Busy Christmas Day for Childline volunteers

CHILDLINE, the ISPCC’s listening service for all young people in Ireland, was busy on Christmas Day as volunteers heard and responded to 1,212 calls, texts and messages from children and young people.

For most children, Christmas is a time to have fun and spend time with family. For many others, however, the reality is very different and Christmas can be a difficult time to be at home.

Speaking about the volume of contact made by children with the service this year, Margie Roe, National Childline manager, said, “Children contacted Childline on Christmas Day for a variety of reasons but many of the calls, as with throughout the year, were from those experiencing family difficulties, loneliness and mental health issues. In some cases, these children and young people feel they can’t talk to family and are not sure who to turn to. In these instances, it is vital that services like Childline are there to offer listening support.”

This year, the ISPCC published the findings of their National Children’s Consultation, Not Bottled Up Inside, which explored young people’s perception of social support and how this impacts on their mental and emotional health. Of the 14,000 surveyed, family life was found to have the most impact on emotional well-being (44%), while 15% said they could not really talk to their family.

“The findings of our consultation indicated that those who say that they have family around when they need them and can count on their friends also report feeling less nervous, afraid and sad than young people who say that they do not have these supports in place.

“It can be hard sometimes in family life to talk about difficult issues but it is so important that young people know that they have someone to turn to. When these young people call Childline, we always encourage them to talk with a trusted adult,” Ms Roe concluded.

Childline can be reached by calling1800 66 66 66 and more information is available at www.childline.ie.