Help is out there for abused children

31 August 2007

Children experiencing abuse in New Zealand are turning to helplines for support.

During 2006, national helpline 0800WHATSUP answered 259 calls from children and young people concerned about abuse. It has dealt with 2,026 of these calls since the freephone opened in September 2001.

The kinds of abuse reported include emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Young people who have abused other children or young people seeking help to stop their behaviour also call. Sexual and physical abuse are the most common types of abuse reported.

“Children who are being abused are in a particularly vulnerable situation,” said 0800WHATSUP Executive Director Grant Taylor.

“The adults who are most important in their lives are hurting them. Child helplines offer an important means for them to easily access help from someone they can trust and who will take responsibility for procuring their safety”, he added.

The *2006 United Nations World Report On Violence Against Children specifically recommended that states should support “… helplines through which children can report violence, speak to a trained counsellor in confidence and ask for support and advice . . .” (Pinheiro, 2006).

Children are subject to violence from other children, too. During the twelve months ended 31st July 2007, 86% of the 3,201 calls about violence answered at 0800WHATSUP concerned bullying.

The most common age of callers about bullying was 11 years and more than a third were talking about frequent or continual attacks.

What’s Up counsellors provide support to callers, who are often very distressed and bewildered by what they have seen or suffered. The callers often feel helpless, hopeless and alone. Many report that others have done little or nothing to help them deal with the problem - witnesses to bullying who just stand and watch, teachers who take no action, parents who take a “harden up” attitude.

The counsellors help the child talk about what has happened from his or her own point of view. They help the child make sense of his or her reactions to these events and together, they work out ways for the child to deal with these reactions. They provide information about their legal and humanitarian rights and connect them with agencies that can be of assistance in addressing an ongoing problem. In cases where the caller or others are at risk of imminent harm, What’s Up will make an urgent referral to an appropriate agency to ensure that safety is maintained.
Many community and government initiatives are at foot to stem the tide of violence in New Zealand. Until our country is a safe place for all children, 0800 WHATSUP will continue to offer information, support, and guidance to children and young people exposed to its damaging effects.