The Voices of Children and Young People Ravi R. Prasad Head of Policy and Research

The Voices of Children and Young People

Ravi R. PrasadHead of Policy and Research

Child Helpline International

Giving a voice to children and young people

Child Helplines around the World

• Child Helpline International is a unique, global network of national civil society and government organisations providing counselling, care and protection to children and young people in their countries.

• CHI has 173 members in 141 countries.• Established in 2003, CHI is marking its 10th anniversary this

year.• Over the past 10 years more than 126 million contacts have

been made with its member child helplines by children and young people seeking care and protection.

What Are Children and Young People Telling Us ?• 126 million contacts with child helplines in 10 years.

• 85 million contacts: test calls, unanswered calls, pranks or silent calls.

• One in three calls are unanswered -> lack resources.

• Only 41 million contacts were responded to. In many cases the reasons for contacting are not specified.

• Annually, The number of contacts increase by 5% per child helpline.

• Outreach, free posts, bulletin boards, radio programmes.

17%

17%

16%15%

13%

6%

5%

3%

3%2%

1% 1% 1%

Global Reasons For Contact 2003-2012Peer relationships

Abuse and Violence

Psycho-social, mental health

Family relationships

Sexuality and sexual awareness

School related

Homelessness/runaways/basic needs

Legal matters

Physical health

Substance use and abuse

HIV/AIDS infected/affected children

Commercial Exploitation

Discrimination

Different Forms of Abuse and Violence 2003-2012

Adoption issues

New family/blended family

Bereavement

Child custody and access

Maintenance and child support

Parents with addiction and/or mental health problems

Sibling relationship

Divorced/separated parents/parents in conflict

Parent/child relationships

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

2%

3%

5%

5%

6%

6%

8%

23%

42%

Family Relationships

• Abuse and Violence in schools.

• Teachers reportedly commit a large proportion of abuse and violence.

Emerging Issues

Emerging Issues

• MDG’s Are Not Being Achieved

• Children Affected By Conflict

• Children Unhappy in Developed Countries

• Bullying and Cyberbullying - Menace in Young Peoples Lives

The MDG’s Are Not Being Achieved

Child Helplines in Conflict Zones• Child helplines are acces to safety nets for children and young

people in conflict zones.

• Children and young people in conflict zones suffer from extreme forms of abuse and violence, psycho-social mental health, deep trauma, neglect and exploitation.

• Sawa, Palestine 130,000 contacts since 2008

• CWIN, Nepal 446,000 contacte during 2003-2009

• Millions of children are able to access care and protection if child helplines are available.

Tot a l

1430

40

2223

53

2352

23

2432

88

3193

19

3129

34 3560

41

4768

80

4321

96

6730

14

2003200420052006200720082009201020112012

Psycho-social Mental Health in High and Very High HDI Countries

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

Bullying 2003-2012

Call For Action:

Financial allocations must be made at the national and global level to ensure access to child helplines, in order to protect children and young people from abuse, violence and exploitation.

You Can Make a Difference• Listen to children and young people – they speak to child

helplines

• Support and strengthen child helplines

• Child helplines are the key access points for children and young people to reach services

• Use child helpline data as evidence for policy making

THANK YOU

for

Listening

to

Children and Young People

info@childhelplineinternational.orgwww.childhelplineinternational.org