Childline—The First Twelve Years

Arch Dis Child 2000;82:283–285 283

CURRENT TOPIC Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.82.4.283 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from

ChildLine—the ﬁrst twelve years

Hereward Harrison

Abstract How ChildLine began This brief article aims to give a history In the spring of 1986, the BBC consumer pro- and overview of ChildLine’s work in the gramme, That’s Life!, presented by Esther first 12 years of its existence and to Rantzen appealed to viewers for their help in provide references to more detailed infor- conducting a survey on child abuse. The BBC mation on a range of issues that children ran a helpline for 24 hours after the programme and young people themselves have identi- for adults and children who wished to call. The fied as important. All callers’ names and lines were jammed by children, who insisted on identifying details have been changed to remaining anonymous, but confided details of preserve confidentiality. terrible cruelty and abuse. (Arch Dis Child 2000;82:283–285) Three thousand adults (90% were women) 3 Keywords: helpline; abuse; bullying completed a BBC questionnaire in which 90% recounted, usually for the first time, experience of sexual abuse in their childhood. A special Children need ChildLine ChildWatch team was set up to examine the “I used to believe I had a normal family. I questionnaire and make a programme on child thought it was normal not to be spoken to, just abuse. They found that children in 1986 were shouted at. I thought it was normal to be scared suVering as much as children had in the past; to go home, to be bashed around, and worst of the suVering described by adult survivors of all, to be hated. I was afraid to tell you, but now sexual abuse in childhood was echoed by I have, I’m glad I did. I needed to share it. Tell today’s children. Adults and children told the others to speak out as soon as they can.” same story—cruelty happens at home; most 1 (Tiana, aged 14) abusers are members of their own family; they http://adc.bmj.com/ ChildLine—0800 1111—is the free telephone have no one to turn to; they think no one will helpline for children and young people in dan- ever believe them if they ask for help—yet they ger or distress. It is available from anywhere in felt able to confide in an unseen, unnamed per- the UK and provides a confidential telephone son at the end of a telephone line. counselling service for any child with any The ChildWatch team met with child care problem, 24 hours a day, every day. Since it was professionals from the statutory and voluntary launched in October 1986, ChildLine has sectors—including the NSPCC, Kidscape,

helped one million children. In addition to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Social on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. telephone helpline, ChildLine also provides a Services departments—to discuss how to freepost service for children and young people establish a permanent telephone helpline throughout the United Kingdom and has which would provide a way of helping those recently (February 1998) launched a schools who could not be reached in any other way. outreach programme, ChildLine in Partner- These original advisors became ChildLine’s ship with Schools (CHIPS), which enables Professional Advisory Group, comprising dis- young people to learn about ChildLine and to tinguished professionals with specialist knowl- work with each other. CHIPS Chat, a newslet- edge and experience of working with children ter for young people in secondary schools, is and young people. published three times a year. In October 1986, the BBC special on child In 1997/98, ChildLine counselled over 115 000 children—about all kinds of problems abuse, called ChildWatch, launched ChildLine. and concerns2: British Telecom provided ChildLine with space and with a simple memorable telephone + 20% of children counselled (over 22 000) rang about physical or sexual abuse, some- number, 0800 1111. The logo, a smiling times both telephone, was shown on the programme. The + 17% (more than 19 000) spoke about bullying response that ﬁrst night—approximately ChildLine, Royal Mail + 13% (more than 14 500) rang about family 55 000 attempted calls—and subsequent Building, Studd Street, nights exceeded all expectations. ChildLine London N1 0QW, UK problems H Harrison + Children also rang about substance abuse, quickly took root in the minds of children and running away, bereavement, their unhappiness young people as their line, and after more than Correspondence to: when parents divorce, pregnancy, worries 12 years in existence, has become established Mr Harrison email: hharrison@ about sex, suicide, and problems with friends as the place that children and young people childline.org.uk or at school. identify as their own. 284 Harrison

How ChildLine works ing response to children and young people From the beginning, the core of ChildLine has through the ChildLine switchboard. Like The Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.82.4.283 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from been volunteer counsellors, who currently Samaritans helpline, we often receive silent number around one thousand, drawn from all calls, or calls where callers can only sob down parts of society and representing a wide age the phone—calls where children cannot bring range. These volunteers receive a focused themselves to talk immediately. These young ChildLine training, which aims to equip them people desperately want help but wish to test for working on the phone and for the issues out the service for themselves; they need reas- which children and young people wish to talk surance, for example, that we do not trace tele- about. They are supported by a professional phone calls, and courage to try to find the staV team drawn from diVerent backgrounds, words to describe what is happening to them. including the medical profession, social work, nursing, psychology, counselling, and teaching. ChildLine now Many of the children and young people who From its inception, it was necessary for Child- ring ChildLine tell us they have never spoken to Line to define its aims and objectives which an adult before about their problems and that it hold as true today as they did at the beginning. has sometimes taken them months to pluck up These are: the courage to ring us. This is particularly true of + To protect children at significant risk of sexually abused children. In a recent ChildLine harm (as defined by the Children Act 19895) survey,4 more than 30% of 2500 young people + To help children resolve or alleviate their between the ages of 11 and 16 told us they problems. This is achieved by a child would be most likely to tell another young centred approach, with special considera- person in the first instance if they had a problem. tion for the age and stage of development of Most children start by ringing anonymously and the young person calling rarely name their abusers—often because they + To raise public awareness and influence have been threatened with dire consequences if policies and practice which aVect children’s they speak out. These are some of the things that lives and development. children tell us: “He said he would kill Mummy It has been necessary for ChildLine to if I told.” “I don’t want him to go to prison.” expand very rapidly to meet the needs of the “I don’t want to be put into a children’s home.” children who call. The latest information “I just want him to stop hurting me.” received from BT indicates that, at the present ChildLine’s trained counsellors help chil- time, approximately 15 000 calls are attempted dren to talk through their problems, including to ChildLine every day. We are now able to the shame, grief, and pain that they suVer, and answer about 4000 calls a day, although there help them to build their shattered self esteem. are still children and young people who want to Children and young people are encouraged to talk to ChildLine but cannot get through. believe that they have the right to be safe and ChildLine’s original base—now its

ChildLine works actively, with them, to help headquarters—is in London. To increase the http://adc.bmj.com/ resolve their problems. number of children we can counsel, call centres All calls to ChildLine are conﬁdential. Child- have opened in Nottingham, Glasgow, Man- Line counsellors do not make referrals against chester, Swansea, Rhyl, and Leeds, and one the child’s wishes unless there is a life threaten- will soon open in Belfast. ing situation. ChildLine will, however, make a ChildLine also runs special geographical referral to another agency such as social services lines, for example for the Channel Islands, (or social work departments in Scotland) or the West Sussex, and Lincolnshire. There are also

police if the child is ready for further action to lines for children of parents who work in the on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. be taken. In 1997/98, 970 children and young armed services and are living abroad. As part of people were referred. Intervention of this kind is its core service, ChildLine provides a Minicom not always possible—very early in ChildLine’s service for children with hearing disabilities. life, counsellors learnt that attempting to push a solution before a child was ready simply meant ChildLine’s campaigning work that the child might never ring back again and ChildLine is committed to ensuring that the abuse would continue unchecked. Child- children’s voices are heard and we campaign Line’s counsellors, therefore, work patiently for changes that will help children and young and carefully with children, often helping them people. Some successful examples of recent to identify a person whom they know and trust campaigns are: and who can help them to change their + Research and recommendations from the situation. This person may, for example, be a Boarding School Line (1991)6 were incorpo- friend of the same age, a teacher, a near relative, rated into the Department of Education’s a family friend, or a trusted professional. guidelines for the inspection of boarding schools relating to privacy, access to phones, Does ChildLine receive hoax calls? and prevention and detection abuse This is a question that is often asked by + In 1994, ChildLine ran a Bullying Line, adults—but rarely by children! ChildLine which answered more than 40 000 calls and receives calls from children in groups, laughing counselled more than 3500 children in and joking with friends. Often there is one child depth. Following our successful report, Why in the group that has phoned ChildLine to Me?,7 which proposed positive action against “test”, who may telephone later with a particu- bullying in schools, ChildLine has distrib- lar problem. It is important, therefore, not to uted almost 100 000 leaﬂets on bullying for jump to conclusions, and to provide an accept- children and adults ChildLine—the ﬁrst twelve years 285

+ ChildLine gave evidence to the Utting and + Child protection: everybody’s business19 Warner Commissions of Inquiry into chil- + Children helping their friends20 Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.82.4.283 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from dren in care. We then established a perma- + Listening to ten year olds21 nent line, previously known as ChildLine for + Children and racism22 Children in Care and now known as The + “It hurts me too”: children’s experiences of Line (0800 884444), available to all children domestic violence and refuge life23 living away from home; Time to listen (1994)8 + Stressed out: what children tell ChildLine about told decision makers what children are exams and work pressure24 saying about their lives in care, and Children + We know it’s tough to talk: boys in need of help25 living away from home (1997)9 looked in + Children at crisis point.26 detail at children’s lives in foster homes, in Of special interest to paediatricians and children’s homes, and in boarding schools related professionals are “I know you’re not a + In 1996, ChildLine published Going to court: doctor but . . .”,16 written by ChildLine volunteer child witnesses in their own words,10 which and retired paediatrician, Sheila Cross, and argued for improvements and changes in the forthcoming ChildLine publications about court system for child witnesses. ChildLine children, HIV and AIDS, and children and has been instrumental in working with other mental health. organisations, such as the NSPCC, to Information about ChildLine and its work produce a Child Witness Pack11 to help chil- can be obtained directly by looking at the Child- dren called as witnesses in court. We Line website (http//:www.childline.org.uk). continue to campaign for children’s rights in the legal system, including a recent confer- 1 ChildLine. Children need ChildLine. ChildLine Information ence (May 1999) which was supported by Sheet I – A history of ChildLine. London: ChildLine, 1997. 2 ChildLine Annual Review 1997/8. London: ChildLine, 1998. leading QC, Cherie Booth, and Hillary 3 BBC ChildWatch survey, October 1986. London: BBC, 1986. Rodham Clinton, lawyer and First Lady of 4 MacLeod M. Talking with children about child abuse: ChildLine’s ﬁrst ten years. London: ChildLine, 1996. the United States, both of whom addressed 5 Children Act 1989. the conference on the issue of the legal rights 6 La Fontaine J, Morris S. The Boarding School Line (January 12 to July 1991): a report from ChildLine to the DES. London: of children and young people ChildLine, 1991. + ChildLine has highlighted the vulnerable 7 MacLeod M, Morris S. Why Me? Children talking to ChildLine about bullying. London: ChildLine, 1996. position of children who live with parents 8 Morris S, Wheatley H. Time to listen: the experiences of young suVering from alcohol abuse. In 1998, people in foster and residential care. London: ChildLine, 1994. ChildLine co-hosted a conference with 9 MacLeod M. Children living away from home. London: Alcohol Concern to bring together profes- ChildLine, 1997. 10 Home OYce, Lord Chancellor’s Department, Crown Pros- sionals working with adults and children ecution Service, Department of Health, ChildLine, + ChildLine works with MPs, peers, and NSPCC. Child Witness Pack. London: ChildLine, 1998. 11 Keep G. Going to court: child witnesses in their own words. policy makers to ensure that children’s London: ChildLine, 1996. voices are heard in the heart of government. 12 ChildLine. Proceedings of Children and Law Conference. Forthcoming.

ChildLine has played a key role in brieﬁng 13 ChildLine. Exam stress and how to beat it. London: http://adc.bmj.com/ and lobbying peers and MPs on the Sex ChildLine, 1997. 14 Mason A. London calling: calls to ChildLine’s dedicated London OVenders Act (1997), and continues to and South East service. London: ChildLine, 1998. work with other children’s charities and 15 MacLeod M, Hall J, Keep G, Mason A, Pegram C. Unhappy families, unhappy children. London: ChildLine, 1998. government on the implementation of the 16 Cross S. “I know you’re not a doctor but ...”Children calling Act to ensure child protection is given a clear ChildLine about health. London: ChildLine, 1998. 17 Mason A. Children calling from Northern Ireland. London: priority ChildLine, 1998. + ChildLine publishes help and guidance on 18 Houston A, Kork S, MacLeod M. Beyond the limit: children who live with parental alcohol misuse. London: ChildLine, coping with the stress of exams, responding 1997. on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. to children and young people who phone 19 MacLeod M. Child protection: everybody’s business. London: Reed Business Information/ChildLine, 1997. ChildLine about exam stress. ChildLine has 20 Keep G. Your children, their friends; how to help your child be a published a leaﬂet, Exam stress and how to good friend. London: ChildLine, 1999. 13 21 Epstein C. Listening to ten year olds. London: ChildLine, beat it. 1996. Other ChildLine publications include: 22 MacLeod M. Children and racism. London: ChildLine, 1998. + London calling: calls to ChildLine’s dedicated 23 Saunders A, Keep G, Epstein C, Debonnaire T. 14 “It hurts me London and South East service too”: children’s experiences of domestic violence and refuge life. 15 London: Joint Alex Saunders, WAFE, NISW, ChildLine, + Unhappy families, unhappy children 1995. + “I know you’re not a doctor but . . .”Children 24 Hall J. Stressed out: what children tell ChildLine about exams 16 and work pressure. London: ChildLine, 1996. calling ChildLine about health 25 MacLeod M, Barter C, Keep G. 17 We know it’s tough to talk: + Children calling from Northern Ireland boys in need of help. London: ChildLine, 1996. 26 MacLeod M, Barter C, Keep G. Children at crisis point: chil- + Beyond the limit: children who live with paren- dren who run away and those who call ChildLine at night. tal alcohol misuse18 London: ChildLine, 1996.