VOLUNTEERS at Childline in Scotland were prepared work over Christmas as children reached out for help over issues including sexual abuse, family problems, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
The free and confidential NSPCC-run helpline is open to children 365 days a year and demand was high across the festive period for the advice provided by its specially-trained counsellors at its 12 bases across the UK.
Across four of the main festive days in 2016 – Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2017 – Childline across the UK delivered 2,490 counselling sessions, up from 2,353 on the same days the previous year.
Of these counselling sessions, at least 122 were carried out with children contacting Childline from Scotland, an increase from at least 100 at the same time the year before. The true figures are likely to be higher with hundreds of children choosing to not share with counsellors what country they were contacting them from.
Volunteers at Childline’s two Scottish bases in Glasgow and Aberdeen were among those working over the festive period, including on Christmas Day itself.
Over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in 2016/17, volunteers in Scotland carried out 320 counselling sessions with children from across the UK, having delivered 288 across the same days the previous year.
Children’s mental and emotional health was the most frequently-expressed concern faced by Childline counsellors over the festive period, followed by family relationships and suicidal feelings.
The NSPCC is appealing to the public to help them be there for even more children and teenagers who get in touch by phone, text or online.
To ensure as many of these young people as possible are getting the help they need the NSPCC ran its Light Up Christmas for Children appeal. To support the campaign all you have to do is make a small cash donation by sending a simple text message.
To support the NSPCC’s Christmas campaign simply text ‘NSPCC 4’ to 70744 to donate £4, or visit www.nspcc.org.uk. Text costs include your donation of £4 plus your standard network rate. The NSPCC will receive 100% of your donation.
JOE WALLACE,
National Society of Prevention of
Cruelty to Children.
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