Social workers struggle as online abuse cases double

By The Press Association13th February 2015News EnglandChild Abuse, News England, Sexual Abuse

The number of children being counselled through ChildLine about online sexual abuse has more than doubled, according to the charity.

ChildLine said it carried out 2,842 counselling sessions on the matter in 2013-14, a 168% increase from 2012-13.

The findings follow a separate report, carried out by the NSPCC late last year, which found that social workers are struggling to keep pace with emerging types of child sex abuse like sexting and revenge porn.

The ChildLine figures, published in its annual report, also showed an 87% increase in the number of counselling sessions it is giving about online bullying.

But it said that of the top ten concerns that children and young people contact it about, mental health conditions saw the greatest year-on-year growth.

It reported a 34% increase in calls from children with issues including depression, bipolar, hallucinations and delusions, and panic attacks.

It said the rise in mental health issues is closely linked to other problems such as school and education worries, which appeared in the top 10 concerns for the first time following a rise of 13%.

More than half of counselling sessions in relation to school and education problems were about exam stress, a 200% rise on the previous year. Not wanting to disappoint their parents, fear of failure and the general pressures linked to academic achievement were all major themes.

ChildLine founder Dame Esther Rantzen said: “It is clear that a cluster of problems, such as unhappiness in the family home, the increase in self-harm and eating disorders, the unrelenting intrusion of cyber bullying and the pressures at school are having a damaging effect on our children’s mental wellbeing.

“We have seen a huge rise in the number of children suffering from mental health issues, leading to such serious problems as depression, self-harm and most devastatingly, suicidal thoughts.

“We must not only understand how to encourage young people to speak about their unhappiness, and treat these conditions more effectively, but also face up to the reality that far too many of the nation’s children seem to be struggling alone and in despair.

“Those young people I have spoken to tell me that they cannot talk to anyone else, there is nobody in their lives to confide in, except ChildLine. It is crucial that counselling is available for children who need it, and that those who work with young people are alert to the symptoms of depression and isolation.”