Childline has revealed that it has seen large numbers of children getting in touch due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), carrying out over 1,700 counselling sessions about the issue in the last 3 weeks alone – bringing the new total to over 2,200 since the end of January.
In the South East, Childline’s London base has delivered 353 counselling sessions to children worried about the coronavirus from the 21st January to 8th April.
Despite Childline having to close the night service for the first time and having a 30% drop in volunteer hours, due to counsellors having to self-isolate, it’s battling to still be there for children across the UK.
The NSPCC, who runs Childline, grows increasingly concerned about the number of children who will experience abuse or neglect due to the impact of Coronavirus, with families struggling with lockdown, job losses and school closures.
During the past week Childline has delivered 363 counselling sessions where children have experienced physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect – up nearly a fifth from the week before. Counselling sessions about physical and emotional abuse increased by 36% and 31% respectively during this time.
In the past few weeks Childline has heard from children whose parents have lost their jobs and are under growing financial pressure, as well as from young carers struggling to look after their siblings whilst their parents fall sick with Coronavirus symptoms. Childline is also hearing from children who have had suicidal thoughts and talk about feeling trapped and isolated.
Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder of Childline, said:
“The world is an unfamiliar and very frightening place for thousands of children across the UK at the moment. We know that school no longer provides the sanctuary it once did and many young people are having to face unprecedented challenges at home without the vital support networks that normally surround them. Childline is more crucial than ever as a safe way children can reach out for help. We really are, as one volunteer counsellor told me, the fourth emergency service.
Article continues below this advertisement “Now more than ever we must continue to be there for the young people who desperately need us, no matter what. We don’t know what other challenges lie ahead, but we want to be prepared to weather any storm so that we can be there for children. That is why we are urging the public to get behind our very important emergency appeal and donate £10 so that we can provide essential support.”
Peter Wanless, CEO of NSPCC, said:
“At this uncertain time when children’s lives have changed so dramatically the NSPCC needs to be there as a reassuring voice for those worried about their children and for the most vulnerable in our society.
“Sadly, we know that for many children, home isn’t a safe place and they need our Childline counsellors more than ever. This is the greatest challenge we’ve faced in decades and we are calling on the support of the public to help us ensure we can still be here for children.”
Since the introduction of child tax credits, many people who would have thought long and hard about having children due to the costs have had that concern removed.
Thus those who ‘use’ the child tax credits to better life for themselves not their children, have children for the wrong reasons. Not worrying about using free contraception, many children are now born, not ‘really’ wanted, but the free or heavily subsidised rent is, and to be honest, many would not even ‘gain’ a home without having several children to ‘raise their points to score a council property or H.A home.
Add to that the subsidised council tax, once ‘on’ tax credits, free dental care, free prescriptions for all, and you can see that the ‘benefit’ in many cases is sadly better ‘loved’ than the children.
This means many are abused in many ways.
I think such benefits should end, and the minimum wage raised to make work pay, NOT having children that may be unwanted, and soon realising such, they have children of their own at the earliest opportunity as ‘something to love’ but often far to young to cope, and thus the cycle continues for the next generation.
It should never ‘pay’ to have a child, and that is why the lowest, most awful people in society often ‘have the most’ and why society grows ever worse.
Not rocket science. Children don’t need more money, they need love, and the latter doesn’t buy the former.
Those doing ‘all right’ from the system and not wanting the end of the golden goose will clearly not agree, but it is true.
Anyone who abuses children in anyway should be locked up. What’s wrong with these individuals, they can’t be right in the head.
Wake up idiots. There is no virus here.