Lonely under-11s turn to Childline for help

The number of young children seeking support for loneliness has risen by more than two thirds over the past five years, Childline reported.

The helpline, which is run by the NSPCC, said it had seen a 71 per cent rise in the number of children aged 11 and under seeking help compared with figures for 2017-18. It delivered 327 counselling sessions tackling the issue to this age group in 2021-22, up from 191 five years before.

Many children reported feeling lonely after being left out of social media group chats or friendship groups, Childline said. The pandemic was also a major factor but the number of children seeking help remains high.