Child helplines are helping to reduce violence against children

Plan and Child Helpline International (CHI) have published a new report that reveals violence and abuse, including in schools, is one of the main reasons why children contact a child helpline.

An analysis of data collected from Zimbabwe, Paraguay, Sweden and Egypt, shows child helplines are in a unique position to help identify violence and abuse in schools, and trained counsellors can offer immediate support and referral to welfare and health services as appropriate. They are often young people’s first contact with any kind of child protection service, serving as accessible gateways to a world of help and support. Child helplines allow children to reach out when they need it, in real time and directly, to speak with someone in a safe, trustworthy environment. In 2010 alone, child helplines in the CHI network received over 14 million contacts!

"Access to mobile technology coupled with these confidential helplines give a voice to children to expose what can often be taboo subjects. We know that these results are only the tip of the iceberg in exposing the level of abuse children are facing daily in schools", says Plan International CEO Nigel Chapman.

"Violence and abuse in schools not only affects children’s well-being, but also their very development and right to learn. This is more than evident from the millions of contacts received by child helplines worldwide each year. Together, child helplines and other child protection services can and should work to combat this phenomenon." Nenita La Rose, Executive Director of Child Helpline International.

Check out a short video which includes some footage of the Zimbabwe childline in action.

And why not take a look at this short interactive cartoon and decide what you would do if you witnessed violence against children in schools.

18/4/2011