What is a child helpline?

Working with Relaf in
The Americas and The Caribbean:
child helplines and their role promoting children’s rights
RELAF SEMINAR 2010
Nenita La Rose
Executive Director CHI
Magdalena Aguilar
Programme Manager for
the Americas and Caribbean
Saturday 4 September 2010
Case Study
What you are telling is very severe! Your mother should trust
you and help you. Is she at home right now?
Yes, and my brother is also at home
Please stay where you are. I will contact someone who I trust
to come to your house if you want to. This person can help
you and your family with this. This person can bring you to
a save place. Do you want me to send someone?
I’m not sure. But I do not want this to continue. Are you sure I
can trust that person?
Yes, very sure
In that case, yes, please send someone. I want to end this. I
no longer want to suffer like this.
Child Helplines
HELPING CHILDREN TO HELP THEMSELVES
Empowering children to take
action on their own behalf
Sri Lanka – Happy Sad Boxes
What is a child helpline?
A child helpline is a phone and outreach service for
children:
1.Easy to Access toll-free, nationally accessible, easy to
remember
3 or 4 digit number
2. Focus on child rights, including child participation
3. Links children to resources and emergency assistance
4. Different methods of communication – phone, online,
boxes, post, caravans, radio, etc
Operations of a child helpline
Operations of a child helpline
Methods of communication
Telephone
contacts
In-person contacts
Web-based
contacts
Other
contacts
Call/contact
response strategies
Enabling,
Counselling,
Referral and
intervention
Outreach and
awareness
Raising
awareness
about the
helpline
Outreach in
schools,
communities, on
streets etc.
Child Helpline International (CHI)
Child Helpline International
Child Helpline International is the
global member network of child
helplines
Child Helpline International (CHI)
CHI’s mission
To respond to
children in need of
care and protection
and voice their
concerns to policy
and decisionmakers
Child Helpline International (CHI
• Child Helpline International has three
main tasks:
– Build new child helplines
– Provide quality standards and training to
child helplines to improve their services
– Advocate on behalf of children at all levels
(national, regional and international
CHI’s network
• The network continues to grow…
– September 2003: 47 child helplines
– August 2010: 109 full members and 29 associate members
– August 2010: 24 full members and 7 associate members
in the Americas and Caribbean
Child Helpline International (CHI)
International reports, statements and Memoranda of
Understanding
-
United Nations Violence Against Children Study (UNVAC)
World Summit on the Information Society, Tunis Agenda
World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and
Adolescents: Rio Declaration
Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against
Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
Convention on the Rights of the Child Committee: Concluding
Observations
League of Arab States (LAS)
Telecom Sans Frontieres
Relaf
CHI and Relaf
• MoU Relaf- CHI signed in November2009
“The objetive is to carry out activities that will
enable CHI and Relaf to fultil the objectives as
set forth in each oragnisation’s respective
mission statements. Of special importance to
both organisation’s is the promotion of the right
to community- and family- based care in the
Americas and Caribbean, as well as the right of
children and youth to be heard and their
opinion being heard and considered”.
CHI in the Americas and Caribbean
Country
Child Helpline
Antigua and Barbuda
Friends Hotline
Argentina
Línea 102
Aruba
Telefon Pa Hubentud
Brazil
Alo123!
Canada
Kids Help Phone
Chile
Fono Infancia
Colombia
Corpolatin
Costa Rica
Línea Cuenta Conmigo
Curacao
Kindersbersrming Curacao
Dominican Republic
INDESUI
Mexico
Casa Alianza
Paraguay
Fono Ayuda
Peru
Fundación Anar
Saint Martin
Positive Connection
Suriname
KJT 123
Trinidad and Tobago
ChildLine
United States
Boys Town, California Youth Crisis Line,
Child Abuse Hotline, Covenant Houseline,
National Runaway Swithboard, Stop it Now!,
2nd Floor
Uruguay
Línea Azul
Full
members
Fu
CHI in the Americas and Caribbean
Associate members
Country
Organisation
Bolivia
Educatic
Brazil
Safernet
Ecuador
Consejo Nacional de Niños, Niñas y
Adolescentes
El Salvador
Teléfono Amigo
Guatemala
Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos
Jamaica
Friends Hotline
Panamá
Tú Línea 147
Total number of
members in the region
• 24 full members
• 7 associate members
Keeping children safe from abuse
• Children contact child
helplines for problems big and
small.
• In 2009, child helplines around
the world had more than 14
million contacts with children.
• Results are compiled and
analysed in an annual
publication called:
“Connecting to Children”
• Abuse and violence
consistently are among the
most common reasons for
contact
Abuse and violence
Subcategories
Americas and
Caribbean (2009
data)
no.
Bullying
67.734
Physical
36.990
Sexual
204.294
Emotional
181.492
Neglect
56.442
Domestic violence
54.142
Witness to violence
201.727
Total subcategories
833.242
Connecting to Children: 2009 data on
family related issues
Family relationships: reasons why children contact child
helplines in the Americas and Caribbean (2009)
Reasons for contacts
Adoption issues
Bereavement
Child custody and access
Divorced/separated parents/parents in conflict
Maintenance and child support
New family/blended family
Parent/child relationships
Parents with addiction and/or mental health problems
Sibling relationship
Unspecified and other
TOTAL
2009
5.467
8.579
51.583
43.453
41.703
790
146.154
16.436
43.363
46.877
404.405
¡MUCHAS GRACIAS POR SU ATENCION!
¡Muito obrigado!
Nenita La Rose, CHI
nenita@childhelplineinternational.org
Magdalena Aguilar
magdalena@childhelplineinternational.org