Police in Oslo’s affluent suburb of Bærum report that they’ve had to shut down several so-called “get acquainted” parties for high school students in Asker, Bærum and west Oslo in recent weeks. The parties are not organized by the schools but are aimed at students of specific high schools, and they’ve quickly spun out of control.
At one party held for students of Eikeli Vidergående skole in Bærum, police were met by highly intoxicated teenagers, some of whom were having sex on the streets outside the party location. “It was like a battle at sea,” Ole Magnus Jensen of the Aker og Bærum Police District told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Monday. “We had to shut down the party immediately, it was full of youth who were completely unable to take care of themselves and doing very stupid things.”
Even though research has suggested that drinking is on the decline among Norwegian youth, and drinking alcohol is not permitted at the parties themselves, it has played a huge role in the recent large parties that often are organized over social media. In an invitation to students targeted by organizers of a party for Sandvika Vidergående skole at Musikkflekken in Sandvika, guests were told that it was “essential” to have a “wild vors” beforehand, a reference to the tradition of a vorspiel, or pre-party. The organizers warned that “overly intoxicated people” would not be allowed in, so they should “play cool,” but they were advised to obtain “free condoms” from school nurses. “This will be sick!” the invitation read, according to a facsimile of it published by NRK.
The manager of Musikkflekken claimed the invitation was “not in accordance” to what had been agreed by the organizers renting the location. He said it was an advantage that teenage parties aren’t held in otherwise quiet residential areas, but he claimed it was “unacceptable” to encourage lots of drinking beforehand.
The young party organizers later told NRK their formulation of the invitation was “unfortunate” and they apologized for encouraging “wild vors.” Police were bracing for more trouble but also urging parents to team up and get to know their teenagers’ new friends, and set some rules.
newsinenglish.no staff
