Sex abuse calls to Childline at record levels in North

Almost 1,000 children received counselling for sexual abuse in the North last year, it was revealed today.

The number of distressed young people ringing ChildLine claiming they were abused was the highest since the service was set up 10 years ago.

A total of 952 children phoned counsellors last year, compared to 587 three years ago.

Paddy Shannon, assistant director of ChildLine Northern Ireland, said the figures showed young victims of sexual abuse were becoming more prepared to come forward.

"Every day, ChildLine receives dozens of harrowing calls about sexual abuse from children, some of whom are very young indeed," he said.

"Children phone to talk in confidence about suffering different kinds of sexual abuse, the vast majority of the abusers being people they know, either within their families, or the wider family circle.

"They dare not speak about it, or ask for help, for fear of the consequences. Many of them have been threatened or intimidated into silence."

Childline is run by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Last year the charity launched an appeal to raise £50m (€57.1m) to help develop ChildLine and the NSPCC Helpline - a service for adults concerned about the safety or welfare of a child.

This programme includes the imminent introduction of both online counselling and text services for children.

"We believe calls have gone up partly because of awareness campaigns targeted at children like the NSPCC 'Don't Hide It' campaign," added Mr Shannon.

"Child sex abuse storylines on programmes such as Eastenders also encourage children to speak out. As a result, more children now understand what sexual abuse is and are increasingly willing to turn to ChildLine for help. More ChildLine counsellors over the last few years has also meant more children helped and this is reflected in these latest figures."

ChildLine's founder and current president is TV personality Esther Rantzen.

"These tragic calls come from children who have found the courage to ring a ChildLine counsellor," she said.

"Yet there are many children whose cries for help cannot be answered because ChildLine simply does not have enough resources to answer every call.

"Our nightmare is the child who plucks up the courage to ring, fails to get through, and never dares try again.

"As a ChildLine counsellor I have experienced first hand these heart-wrenching calls from children who feel utterly alone until they make the call,

"I know the hope we provide these children literally saves precious young lives."

People can donate to the NSPCC's Child's Voice Appeal by visiting www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk.