Articles
Surge In Boys Calling ChildLine
Press Releases: 27th July 2009
A new NSPCC report today (Mon 27 July) shows ChildLine counselled a record 58,311 boys last year, more than double the number five years ago.
The report - What Boys Talk About to ChildLine - found bullying was the top problem, with 12,568 boys calling about it in 2007/08. The report also reveals that 6,403 boys rang about physical abuse and 4,780 about sexual abuse with 1,803 saying they had been raped.
Other key findings show:
- Those calling ChildLine about feeling lonely, sad and isolated has increased five-fold from 334 five years ago to 1,817.
- Over 6000 rang about serious emotional stress within the family. The number calling about sexuality has increased more than three fold from five years ago to 3,510.
- There were 5,362 calls concerning the facts of life (1) - also three times the figure five years ago.
Those boys who called ChildLine about sexual or physical abuse most commonly named a parent as the perpetrator (2) .
ChildLine gets more calls from girls but the trend is beginning to change with one in three now coming from boys compared with just 20 per cent five years ago. This improvement is to be welcomed but more needs to be done.
One 14- year -old boy who called said: "My dad hits me with a belt as punishment. This happens once or twice a month and leaves marks for days."
And a 17- year- old told ChildLine: "I was sexually abused by a relative when I was a child. I have very vivid memories of being raped. I still feel angry that it ever happened."
Another boy aged 15 explained to counsellors: "Boys at school strangle, punch and kick me, I feel lonely and angry with the teachers who seem to do nothing and I feel suicidal. I've never told anyone before."
Head of ChildLine Sue Minto said: "Desperate boys call ChildLine because they feel they have no one to turn to. It's heartbreaking to hear their stories of rape and violent beatings, often by their parents. They sometimes suffer in silence for months before they tell anyone. By the time they call us they can be suicidal
"There's still the stigma that boys don't cry but it may be there's no longer so much pressure to be macho. Our counsellors are trained to help boys express their emotions - we want to encourage more of them to speak out about their abuse."
ChildLine counsellor Alex Gray said: "Sometimes, you have to work hard to get boys to talk about what's really troubling them. But once they do they're surprised that someone's there listening to them."
Sue Minto added: "Not all the boys tell us whether they have spoken out about their problems before. But for nearly half of those who did it was the first time they were speaking out. We strongly urge boys who are struggling with their problems to call us on 0800 1111.
"Since ChildLine joined with the NSPCC in 2006 the helpline has been expanded and answers more calls from children and young people than ever before. Even so ChildLine is still unable to answer one in three calls but boys and girls need us more than ever and we urgently need public support to help save young lives and to be there for more children."
In response, the NSPCC is urgently calling on the public to donate to its Child's Voice Appeal. The charity needs to raise an extra £50 million over the next three years, in addition to £30 million already pledged by the UK Government so ChildLine can try to answer every call for help.
Ends
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