quite right when he implies alienation, young men benefit from something to inspire them, multiculturalism, ruthless globalism and dead end jobs do not.

Peter, Surrey, UK

Yes, there are many things not so constructive and good in the Finnish culture and mentality. Believe me, we Finns know it. We need a new perspective, a new way to discuss to start with. What we dont need, is a patronizing, scornful brit to hit us where it already hurts.

Minna, Oulu, Finland

Mr Boyes. I heard that in England kids are stabbing each others in streets. Maybe you should take a look at your kids too.
I know this is a problem all over the world, and yes, we need to look at our kids. You need to do that too, everybody need to do that! No more school shooting or violance!

Johanna, Helsinki, Finland

After 15 years, one observation I have made about Finns in general is that they tend to shy away from confrontation... They want to believe and trust and usually only act when necessary or when it's too late as in this case... time to start asking questions in all aspects of your life Finland.

Mujib Noor, Oulu, Finland

Mr. Boyes has a point in his comments. But instead of our kids, we have to take a good look at our past history and culture, which is extremely violent. We have a long tradition to solve problems with violence. And this is just a modern way to commit a suicide: take as many as you can with you.

Juha, Helsinki, Finland

Mr. Boyes. You do make a point, there is something wrong in Finnish society. I would not say school shooting are a 'Finnish' issue still. We´ve had much talk about changing gun laws after Jokela but laws are still not strict enough. Psychologic evaluation should be mandatory to get a hand gun permit

Sami, Tupos, Finland

Gun massacres are a horrible symptom of the times, not a uniquely Finnish problem. But two points: (1) rifles for hunters are OK, but owning lethal automatic weapons shouldn't be permitted at all; (2) the Internet has a lot to answer for, and YouTube especially should be policed far more strictly.

Rupert Haigh, Espoo, Finland

Can you blame police? It isn't illegal to make a video where you shoot at the SHOOTING-RANGE! Police did good job when they interviewed this fellow, but they weren't shrinks, anybody can act cool and normal which gives no reason to take his/her gun.

KA, Jyväskylä,

Mr Boyes,
I read your previous article slightly arrogant and I am now ashamed.
You are right, we need to take a hard look on our children and our values and the system. Majority of Finnish mothers work and children are at day care centres. Do they get the warmth and security that a child needs?

Anneli , Helsinki, Finland

I copy here a sentence from Mr Boyes commentary:

"The truth is that they were there to improve the statistics of the education system."

This is very interesting angle to the analysis of the situation and origins of this terrible act.

Hannu, oulu,

Definetely a time for new strategies! Most of the schools do not have psychiatrists nor psychologist or anyone to deal with mental issues. Perhaps nurse, who is taking care of hundreds of kids. I am very scared now, is my child at risk at her school? I do not want to lose her in hands of mad man.

Mother , Lahti, Finland

Deriving the cause from simply being Finnish, is absurd. Problems arise not from being Finnish in particular,nor from being a youth in Finland.The reasons are just as obscure as in any "similar" case, which still doesn't free us from responsibility.Blaming the characteristics of Finland does. Don't.

Akse, Helsinki, Finland

Mr. Boyes suggests that these tragedies have taken place because Finnish parents are letting down their young generation.Looking at the state of youth in Britain,I can't help but wonder if the British parents gave up years ago.
This is so shocking as it happened here, where it still isn't expected.

Riikka, Tre,

Why isn't anyone criticising the police!? They interviewed him day b4 the shooting but did nothing to stop him. I think the police is living in naivity and in a small town mentality. They tell off youngsters who drink outside a concert, yet can't stop a mass murderer who made death threaths public?

Annika Vaisanen, Helsinki, Finland

Now people live in different times. Things change. People change. I still think that it´s not right to say there is something wrong with our children in Finland. In this time what one crazy person does, will almost sure be copied sooner or later and in this case it was sooner than later.

Rami, Turku, Finland

USA is not only place that needs change. But as long as we don't want to face the painful truth that young people here have some serious problems nothing will change and these kind of tragedic events will happen again!

Heikki, Turku, Finland

When the Jokela shooting happened, it was extremely shocking to us Finns - for decades we've lived safely in our "bird's nest". This time after the initial shock, all I personally can feel is tiredness. This is too random, too violent, and too often. And there is nothing particulary "Finnish" in it.

Hansu, Lapua,

Maybe Mr. Boyes should concentrate critisizing UK's own culture. At least in Finland there is NO major drug problems, gangs, burgglaries, muggings, truancy...list is endless. I've seen that all when I was living in over there. Condolences for all the families of these murdered students.

Soile, Oulu, Finland

Roger Boyes has a point. He already did a year ago. We have developed ignorance into a virtue and deep down value violence over mitigation. We like living in peace and letting others sink in theirs. And the lowest is him who doesn't fit into military regime and becomes rank "E". Like Matti Saari.

Toni, Espoo, Finland

The bigger the economic boom, the larger the amount of lunatics. The paradox is that during the economic boom, the government has reduced the financing of mental health care services, and the streets on Helsinki are full of people, who should be behind bars under strong medication...

Peter, Helsinki, Finland

The fact is that times change. Tv, movies, inter and games, all of them give out influences. If you blame the media, then who do you think is letting the children and young people take influence of them? Parents. Time to stop crying, and take time to watch over what your children does.

Juho, Lappeenranta, Finland

About guns in Finland. There are a lot of guns in Finland. The problem is that most of these guns are hunting rifles. Handguns are relatively rare. Still, both of these shootings were done with handguns.

RL, Turku, Finland

.22 semiautomatic pistol is not a weapon used for hunting, so don't blame the Finnish hunting tradition. The problem is that hand gun control is not strict enough. You can get one even without belonging to a shooting club. Hopefully hand guns will now be banned totally like in UK.

Jussi, Espoo, Finland

Peter Sobrak-Seaton: Every major American city has 10-20 times worse homicide rates than Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. The pot calling the kettle black. Los Angeles alone has more homicides in a year than in the whole Finland! Youth violence is a big problem in UK too.

Timo, Helsinki, Finland

Mr. Boyes, I do agree with you mostly. Needless to say, we Finns suffer from lack of self confidence. Our elementary school does reflect a social democratic way of thinking: only masses, not individuals. Just average is all that counts and justification are not always based on real facts and perform

VM, Tampere, Finland

Moral vacuum? That is funny. In good ole US there is no morals, just a pretending. Witness the Enron, your election frauds, Irak war etc. These young kids can't cope with life itself. That is wrong in US and in Finland, Germany etc. Dissapointements are part of life, not an excuse of killings.

sami parkkonen, vantaa,

This is an enormous tragedy, but all the people involved are victims, including the shooter. Hard/lack of values in this society is the thing to blame. Finland has been going for extremely hard values for a long time, and now we are starting to harvest. Greed is the only value left. Sad.

Robert, Lahti, Finland

I think it´s not all because of video games and internet and TV, a huge part is this thing called "capitalism" and it´s effects to society. People doesn´t anymore know anything about real life, family, animals and nature. Money is the most important thing in everubodys life.

Paula, Jyväskylä, Finland

It is a terrible thing that has happened, but I don't think anyone living in Britain can critisize the Finns! At least in our country children can walk to school without being afraid of kidnapping!
In your country that is not possible!

Pauline, Finland,

Mr. Boyes really has a point here. It is time to really look what`s going on. There is something rotten in our society and we have to look for it. Finnish culture is full of very hard values. Boys don`t cry -kind of macho culture medieval, we don`t need it anymore.

Tuomas, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Are you seriously claiming that in Britain a person who is quiet, behaves rather normally and gets reasonable marks at school would be right away spotted as a potential raving lunatic, who would be taken into care right away? Why cannot you stop the stabbings in Britain?

Salla, Tampere, Finland

Yesterday was the day that we never again expected to see.
This kind of tragedy should remaind us, what is important these days. We need to take care of our childrens, we need to improve our society and the most we need to understand and try help. I dont know how, but we should never stop trying.

nipa, forssa, finland

I see this as a direct consequence of the crumbling of the welfare state and especially the reduction of funds for youth psychiatry since the 1990s. Finland embraced liberalism in the 1990s and forgot emotional wellbeing of children and youth - they are not producing, only wasting resources now....

Sari, Helsinki,

No gun laws can prevent incidents like this. Remember that Saari hid his other personality very well; he wasn't a dropout nor an asocial guy with no friends. Unlike Auvinen, Saari hadn't had the need for mental care services: if you're sick enough, you don't even realize that you have problems.

Heli, Espoo, Finland

In a recent study about bullying at the work place Finland fifth on the list. I know from my experience that psychiatrists may refuse to believe how the bullies behave. So you may feel left completely on your own even if you are receiving "help". I think there's a connection ...

Masi, Kangasala, Finland

It is our long tradition that one has to manage oneself. Hunting is another tradition and a rifle must be bought as a teenager. In addition, entertainmaint based on violence and internet provide roll models. However, it is the lack of safe parenthood that makes serial killers.

Martsa, Helsinki, Finland

It's time the Finns looked hard and close at themselves - your children live in a moral vacuum.

That is all.

Peter Sobrak-Seaton, Saratoga, USA

Roger got a point there. Finnish families are "busy" these days while children's parent's are trying to make "great" careers. Maybe something is missing in there?I am young, 26 years old, I've been playing violent videogames a lot, but I know the difference between video-games and real life.

Hanski, öllölä, Finland

It is happening everywhere. If no guns, then knives or clubs. The problem may be great expectations, aroused by TV and the internet and video games or that anyone can accomplish anything, that cannot be met after the realization that we do not have equal intellect or abilities and we are mediocre.

Jon Maynard, Lansing MI, USA

In 2002 there was an explosion of a homemade bomb in a mall called Myyrmanni, although it's not confirmed that the 19-year-old man did it on purpose. He too was a loner and "lived online". Last summer an 18-year-old man stabbed a 14-year-old girl to death in Kerava, near Jokela. He didn't know her.

Lina, Helsinki,

Although I don't agree with everything, I think this piece is a lot better than the last one was. Thank you for re-wording your point, Mr Boyes, it makes more sense now.

Miika, Turku, Finland

I am a teacher in Prague and let me tell you one thing. You can't integrate all problem students and these exist everywhere. Internet comunication is a world-wide phenomenon. It does not necessarily lead to social problems. Finland needs to talk about who can possess gunfires. Internet and education

Veronika, Prague, Czech Republic

I cannot really see how this can be dubbed a "Finnish" issue. The same could be said about English parents, that have the worst level of parenting skills in western Europe: "Time for them to look after their kids". I live in London and the situation is completely out of control, completely.

Alessandro, London,

Interest in him did not stop there. Police interviewed him after his YouTube posting.

Would that happen in the US or Great Britain? No.

No country can account for much less control each and every citizen. Tragedies do happen and they seem preventable only in retrospect.

Mark Bahti, Tucson, USA

Point well made.

After WWII our country had plenty of guns and traumatized young men - yet events like this would have been absolutely unimaginable. Back then, people actually cared for each other.

The media is at the moment giving these shooters exactly what they seem to want - attention.

Lauri, Helsinki, Finland

There is not enough people to help the young ones who have hard times on their youth. There should be more money on psychiatry of kids, there should be time for adults to listen to kids and they should see the problems. I am so sorry for the kids who died today and I hate to see this in Finland.

Anna, Espoo, Finland

Finns don't have the metal detectors at school doors like here in London. So London kids end up shooting and stabbing on the streets instead of schools. Is that the result of the more social growing up environment of UK?

Laura, London, UK

Gloat?! Boyes, I still don't think you could deem this a 'Finnish' issue, and that is the problem with your approach (i.e. that which had you so reprimanded in November 2007). Pity you for jumping on the oppotunity to settle a score!

Mike, Rome, Italy