Young increasingly encounter grooming and sextortion, Cork Childline service says

The Cork branch of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is seeking volunteers for its Childline service

Cork regional Childline manager Regina O’Sullivan said the service handles both phone calls and online chats with young people who make contact with it. Picture: Dan Linehan

Grooming and sextortion are among the growing concerns young people have when contacting Childline in Cork, with at least one teenager in distress daily over online interactions.

The service in Cork currently handles more than 300 calls and 260 online chats each week. Cork regional Childline manager Regina O’Sullivan said the service handles both phone calls and online chats with young people who make contact with it.