More than 60,000 phone calls and chat contacts were received last year by operators of the Children's Helpline 800 12 12 12, reports Children's Ombudsman Nicholas Pawlak. It's bad that so many children need help, but it's good that they are seeking it, the ombudsman estimates.
Children and teenagers are calling for help. The Children's Helpline handles tens of thousands of calls a year
Published March 29, 2023 12:49
fot. Piotr Wójcik
The Children's Helpline was contacted by phone last year by 50,000 children and teenagers. 10 thousand calls via chat were also handled. This means that an average of more than 160 young people a day seek help there. This is a disturbing scale, but as Children's Ombudsman Mikolaj Pawlak points out, the good news is that children are trying to seek help.
- It's a first contact clinic, and it's important to be aware that many of these calls involve suicide attempts. This kind of contact is our first opportunity to show sensitivity to children's problems," says Nikolai Pawlak.
The intensity of helpline use varies depending on the period studied. As a rule, the vacations are quieter in this regard, but the period of the recent winter vacations has already been difficult. An important problem, however, remains the violence suffered by the youngest children, those who are unable to come forward for help on their own.
- Campaigns against child abuse are constantly being conducted. We also conduct investigations of such situations. Each of the cases that end up in criminal or family proceedings is handled in my office. By the end of March, summary information on the subject for last year will be published," the Ombudsman for Children announced.
The Children's Helpline 800 12 12 12 is open 24/7 throughout the week. The number can be used by children and adolescents experiencing violence, emotional problems or suicidal thoughts, as well as by adults who want to report child problems or gross neglect towards children.
