Today, young person’s helplines from all around the world celebrate International Child Helpline Day. The focus of 17 May is to highlight the work of Get Connected in Britain.
A young man was thrown out of home because he was gay and was in the middle of his university exams. He was sleeping in his sister’s car and urgently needed somewhere to live.
A young woman was self-harming because her family home was abusive and violent. She felt she had to stay to look after her younger brother, who was also being abused.
In 2009, Get Connected answered over 40,000 similar calls. The reasons young people called Get Connected include self-harm, depression and family issues.
Helplines for young people like Get Connected are active all around the world. They listen to young people and provide a listening ear. If needed, they provide referral services, direct assistance, intervention etc. In a changing world, help for children can be as close as the nearest telephone, computer or postal service. Modern and traditional means of communication are being used by helplines for young people all over the world to ensure that each and every child is able to contact someone for help. At the same time helplines for young people make sure that others hear the voice of young people too, by advocating for young people with governments and other stakeholders.
International Child Helpline Day is celebrated by Get Connected and other helplines all around the world, this year with the theme Connecting Children. We call attention to our important work and the ways in which we improve the lives of children.