Surge in boys calling ChildLine

A new NSPCC report today (Mon 27 July) shows ChildLine counselled a record 58,311 boys last year, more than double the number five years ago.

The report - What Boys Talk About to ChildLine - found bullying was the top problem, with 12,568 boys calling about it in 2007/08. The report also reveals that 6,403 boys rang about physical abuse and 4,780 about sexual abuse with 1,803 saying they had been raped.
Other key findings show:

• Those calling ChildLine about feeling lonely, sad and isolated has increased five-fold from 334 five years ago to 1,817.
• Over 6000 rang about serious emotional stress within the family.
• The number calling about sexuality has increased more than three fold from five years ago to 3,510.
• There were 5,362 calls concerning the facts of life (1)  - also three times the figure five years ago.
  

Those boys who called ChildLine about sexual or physical abuse most commonly named a parent as the perpetrator (2) .

ChildLine gets more calls from girls but the trend is beginning to change with one in three now coming from boys compared with just 20 per cent five years ago. This improvement is to be welcomed but more needs to be done.

One 14- year -old boy who called said: "My dad hits me with a belt as punishment. This happens once or twice a month and leaves marks for days."

And a 17- year- old told ChildLine: "I was sexually abused by a relative when I was a child. I have very vivid memories of being raped. I still feel angry that it ever happened."

Another boy aged 15 explained to counsellors: "Boys at school strangle, punch and kick me, I feel lonely and angry with the teachers who seem to do nothing and I feel suicidal. I've never told anyone before."

Head of ChildLine Sue Minto said: "Desperate boys call ChildLine because they feel they have no one to turn to. It's heartbreaking to hear their stories of rape and violent beatings, often by their parents. They sometimes suffer in silence for months before they tell anyone. By the time they call us they can be suicidal

"There's still the stigma that boys don't cry but it may be there's no longer so much pressure to be macho. Our counsellors are trained to help boys express their emotions - we want to encourage more of them to speak out about their abuse."

ChildLine counsellor Alex Gray said: "Sometimes, you have to work hard to get boys to talk about what's really troubling them. But once they do they're surprised that someone's there listening to them."

Sue Minto added: "Not all the boys tell us whether they have spoken out about their problems before. But for nearly half of those who did it was the first time they were speaking out.  We strongly urge boys who are struggling with their problems to call us on 0800 1111.

"Since ChildLine joined with the NSPCC in 2006 the helpline has been expanded and answers more calls from children and young people than ever before.  Even so ChildLine is still unable to answer one in three calls but boys and girls need us more than ever and we urgently need public support to help save young lives and to be there for more children."

In response, the NSPCC is urgently calling on the public to donate to its Child's Voice Appeal. The charity needs to raise an extra £50 million over the next three years, in addition to £30 million already pledged by the UK Government so ChildLine can try to answer every call for help.

Ends

Media office on 0207 825 2533 out of hours mobile 07976 206 625

Notes to Editors

Information and advice is available in our illustrated pocket guide for young people aged 11 to 18: Worried? Need to talk?  The guide provides information about ChildLine and other services that are there to help.
Other key findings

• The number of boys calling ChildLine about bullying in 2007/08 is nearly two and half times the figure five years ago.
• Boys' calls about physical abuse have increased by just over half in the past five years.
• Boys' calls about sexual abuse have more than doubled in the past five years.
• Younger boys are more likely to call about physical abuse and bullying whereas teenage boys call more about sexual problems, loneliness, depression and mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse.
  

NSPCC recommendations

• There is a need for alternative and innovative way to engage with boys and their problems. Also, boys appear more willing to use new technology. There is a need for ChildLine to continue to explore a range of methods for children to access support and advice services.
• It is important boys get a clear message that it is OK to ask for help before and at point of crisis. Parents and carers should work at building an open, trusting relationship when children are very young and be ready to listen to their worries, so these habits are in place.
• There is a need for Personal Development/Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE)/Personal Social Education (PSE) curricula to address issues about bullying, facts of life and sexuality.
• There should be law reform so children have the same protection given to adults against assault. Some of the boys who call ChildLine talk of regular and often harsh physical abuse.

(1) Calls about 'facts of life' include calls about sex, reproduction, contraception and issues around growing up.

(2) Of the boys who experienced physical abuse 39 per cent described their father as the perpetrator and 28 per cent their mother. In contrast, girl callers talking about physical abuse were more likely to say it was their mother (37 per cent) than their father (25 per cent)

ChildLine on 0800 1111 is the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children in danger or distress. Trained volunteer counsellors comfort, advice and protect children and young people. ChildLine is a service within the NSPCC. In Scotland it is delivered by CHILDREN 1ST on behalf of the NSPCC. Calls to ChildLine on 0800 1111 are confidential, but if a child is in a life threatening situation the counsellor will let the caller know if they have to break confidentially and contact the emergency services to save the child's life.

The NSPCC is the UK's leading children charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC's purpose is to end cruelty to children FULL STOP. The NSPCC runs  projects and services across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, including ChildLine, the UK's free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people. The NSPCC helps over 10,000 children and their families every year.