Childline’s Prestatyn base expecting surge in number of children contacting them this Christmas

The NSPCC is preparing for a surge in the amount of children and young people contacting Childline this Christmas as relationship tensions among families come to a head over the festive period.

Childline figures in the two years between 2013 and 2015 show there has been a significant jump in children and young people reaching out for help, advice and support on Christmas Day (+24%) and Boxing Day (+32%) and the charity is ready if the same thing occurs this year(1).

Counsellors will be working around the clock throughout the festive period making sure someone is there to listen if children and young people need somewhere to turn.

Worries about family relationships topped the list of concerns that children and young people spoke to Childline counsellors about on Christmas Day and Boxing Day last year.

Counsellors at Prestatyn’s Childline base dealt with 8% of contacts from across the UK on Christmas Day last year, while the Cardiff and Prestatyn bases combined dealt with 7% of the 615 contacts made to Childline from children across the UK on Boxing Day 2015.

Christmas can exacerbate the struggles and pressures felt by families over the course of the year, often pushing them to their limits as they spend more time together during the festive period. Many children and young people reported feeling fed-up and worried about their parents arguing, which they told counsellors often stemmed from financial problems or drinking too much alcohol.

Low moods and unhappiness were other major reasons cited for those contacting Childline on December 25th and 26th, with bereavement and anxiety about going back to school also spoken about as reasons for feeling miserable.

Worryingly, some young people admitted to feeling so unhappy they were having panic attacks and even harming themselves.

The most common age group to contact Childline on Christmas Day and Boxing Day are 12-15 year olds.

Across the 12 Days of Christmas (Dec 24-Jan 4) there was an overall increase of 5% in the number of counselling sessions handled by Childline over the last two years, with 8,660 children and young people reaching out for help, support and advice.

Nearly two thirds of the counselling sessions delivered were of a serious nature, meaning that counsellors classified the child or young person as being at serious risk, either from themselves or someone else.

Des Mannion, head of NSPCC Cymru / Wales, said:

“Christmas Day and Boxing Day should be some of the happiest days of the year with families getting the chance to spend quality time together. Sadly a growing number of children and young people face a different reality, with December 25th and 26th bringing them only stress, tension and misery.

“It is important for them to know that Childline does not close for Christmas, with our dedicated volunteers working day and night over the festive period to help any child or young person in need of advice or support, be it online or over the phone.”

Children and young people can contact Childline anytime on 0800 1111 or find support online at www.childline.org.uk