Greenland, struggling for years with a range of social problems, is stepping up the fight to save its children from the trauma of alcoholism, suicide and sexual and physical abuse.

The Arctic island has in the past 50 years developed at lightning speed, transforming itself from a traditional community of fishermen and hunters to a modern society.

But in doing so, some of its inhabitants have been left by the wayside.

Authorities in the Danish overseas territory admit that the social woes are bridling its dreams of independence from Denmark.

Violence is "now regarded as a very serious problem in society," according to a recent report by the local government on public health strategies for the period 2007 to 2012.

Almost half of the population has been subjected to violence at one time or another in their lives, with most abuses occurring against children and teens.

Of the island's 57,000 inhabitants, 39 percent are under the age of 24.

Some 28 percent of girls and nine percent of boys under the age of 14 have been victims of sexual abuse, according to the most recent study on the issue, conducted in 2004.

And despite taboos, 775 police complaints regarding physical abuse were filed in 2005, or almost seven times the proportionate number in Copenhagen, statistics show.

For sexual abuse, the number of police complaints is between 14 and 18 times higher than in Copenhagen.