CHILDLINE, the telephone support service for children in Ireland, says it received more than 1,000 calls between Christmas Eve and St Stephen's Day.
The service, provided by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), said children were raising concerns over family conflict, mental health and self-harm.
And with families spending a second Christmas affected by the pandemic, many children also expressed concern about Covid-19, be it contracting the virus themselves or losing a loved one to it.
Tensions at home
ISPCC Chief Executive John Church said that while Christmas is perceived as a happy time, that may not be the case for some children.
“While Christmas is often a time of great joy for children and young people, we know from those who turn to Childline that the magic of the season does not reach every child,” he said.
“This year, many children did not wake up to the kind of Christmas Day they had dreamed of.
“Tensions may have come to the surface in their homes, they may have struggled with challenges to their mental and emotional health, or there may have been an empty place at their table due to bereavement.
“Many turned to Childline to tell us how they felt anxious, upset and isolated.”
Generosity
Church praised the efforts of the 100 volunteers who helped man Childline's 24-hour phone lines over the three-day Christmas period, as well as answering online messages and texts.
“No matter what is on the mind of a child or young person on any day or night of the year, Childline is here to listen to them, believe them, support and empower them,” added Church.
“This is made possible with thanks to the exceptional dedication of our Childline volunteers.
“We are hugely grateful to them for their generosity in giving up their time at Christmas to help make sure every child and young person has somewhere they can turn."
Church also thanked the people of Ireland for their support, which enabled the organisation to continue providing services despite fundraising events being hampered by Covid-19.
Childline can be contacted online at Childline.ie, by free text on 50101 or by freephone on 1800 666666.
