A person is regarded as a child until the age of 18. There are some specific regulations on youth persons in certain laws. The age limit of who is a young person varies in different laws.

Yes, children at any age are allowed to stay in public places (streets and parks) without being accompanied by an adult.

Restaurants:

There is no law prohibiting children from staying in restaurants with or without being accompanied by adults, but children may not be served alcoholic beverages. For that reason, many restaurants have themselves imposed age limits for children who are not accompanied by an adult. Smoking is restricted in restaurants irrespective of the age of the smoker.

Dance Halls, Discos:

There is no law prohibiting children from being in nightclubs or similar entertainment districts but they may not be served alcohol and smoking is restricted in those districts. Most clubs have their own rules preventing anyone under the age of 18 from entering.

Clubs, Bars:
There is no law prohibiting children from being in nightclubs or similar entertainment districts but they may not be served alcohol and smoking is restricted in those districts. Most clubs have their own rules preventing anyone under the age of 18 from entering.

Harmful Places:
It is difficult to answer your question about considered harmful places in a general manner. There are for example no legal restrictions for staying at places such as where the prostitutes are but the buying of sexual services is prohibited in Sweden (this is regulated in the Criminal Code).

Places for gambling:
It is regulated by the casino law (1999:355) where the age limit for entering a casino is 20 years. Also the law on lottery (1994:1000) prevents those who organize gambling from allowing children to take part in the betting.

The selling of spirits to anyone under the age of 20 is prohibited (law 1977:293 on the selling of beverages). In restaurants this age limit is 18 years. If a child is found drinking alcohol it is not the child that is considered to have broken the law but the adult who has sold or given the alcoholic drink to the child. This also applies to question.

There are a number of different age limits for watching public film screenings. These are seven, eleven, fifteen and eighteen years. You can find more information at the Statens biografbyrå website www.statensbiografbyra.se which is the Film Censorship in Sweden.

Smoking is restricted in most public places (irrespective of the age of the smoker). Smoking by children is not prohibited but it is prohibited to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.

There are no legal restrictions for young people to go to internet cafés. Although the internet cafe activity is regulated by the law(1982:636) about arranging of certain gaming machines.

The possession of weapons requires a special license and it is regulated in law (1996:67) on weapons. The possession of knives and similar weapons is regulated in law (1988:254). They are not allowed in public places and the age limit is 21 years (law 2000:148).

Any sexual relation with a child under 15 years of age is prohibited and punishable by law. It is regulated in the Criminal Code.

Children from age 13 are allowed to do certain light work no more than 12 hours per week. Persons from the European Economic Area do not require a work permit.

Children can ask for help in their schools, at the social services in the municipality where they live and from some NGO:s. Foreign children can also turn to their embassies.

German Embassy

Förbundsreubliken Tysklands Ambassad

Artillerigatan 64

114 45 Stockholm

phone: +46 8 670 15 00
Fax: +46 8 670 15 72

see: http://www.stockholm.diplo.de/Vertretung/stockholm/de/02/Botschaft.html (website in german)

German embassy in Sweden

http://socialstyrelsen.se (National Health and Welfare)

www.savethechildren.se

no

source:
embassy Kingdom of Sweden (11/2008)