It’s hardly surprising our young people are in such dire straits
Its half-yearly figures for child support services make for unsettling reading, and clearly show they are under strain.
Volunteers cannot keep up with the ringing phones, they say.
So every day there are countless children calling a helpline which may not be answered.
Considering the year we have had, some might say it’s hardly surprising our children are in such dire straits. Could our financial woes and economic malaise really be affecting our young people so badly?
Maybe. As a nation we have become obsessed with the dreaded R-word – and it seems to be the only topic up for discussion.
Recession, NAMA, bad banks, budgets cutbacks.
The headlines scream it every day.
And it’s not only our bank balances and Celtic Tiger confidence which have taken a beating. The Ryan Report documenting years of institutional child abuse by figures of authority could not but have touched every man women and child old enough to understand.
Again, this must have seeped into the psyche of our young people.
Another side-effect of our malaise is increasing evidence that parents hoping to separate are being forced to live under the same roof as they cannot afford to live apart. The break-up of a family is highly traumatic for any child, but it is worse to witness and live with parents who no longer want to be together.
So it is not a stretch to imagine that our ‘grown-up’ crises could be severely affecting young people.
For its part, the ISPCC maintains calls are directly related to the recession and its knock-on effects.
Children more than ever before are aware of what is going on around them, and know exactly what is going on. Indeed, sometimes, says the ISPCC, children know too much about what is going on – are given too much information.
Volunteers say they are hearing from children whose family is under pressure for the first time.
A job has been lost. There is less money, which means more arguments. Unpaid bills, worry, a family in crisis.
Children, says the ISPCC, pick up on all of this.
They are upset and worried. They don’t understand why life has changed so dramatically. They are hurt, angry, listening to parents arguing who don’t realise – or care – they are listening.
And sometimes they just need a friendly ear because there is nobody home to talk to.
Whatever the problems and reasons, the figures are there in black and white.
The Childline 24-hour telephone service is receiving about 17,000 calls a week.
The average number of calls received in 2008 was 13,248 calls a week, representing a 28% increase on the previous year.
Childline Online has also seen a significant increase in the demand for all its services, with more than 10,000 contacts received through Teentext.
An online messaging support service is also reporting a five fold increase from last year – despite the fact that the service hasn’t been heavily advertised.
So perhaps it’s time to stop and think before we talk ourselves down anymore – because our young people are listening and taking it all in.
Let’s stop moaning about our plight and be proactive.
The ISPCC is crying out for volunteers so all those phone calls can be answered – that would be one way to start.
