FOUR hundred children will call Childline every day this Christmas as they have nowhere else to turn, according to the charity that runs it the ISPCC.
The festive period for many youngsters means spending time with their family and receiving presents from Santa Clause.
However, for every child that enjoys Christmas in this country, there is another who is in distress.
In fact, the festive season is one of the busiest times for Childline, which delivered just over 700 counselling sessions on Christmas Day alone in 2020.
The top concerns were mental and emotional health, family tensions and isolation.
Here, the ISPCC’s director of services Caroline O’Sullivan, tells NIAMH ANDERSON why Childline is so important to vulnerable children in Ireland.
CHRISTMAS CALLS
ISPCC director of services Caroline O’Sullivan says that for some children, Christmas isn’t the time of joy it is for so many.
She explained: “When we all think of Christmas, we think of happiness, the delight that the holidays are here, the giving and receiving of presents, family being together, and it conjures up this fabulous image of the ideal family Christmas — but the reality is that that is not going to be the same for every child across the country.
“For every child that does experience that lovely Christmas, we find there is a child that doesn’t. That’s why it is so important that Childline is available 24/7.”
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Childline’s services become more in-demand around Christmas time as children in need reach out for help.
That’s why they are calling out for volunteers to join the vital service, which needs about €5million in funding every year to tick over.
Caroline added: “We have over 200 volunteers at the moment, and the majority of them are already slotted into a roster for Christmas, and they are just incredible.
“Some of them take double shifts over the Christmas period. They have been on the frontline all through the pandemic and they are just a class of their own. But we will be recruiting again, and if anyone is interested please visit our site ispcc.ie.
“The only thing you need to be a volunteer is that you need to believe that children need to be listened to and be responded to.”
Dubliner Eric O’Byrne has been volunteering with Childline for nearly five years.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
He recounted how some phonecalls — like the occasional calls from children who have lost their parents — stay with him long after the conversation has ended.
Eric said: “Children contact us because a Childline volunteer is the only person they have to turn to. I would literally be the only person they have to turn to.
“In training you’re taught to ask, ‘Oh, can you talk to a parent or a school teacher?’
“But their parents are dead, all of their family members are dead. Maybe they have aunts or uncles, but they can’t turn to them.
“They are essentially homeless, and they have nobody.
“And sometimes, the only adults they have left in their life, all they’ve ever done is hurt them.
“So we can see that it’s incredibly difficult for children to accept help and they are so wary of those offering to help because they’ve been hurt so badly in the past.”
‘INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT’
Eric joined Childline as a volunteer five years ago after hearing another volunteer talk about the service.
Now he takes time out from his own personal life to help children who are struggling with issues such as mental health, isolation, physical and sexual abuse.
But it’s not just children who are suffering at the hands of abusers who can seek support from the service.
Eric, 36, said there is no problem too big or too small.
He explained: “No matter what the situation is, we want children to know we are there for them.
“It doesn’t have to be physical or sexual abuse, it could be a small little thing.
“If they feel they want to talk to us, we are here for a confidential and non-judgmental conversation.
And Eric told that supporting children in need through his volunteer work is hugely rewarding.
‘HEAVY CALLS’
He said: “It’s not the reason we do it, but we get something out of it. We understand people are less fortunate, but by giving up a small bit of time simply to be there for them, and to make their lives that little bit better in a difficult time is the reward and what keeps us doing it — because at times it can be very difficult.”
And Eric told how the training to become a volunteer is “second to none” but often they rely on each other as team members to get through “heavy calls”.
He said: “If we have a tough engagement, we have professional help if we need it, but the biggest thing is our fellow volunteers.
“I certainly have a fantastic relationship with the people I volunteer with.
“We rely on each other, and any time if someone has a heavy call, I would certainly want to make sure that they are OK.
“Our job as volunteers is to put all our skills into that call, and to make sure our focus is entirely on that child in that moment.”
The Dubliner added: “But of course it affects us and sometimes it can be hard to drop. It might stay with you and that’s part of being a human being.”
- TO volunteer with Childline or to make a donation to this essential service, please visit ispcc.ie.
