I think my child is constantly talking to Childline

Hi there,

Thank you for getting in touch. You have said you feel your child is constantly in contact with childline and that you are worried they are saying things that you should know about. It is common to feel worried about what your child may be saying online, and sometimes parents or carers may worry that Childline is only for children who are experience abuse at home. It is important to know that Childline is a free listening service for children and young people and listens to children about anything that is going on for them, acknowledging that sometimes children are just looking to feel heard. It isn’t always a reflection of their being a problem at home.

Childline is open every day and is for all children and young people in Ireland up to and including the age of 18. Children and young people do not need an adult’s consent to chat with or phone us. Childline aim to provide a service where young people can talk at any time in confidence, about anything that might be on your mind, and they won’t judge, or tell a young person what to do.  Childline is there to listen and will help a child or young person to figure out the best options for you. Aiming to empower, support and protect young people. Childline is a completely confidential service, so they don’t have access to identifying information so it would be very difficult to access specific details of who or what is discussed on Childline calls.

Here are some articles that you may find helpful: www.childline.ie/what-happens-when-i-get-in-touch-with-childline-listening/;  www.childline.ie/childlines-24-hour-support-line-and-other-services-explained/

We wonder if there is something in particular that you are worried about and may you are hoping to get support in how to talk to your child about this? You can talk more about this, by contacting ISPCC’s Support Line which can be contacted by email to [email protected] or by phone from Monday to Friday 9am – 1pm on 01 522 4300 

Take care,  

Robyn