Kids urged to open up on stress of lockdown
ALMOST 2500 children in Scotland have reached out to Childline on issues including loneliness and low self- esteem since lockdown began in March.
The charity has delivered nearly 43,000 counselling sessions on mental and emotional health with children across the UK.
The volunteer councillors heard from many children have who, after being cut off from important support networks, shared that they were feeling isolated, anxious and insecure.
Now, with stricter social- distancing measures imposed again across the UK, Childline is launching a campaign called Nobody is Normal.
It aims to help children understand that lacking confidence, feeling not good enough or feeling that you don’t fit in, is a shared experience. Childline is encouraging them not to suffer in silence.
Mental health remains the top reason young people get in touch with Childline, making up more than a third of all counselling sessions delivered in the UK.
The NSPCC, which runs Childline, has also revealed that the number of UK contacts about body image, gender and sexuality increased since the end of March.
Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen said: “The pandemic has cut children off from the reassurance many of them need. When young people are facing mental health issues such as anxiety or depression or are struggling with eating disorders or self- harm, they often hide it from their parents and families.
“The Nobody is Normal campaign encourages any children feeling unable to discuss their anxiety and distress to reach out to Childline for support.
“We want them to feel confident to express their fears and share their worries.”