Childline is there for every child at difficult Christmas period

Joyce Fegan talks to Childline volunteer Sarah Hughes about the issues affecting troubled children that contact the organisation and how they help children work through their problems

Joyce Fegan talks to Childline volunteer Sarah Hughes about the issues affecting troubled children that contact the organisation and how they help children work through their problems

Childline volunteer Sarah Hughes has been volunteering with the service for seven years and said that more and more children are contacting them about “online” issues.

“When it comes to online issues it’s something we see more and more of.

“It’s 24/7 — it’s in their pocket, it’s harder to escape and it’s very intense and it can escalate very quickly,” said Sarah.

“They could have sent a picture to their boyfriend and girlfriend and then this gets sent on to a friend. They tell us: ‘Now I can’t get it back.’

“Young people implicitly trust until they’re given a reason not to and they don’t realise how permanent it is, this picture out there on the internet,” she added.

The 24-hour service now offers both a freephone service, a live web chat and a free SMS texting option for children and young adults to contact them.

“It can be easier for some children to get straight to the nub of the issue over text if it’s a serious issue like abuse.

“The teens and older children would use online and the younger children would ring,” said Sarah.

While their service is consistently busy all year-round, the nature of the calls changes at Christmas.

“At Christmas, the type of calls change, they’re less connected to school and more within the family context. There is alcohol in the mix, there is nowhere to escape to and they’re aware they’re friends are happy. There can also be elements of abuse and violence and family discord.

“They more make real-life comparisons and compare each other’s family lives. They have this expectation from movies and the radio of what Christmas should be like with lots of food and presents and family, but this might not be the reality for them,” said Sarah.

.@ISPCCChildline volunteers like Sarah keep our free phone, text and web chat services open 24 / 7, including on Christmas Day. Any child or young person in need of a listening ear can call 1800 66 66 66, text 'Talk' to 50101(10am - 4am) or visit Childline.ie (10am - 4am) pic.twitter.com/n2J3SGhS1Y

— ISPCC (@ISPCCChildline) December 25, 2017

She explained that they have a very specific way in which they handle calls, so all contact is judgement free and the child is left feeling empowered.

“Say someone rang in and are having mental health issues we’ll first explain how the service operates and tell them we are here to listen and that there is no judgement whatsoever. Judgement is often the main reason they don’t talk to an adult, in case they’re told: ‘What did you do that for?’

“We work on a nickname basis unless they give us identifying information,” said Sarah.

“We want them to feel empowered. If they have been abused they’re been disempowered and have been told how to think and what to do. We want them to arrive at their own solutions.

“We explore their support network with them and see who else they can talk to and we let them lead the conversation. It’s a lot of active listening and reflecting back on what they’ve said. It’s about finding out what the child would like to happen next — do they just want to feel better, or do they need to talk to an adult or do they need to do something more serious,” she added.

One major thing that Sarah is eager to get across is that no problem is too small, even if the child is not sure why they are even ringing.

“We would get a lot of children saying: ‘I’m sorry for taking up your time, I’m sure you’ve someone else more important to talk to.’

“But at Childline, if it’s important to them as a child, it is important to us.

“There is no problem too small, even if you’re not sure you have a problem and you can’t even verbalise,” said Sarah.

This Christmas Day the service received more than 1,000 calls, and more than 50 volunteers are on-board across the entire period to ensure the text, web chat and phone lines are manned.

ISPCC’s CEO Grainia Long said her volunteers are always here to listen.

“Sadly, not all children and young people in Ireland will experience the magic of Christmas this year. Some homes will be filled with fear, violence, hurt and upset. Christmas is just another day for so many children and young people across Ireland and, for this reason, Childline volunteers will be there to listen,” said Ms Long.

She also expressed her gratitude to the public for keeping the service funded and operational.

“Our services rely heavily on the generous support of the public and we are truly grateful to everyone who supported the ISPCC in any way over the past year. Anyone who would like to help ensure we can continue to be there for children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 2018 and beyond is asked to please visit ispcc.ie/donate. You will be a part of every call Childline answers.”

Childline can be contacted 24 hours a day at 1800 66 66 66, while its text line and online chat services can be contacted between 10am and 4am by texting ‘Talk’ to 50101 or visiting childline.ie.