800,000 Irish Calls To Childline

WindSock · 02-03-2010 01:56PM

No

Hagar · 02-03-2010 01:58PM

How is that achieved? Is it covered by legislation or something? Just curious.

Biggins · 02-03-2010 02:02PM

69 wrote: »

How is that achieved? Is it covered by legislation or something? Just curious.

I'm guessing but I'd say that some sort of agreement has been reached between Childline and the phone services, The latter keeping the actual numbers confidential unless there is a Gardi emergency.
They probably have agreed just to release the actual numeric numbers of calls for privacy sake.

Its just a guess though and could be wrong.

WindSock · 02-03-2010 02:02PM

I don't really know tbh. All I know is that it is a confidential service.

They have also branched out beyond phonecalls to text based services too.

Hagar · 02-03-2010 02:05PM

I just looked at the site and they also have a chat room.
They even have a "Hide me" boss button at the bottom of the screen. Really sad to think of a child needing to use that.

Biggins · 02-03-2010 02:08PM

69 wrote: »

I just looked at the site and they also have a chat room.
They even have a "Hide me" boss button at the bottom of the screen. Really sad to think of a child needing to use that.

I know it would probably only be a small tiny number - the smaller the better - but if broadband services are worse the further we get away from cities, would that mean those that have no access to a phone, would have even lesser chance of getting the help they need by the way mentioned above?

Another darn good reason to get those broadband lines sorted Mr Cowen.

WindSock · 02-03-2010 02:11PM

At the moment the service is accessable from a mobile, landline, payphone and the internet. I think that's pretty accessable. It would be hard to find many kids that don't have access to any of these.

Biggins · 02-03-2010 02:13PM

The more the better as it said.

peanuthead · 02-03-2010 02:15PM

Sasha Many Skull wrote: »

The stats are skewed. Their number is a free phone number open 24 hours a day. I call them when I'm pissed just for something to do.

Okay a bit of a stupid thing to say, but maybe the point being made here is that this happens, like it or not.

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Nice use of an overstretched service...:rolleyes:

It is terrible, but the reality of it is that it happens, so in that way their stats are wrong.

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Why don't you cop yourself on? I volunteer, and the last thing that that service needs is some drunk pr1ck ringing up and taking up time that kids need. I hope you realise for every call you make, you're potentially stopping a young child getting to talk to someone - someone that could get them help from violence, abuse, or talk them out of commiting suicide.

I'm all for humour in AH but that's just complete BS. Hope your conscience rests easy man, mine wouldn't.

True, but its not just drunks that do this, its kids too. I'm ashamed to say that as children we did this. Luckily for us we didn't understand the severity of what we were doing as we had a great childhood. Looking back on this I am so ashamed that we did this as kids, but we did. And I know for a fact that a lot of other kids do the very same thing, just for a laugh and sometimes not realising the consequences of their actions.

And please, none of the BS sweeping statements like "Of course kids know what they are doing"

They know what the service is there for and they don't need it. They don't understand the statistics behind it. Some do, but there are also some that don't see it that way.

peanuthead · 02-03-2010 02:16PM

69 wrote: »

I just looked at the site and they also have a chat room.
They even have a "Hide me" boss button at the bottom of the screen. Really sad to think of a child needing to use that.

And even worse to think that in spite of that button being there some children will still be too terrified to go on it.

Jimmy Bottlehead · 02-03-2010 02:18PM

peanuthead wrote: »

Okay a bit of a stupid thing to say, but maybe the point being made here is that this happens, like it or not.

It is terrible, but the reality of it is that it happens, so in that way their stats are wrong.

True, but its not just drunks that do this, its kids too. I'm ashamed to say that as children we did this. Luckily for us we didn't understand the severity of what we were doing as we had a great childhood. Looking back on this I am so ashamed that we did this as kids, but we did. And I know for a fact that a lot of other kids do the very same thing, just for a laugh and sometimes not realising the consequences of their actions.

And please, none of the BS sweeping statements like "Of course kids know what they are doing"

They know what the service is there for and they don't need it. They don't understand the statistics behind it. Some do, but there are also some that don't see it that way.

Absolutely. But like stated, the kids at least learn that no matter what, the service won't give out to them or hang up. And above all else, at least the kids are entitled to ring that number. Adults aren't. At least with kids there's potential that they'll use the service for its intended use in the future.

dilallio · 02-03-2010 02:22PM

69 wrote: »

That's a logged call every 45 seconds day-in day-out for a whole year. Those stats can't be correct. I don't think Childline can handle that number of calls.
800,000 ? How many children are in the country? If it's the same kids ringing back time after time what's the point in the service?

Edit - I see from the link 300,000 went unanswered so they are not all logged calls

According to the One O Clock news there are 1 million children in the country.
800,000 calls to childline and because of limited resources, they were able to answer 500,000 of those.

Some of those 300,000 were unanswered because some idiots find it funny to call Childline for a prank.

Pittens · 02-03-2010 02:28PM

I never volunteered for this. However my guess is that a lot of children calling childline legitimately would be doing so for reasons related to the life away from their parents - it is their peers who cause most of the problems for kids - bullying, name calling, isolation etc. A child with great parents despised at school is in a much worse situation than a child with mediocre parents love at school.

Or relationships - teenagers make calls too, a lovelorn teenager is not to be sniffed at. That can be real pain.

the initial reaction to this - these kids are abused is wrong.

Also the 800,000 is calls, not children, and seems to incllude the 300K unanswered. Presumably the 300,000 might try call back reducing the number of children calling to 500K, and if a child uses the service more than once - the number if unique users drop again.

What's childlines policy on actual reports of sexual abuse - that should get immediately referred to a social worker I think. I assume it is something like that.

ScumLord · 02-03-2010 02:35PM

Pittens wrote: »

What's childlines policy on actual reports of sexual abuse - that should get immediately referred to a social worker I think. I assume it is something like that.

It's policy is probably to release shock statistics to get media attention. I doubt they would let actual in dept stats outside the organisation.

Crumble Froo · 02-03-2010 02:39PM

interesting thread. i volunteer on a similar phoneline in nz, geared towards people with mental health issues, rather than children, but one trend we've noticed is that people who want to get through, if left with a busy line message, will ring back and ring back every 30-90secs until they get through.

i suspect the same would be true for childline, and as well, that a lot of people will ring daily, or regularly. i know on the line im on, there's certain people whose voices/situations/personalities you come to recognise who sometimes ring up in a panic cos everything's going wrong, others, they're just lonely, others they just ring up and say that everything's going great at the moment!

some of our calls are quite serious - suicide/abuse/violence, but the vast majority, as i'd imagine would also be true for childline, are just about daily things - family, friends, work, school, feeling stressed, belittled, confused, overwhelmed.

as well, i know i called childline a couple of times when i was younger, and i'd say it took 4 or 5 times of getting through and someone answering before i could get beyond saying 'hello' and then freaking out and hanging up again. something else ive experienced a lot on the calls ive gotten on the line i volunteer for here. so the numbers seem huge, but i think, in reality, the amount of children and teenagers using the line are a lot fewer, and probably for less serious reasons than immediately spring to mind when you think of childline.

that was dreadfully rambly, but im pretty sure there's a couple of points hidden in there somewhere....

WindSock · 02-03-2010 02:44PM

Pittens wrote: »

What's childlines policy on actual reports of sexual abuse - that should get immediately referred to a social worker I think. I assume it is something like that.

Only with the childs consent will a case be referred. The child will have to provide their contact details and it will be passed on and looked into.

http://www.childline.ie/FAQs.aspx

Childline are here to listen and talk things through with you to help you work out what you want to do. If you want, we can contact a social worker or the gardai for you, or give you their details to contact them yourself. We can not say that you will get help from a garda or social worker, but can pass on information

CrazyRabbit · 02-03-2010 05:37PM

Biggins wrote: »

I heard this mentioned last night by Vincent Brown on TV3 but waited till there was a link available to back it up. 800,000 Irish calls to Childline made last year - thats absolutely staggering in this day and age.
Holy hell, come on legislators, let start putting the fear of long term prison sentencing back into the scumbags that are out there.

Absolute madness.

Irish Examiner
Read more: Here.

Harsh sentences only deter people who think they will get caught. Criminals don't think they will get caught, so harsh sentences don't work. You just have to look at the 3-strike rule in the US to see that, or certain countries where they cut off your hands for stealing!

Biggins · 02-03-2010 05:41PM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Harsh sentences only deter people who think they will get caught. Criminals don't think they will get caught, so harsh sentences don't work. You just have to look at the 3-strike rule in the US to see that, or certain countries where they cut off your hands for stealing!

I do agree that some criminals don't think they will get caught to some extent (remembering that most slip-up sooner or later) but then if we adopt the 3 strikes rule for such perverted criminals, it might be a good start to keeping them off the streets for ever after?

Richard Noggin · 02-03-2010 05:47PM

The majority of them are pranks I'd say.

Teddy Chips · 02-03-2010 05:58PM

I wonder how many of them calls were from priests.

Biggins · 02-03-2010 06:01PM

Teddy Chips wrote: »

I wonder how many of them calls were from priests.

More like "because of them..."

hitlersson666 · 02-03-2010 06:14PM

Thats because theres people like you out there who crash there skins parties :P

aDeener · 02-03-2010 06:15PM

Biggins wrote: »

I heard this mentioned last night by Vincent Brown on TV3 but waited till there was a link available to back it up. 800,000 Irish calls to Childline made last year - thats absolutely staggering in this day and age.
Holy hell, come on legislators, let start putting the fear of long term prison sentencing back into the scumbags that are out there.

Absolute madness.

Irish Examiner
Read more: Here.

What "day and age" would it not have been staggering in?
IMO such a number would have been far more staggering prior to 1876.......

Diabhal Beag · 02-03-2010 06:30PM

Kiera wrote: »

I wonder how many of them are real (i'm sure it is still quite high) and not some little D4 twit moaning that Daddy didnt get them a car for their sweet 16.

I honestly hope that in this day and age that even a spoiled D4 child understands that their distress is minor compared to somebody who may be contemplating killing themselves.

I wish that groups like Childline would get more funding, they bloody well deserve it.

super_furry · 02-03-2010 06:31PM

I phoned them for help with my homework when I was a kid once because my Mam was too busy making dinner.

CrazyRabbit · 02-03-2010 08:00PM

Biggins wrote: »

I do agree that some criminals don't think they will get caught to some extent (remembering that most slip-up sooner or later) but then if we adopt the 3 strikes rule for such perverted criminals, it might be a good start to keeping them off the streets for ever after?

3 strike rule = bad idea.

Guy has 2 strikes for sex offenses. He knows that on he 3rd offense he gets life in prison. So when he commits further crimes (which is likely for a sex offender), he has every incentive to kill his victims rather than let them live and possibly 'talk'.

Erm....sorry, this may be going off-topic.

Pittens · 02-03-2010 08:37PM

I honestly hope that in this day and age that even a spoiled D4 child understands that their distress is minor compared to somebody who may be contemplating killing themselves.

Even a spoiled kid may be suicicadal I suspect. It all depends on the child. My guess was, and Crumble Foo confirmed this, was that a lot of calls were about normal everyday matters.

But here's the thing. A normal everyday matter can be something that could put some delicate child over the top. It might be that some teenager is suicidal because he didn't get a present, maybe the not getting of the present is more important than the present ( if you know, what I mean). The family might be cold, the lack of the present might be symptomatic of that lack of concern, or love; maybe that is more important for the D4 kid than something which seems more important to the adult mind - like someone calling up because his father is losing his job; however that child's family loves him and he calls because he does not want to talk to his parents, but to a stranger. However he remains mentally strong.

A breakup, or a rejection, seems trivial too but could push a vulnerable 14 year old girl, or guy over the top.

So we dont know.

Pretty sure that ChildLine knows this and treats it all the same.

Kasabian · 02-03-2010 08:40PM

Isn't it all a sad indictment of a country that with a poulation of 4.5 million(?) people a service like childline can receive 800,000 calls in a year , even if only 50% of these calls are genuine it is fcuking disturbing.

I think childline should have a dedicated hit squad and depending on the gravity of the kids situation, a trace should be put on the call and the hit squad sent round to execute the parents. Granted there might be one or two mistakes at first and little Mary may lose her parents because she called and lied about being beaten just to get back at her parents for not buying her the latest Hannah Montana DVD immediately but fcuk it she will learn from her error. The plus side would be that parents will treat their kids better at the fear of being executed and the kids will get rid of the parents they are better off without anyway . Win, win I think.

I know there are holes in my plan but give it a chance to blossom

Biggins · 02-03-2010 08:41PM

lonad wrote: »

...I think childline should have a dedicated hit squad and depending on the gravity of the kids situation, a trace should be put on the call and the hit squad sent round to execute the parents. Granted there might be one or two mistakes at first and little Mary may lose her parents because she called and lied about being beaten just to get back at her parents for not buying her the latest Hannah Montana DVD immediately but fcuk it she will learn from her error. The plus side would be that parents will treat their kids better at the fear of being executed and the kids will get rid of the parents they are better off without anyway . Win, win I think.

I know there are holes in my plan but give it a chance to blossom

You've been reading 1984 haven't you!

Kasabian · 02-03-2010 08:45PM

Biggins wrote: »

You've been reading 1984 haven't you!

Honestly have never read it. I think this country needs more out of the box thinking on these issues.

800,000 Irish Calls To Childline

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