WHAT’S UP WITH WHAT’S UP? - Kiwi Kids Flock to Help Line with their Concerns

January 13, 2001

Four months since opening for business, What’s Up, the free, nationwide telephone counselling service for children and young people, says it is right on target, both in terms of the need for the service and also in terms of what’s bugging Kiwi kids.

Executive Director of the service, Grant Taylor, says some 120,000 children and young people between the age of five and 18 years have called What’s Up since its inception on September 21.

For the most part the concerns they have discussed with What’s Up’s professionally trained counsellors have involved their everyday relationships with peers and family members, while virtually 60% of the calls were made by seven to 12 year olds.

Before What’s Up was established, extensive research was carried out to determine what sort of service would be most relevant. The research identified a need for an early intervention counselling service for children and young people, in particular those aged seven to 12 years, and that their issues would revolve around relationships.

"Based on our first four months of operation, What’s Up is right on target," Mr Taylor said.

In his report to the Board of Directors of the Kids Help Foundation Trust, which operates What’s Up, he said data on caller characteristics and problems was largely in accordance with expectations.

"By far, children and young people are most concerned about issues surrounding relationships with peers and families, including bullying at school – 29% of the calls involved relationships with peers, 22% bullying and 17% with family relationship issues."

Calls regarding the type of crises usually capturing public attention – such as suicide, drug abuse, teenage pregancy, sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and eating disorders – were raised relatively infrequently. He said this is consistent with the service’s aim to provide early intervention with the objective of helping solve issues before they escalated.

He added that such issues are relatively uncommon and young people facing these types of crises are, for the most part, older than What’s Up’s target age group.

During the first months of operation, more girls than boys – about twice as many – called What’s Up, an imbalance Mr Taylor wants to address in the months to come.

He says generally girls are more comfortable talking about their issues and that What’s Up would be looking for ways to communicate to boys that it was also okay for them to air their feelings and seek guidance.

Other data shows the majority of callers were Pakeha, but a large number registered their ethnicity as Maori, with the result What’s Up plans to increase the number of Maori counsellors it employs to ensure their needs are met. At least 13 different ethnic groups have been among What’s Up’s callers. Mr Taylor hopes to recruit counsellors in the future who are able to provide counselling in languages other than English, to assist recent immigrants who may be able to discuss their personal issues better in their first languages.

Mr Taylor said What’s Up has been promoted nationally through schools and in other initiatives, including via a series of television commercials screened by the service’s broadcast partner, TV3.

"By and large, What’s Up has been warmly greeted by teachers and parents who see the service as an extension to the assistance and guidance they provide, and, very importantly, by the children and young people themselves."

"Hi im a yr 8 student and i would just like 2 say that this is such a great idea because theres so many kids these days that have problems and arent up 2 sharing them with others. I think your ad is also very appealling 2 kids its our kind of music and style and its just a great way 2 solve problems. its a great idea and im glad some one put it into action."

What’s Up operates from 12 noon to 12 midnight seven days a week. It is a free telephone counselling service for children and young people aged five to 18 years that espouses child-centered practice. The toll free number is 0800 WHAT’S UP (0800 942 8787). What’s Up is sponsored by Griffin’s, Kellogg’s, New Zealand Dairy Foods and Woolworths.