Esther calls for Childline helpers in Manchester
RECORD NUMBER OF CHILDREN ASKING FOR HELP WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
RECORD numbers of children are being counselled about suicide by Childline as thousands reach crisis point.
A total of 22,456 counselling sessions were carried out with children tormented by suicidal thoughts last year - some as young as 10.
The service - which has 100s of volunteers in its Salford call centre, one of the largest in the country took 2,061 calls in 2016 from young people who were actively suicidial.
Some of those contacting the charity had previously asked for professional support. Some asked counsellors to act on their behalf and help them get help more quickly.
One girl, aged just 14, told a counsellor: “I want to end it tonight. I‘ve written a suicide note and have everything ready.”
A spike in calls to the NSPCC’s Childline service has been put down to a lack of alternative support.
The volunteer-backed service currently only has the resources to be there for three in every four young people that reaches out for help.
Charity workers fear some children and teenagers with suicidal thoughts are not getting the support they need when they need it.
They say many children are shouldering their troubles single-handedly and turning to Childline only when they reach crisis point.
NSPCC bosses are now urging people to give to Childline through its ‘Light Up Christmas for Children’ campaign. People are also being asked to volunteer as counsellors.
Esther Rantzen, Childline founder and President, said the ‘tragic’ statistics prove the service is more crucial than ever.
She said: “When you talk to our volunteers they will say the main cause of this rise is social media. They talk about the pressure of being gorgeous to look at, immensely popular and have a fantastic life.
“The fantasies they have created on social media contrast painfully with the reality of their lives in which they may feel lonely, don’t have anyone they trust to talk to, feel worried about the future and that they are not doing well in school or life and that contrast becomes so corrosive in a child’s soul. They start to feel that they have no value and life does not offer any hope.”
She said it was important to give young people the opportunity to talk about those feelings.
She added: “That’s why Childline is so important and that’s why we need to be there for every child that needs us and why we worry that at the moment that only three out of four children can get through to us and why we desperately need more volunteers in Manchester.”
Suicide is the third most common reason for girls to contact Childline.
Mental health issues, family relationships, and self-harm were the top three additional concerns mentioned during counselling sessions.
Young people were most likely to be counselled about suicidal thoughts on Monday evenings.
The majority of children confided to counsellors online, via the charity’s 1-2-1 chat service, or by email.
NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless said the new figures have acted as a ‘blunt wake up call.’
“We must face the painful reality that many young people feel so overwhelmed by their problems they have considered taking their own, precious lives,” he said.
Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC helpline for free, 24/7, on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline on 0800 111, visit childline.org.uk or download the ‘For Me’ app.