My little Grandaughter age 12 was diagnosed with Anorexia last year , its been a tough year , but she is now eating her meals…
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Get your runners on this Easter weekend for fun, frolics and a family day out!
Fancy a fun day out for the whole family this Easter with face painting, goody bags, music and much, much more? Then make your way to the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire for Childline’s inaugural Family Fun Run on Easter Saturday, March 30.
The day before Easter Sunday is a perfect one for an active get-together with the whole family, whether you fancy a walk, jog or run. The next day you’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge yourself with an Easter Egg or two or three…
The course is a total of just 3km (1.5km out along the pier and then back), and is suitable for everyone, including parents with strollers, small children, teenagers and not forgetting grandparents.
Whether you’re an active family, or you and your family are looking for a way to spend quality time together while giving back to an amazing cause; we have the perfect challenge for the whole family.
To register for the event or find out more, go to Childline Family Fun Run| Fundraising Event Ireland (https://www.idonate.ie/event/childlinefamilyfunrun)
The event takes place between 10am and 12pm on the lower level of the West Pier and it’s open to all combinations of families and all ages, although those under 16 must be accompanied by an older family member.
Once you’ve completed the pier run, you will receive a Childline Family Fun Run Certificate of Completion. Make sure you’ve got space on the fridge!
ISPCC needs to raise over 75% of its funding through donations each year to ensure we can be there to support children and young people 24-hours a day, 365 days of the year. We rely on the generosity of the public and are grateful for all support. We encourage children to reach out for any reason.
My son gets frustrated and finds it hard to make decisions
it is like his brain shuts down. He starts to get super frustrated. He cries. He is unable to make decisions or move on to the next step of the task….
Continue readingWho are our children talking to online, asks ISPCC as it launches new campaign ahead of Safer Internet Day 2024.
ISPCC has developed a new ad campaign alerting parents to the dangers of online grooming in the run up to Safer Internet Day on February 6.
One thing we know for sure is that the online landscape is ever-changing, and that’s a scary prospect for even the most tech-savvy of parents.
We have released a range of helpful articles and videos on our Digital Ready Hub, and Parenting Hub to help equip parents with the tools to teach their children how to stay safe when they’re online while also encouraging them not to fear new technology.
We are also delighted to bring you this FREE webinar series to coincide with Safer Internet Day 2024. These webinars aim to support families and their young people to be safe online.
Register below:
Parents, face your fears, teach your children to be safe online with FREE webinars from ISPCC
January 22, 2024
New year, new you, new evolutions in the online world. One thing we know for sure is that the online landscape is ever-changing, and that’s a scary prospect for even the most tech-savvy of parents.
But ISPCC can help equip you with the tools to teach your children how to stay safe when they’re online while also encouraging them not to fear new technology.
ISPCC parenting lead Siobhan Harvey and Niamh Clarke, Manager of ISPCC Smart Moves programme, are hosting a one-hour webinar designed to help parents to learn more about online safety and to develop the key skills necessary to support their child.
But it is also important to involve your child in learning how to safely navigate online. So the following day, ISPCC is hosting a second, 30-minute webinar aimed at children aged 12 years and over accompanied by a parent.
The aim of this series of webinars is to help parents and carers to recognise ways to interact with your child’s online world and day-to-day experiences and to allow young people to discuss their feelings in a safe space.
Our goal is to encourage parents to reflect on how you might support your child to navigate the online world, as well as implement digital boundaries. We will provide guidance on how parents and young people can deal with cyberbullying and upsetting content online and we will offer practical solutions and tips to help your child stay safe online.
ISPCC’s webinars will provide a non-judgemental place to ask questions, while also offering key take-aways in bite-size, easily digestible chunks.
We at ISPCC know only too well the importance of staying safe online. Children and young people tell us their concerns through our 24/7 Childline listening service, through our therapeutic services and through our Shield Anti-Bullying programme.
We understand that parents, carers and young people are concerned that our increasing reliance on digital technologies are exacerbating feelings of anxiety and depression among our youth, and we’re here to listen and to help.
Webinar details are:
ISPCC reveals that for many children in Ireland Christmas simply did not happen with over 1000 children reaching out to Childline over the Christmas period
Today (December 26th) will be one of busiest days of the year for Childline with data showing a 20% increase in contacts made to Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service for children and young people
Dublin, December 26th, 2023 – Childline, today (St. Stephen’s Day 2023), reveals that 1097 children and young people contacted Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service during Christmas*, representing an almost 20% increase in connections made this year compared with Christmas 2022. The heartbreaking data complied over a three-day Christmas period (December 23rd, 24th and 25th) shows that: Many children did not have Christmas at all this year.
Children and young people are contacting Childline to talk about:
* Neglect
* Bereavement
* Emotional health
* Loneliness
Not every child or young person has the Christmas that they dream of and deserve. For too many, Christmas Day was just another day, nothing special, the same as any other.
Data reveals that today, December 26th, will be one of the busiest days of the year for the staff and volunteers at Childline, as it is expected that over 400 children and young people will reach out to Ireland’s only 24/7/365-days-a-year listening service because of something that has happened to them over Christmas.
ISPCC Chief Executive John Church said: “For too many children and young people, Christmas is sadly just another day. For some, the issues they encounter all year can worsen. It can mean abuse, neglect and loneliness. For others, Christmas can present new worries and concerns. Whatever the reason, they turn to Childline for support and for someone to listen. We are so thankful to all our volunteers who gave their time and continue to do so across the festive period; they leave their own families at Christmas to ensure there is always someone on the other end of the line when a child or young person needs them.”
To support Childline and help keep volunteers listening to children and young people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 2024, please support the Childline Christmas appeal and visit https://donate.ispcc.ie/
*Christmas statistics refer to December 23, December 24 and December 25
Childline by ISPCC reports over 100 contacts made in relation to sexual abuse in past month
- Ireland’s only 24hour listening service for children and young people launches national Christmas appeal as harrowing statistics reveal up to 10 contacts per week from teenagers pertaining to rape
Dublin, November 27th, 2023 – Childline by ISPCC has today launched a national Christmas appeal with heartbreaking statistics that reveal Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service for children and young people receives:
• 120,000 contacts each year of which almost one quarter are classified “level 4” – the most concerning.
• 26 contacts from children and young people in relation to child sexual abuse on a weekly basis.
• 169 contacts about incest to date (November 27th, 2023)
• Weekly Childline by ISPCC receives between five to 10 contacts from teenagers about rape.
This Christmas the team of staff and volunteers at ISPCC will be working hard to address these horrifying statistics. The 24/7 Childline listening service means that there is always someone to listen if a child or young person needs to share their story, during the festive season and all through the year.
Many of the contacts received by the team at ISPCC are heartbreaking. One of our volunteers Ciara* spoke several times to a little girl named Orla* who rang about how scared she was of the monster who came to her bedroom at night.
This monster should have been one of the most trusted people in her life, but nine-year-old Orla was being sexually abused by a member of her family.
Another volunteer Maria* tells of a young caller Jess* who was also being abused at home. Jess had been calling Childline regularly and through talking to our volunteers had built up her courage and determination to protect and save her siblings from her own horrifying experience.
Orla and Jess’s experiences are not rare. According to the CSO Sexual Violence Survey 2022, 41% of respondents, aged 18-24, experienced sexual violence as a child. Of those surveyed, 83% of victims knew the perpetrator.
Mairead McGinn, Director of Fundraising, ISPCC said: “Childline relies heavily on public generosity to help keep us here for every child and young person 24 hours a day. We depend on donations for up to 75% of the funding which keeps us listening 24hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a real difference and helps to ensure that we always provide a listening ear and support to those who need it.”
In addition to our 24/7 Childline service, ISPCC is also playing an active role to help prevent child sexual abuse through a number of proactive initiatives.
“At ISPCC, we know how important technology is as a means of combatting child sexual abuse. We are delighted to be involved in the GroSafe research project with TU Dublin, the aim of which is to develop a technology-enabled solution to build societal resilience to child grooming,” said Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, ISPCC.
She continued: “We are also working with TU Dublin in an End Violence Against Children funded research project to develop a tool that reveals the patterns of adults perpetrating online child sexual abuse and the children who are affected by such violence.”’
To donate this Christmas, go to www.ispcc.ie/christmas-appeal-2023/
*Names have been changed
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Staying safe online: ISPCC offers FREE webinars for parents and their children on World Mental Health Day
October 2023
The online landscape is constantly shifting and evolving and it’s hard for even the most tech savvy among us to keep on top of the latest developments. As a parent, teaching your children how to stay safe when they’re online while also encouraging them not to fear new technology is a very tricky balance. ISPCC can help.
This World Mental Health Day on October 10, ISPCC parenting leads Siobhan Harvey, Niamh Clarke and Victoria Howson are hosting a one-hour webinar designed to help parents of those aged 12 and over to learn more about online safety and to develop the key skills necessary to support their child.
But it is also important to involve your child in learning how to safely navigate online. So two days later, on October 12, ISPCC is hosting a second, 30-minute webinar aimed at children aged 12 years and over accompanied by a parent.
The aim of both webinars is to help both parents and young people to increase their online knowledge and to critically analyse relevant issues. Parents will learn the key skills to support their children, while young people will learn more about how to safely navigate online.
Online safety is a huge area and the thought of it can be daunting, but these webinars will provide a safe, non-judgemental place to ask questions, while also offering key take-aways in bite-size, easily digestible chunks.
We at ISPCC know only too well the importance of staying safe online. Children and young people tell us their concerns through our 24/7 Childline listening service, through our therapeutic services and through our Shield Anti-Bullying programme.
We know what is worrying children and young people in Ireland; we know what is on their minds and we know how to support them.
We understand that parents, teachers and young people are concerned that our increasing reliance on digital technologies are exacerbating feelings of anxiety and depression among our youth, and we’re here to listen and to help.
Webinar details are:
- Parents webinar, Tuesday, October 10, 7pm to 8pm. To register, click here
- Parents and young people webinar, Thursday, October 12, 7pm to 7.30pm.
You can watch back the webinars below:
Making their mark – the tattoo shops teaming up for Childline
Three tattoo shops in Cork are coming together for one day only to support the fabulous work carried out by ISPCC volunteers on our 24/7 Childline listening service.
On Friday, October 13, 2023, Black Poppy, Smiley Dogg and Art Lab will donate 100% of their profits to ISPCC. Customers can choose from flash sheets ranging from €60 to €100, while temporary tattoos are also available, including Childline-related symbols and Friday the 13th effects.
The three shops will be open from 11am to 6pm, and people can donate in each studio when they’re paying for their tattoo. Those who are unable to make the event or want to make an extra donation can go to the Childline idonate page: https://www.idonate.ie/cause/ISPCC
For Dee Byrne of Smiley Dogg Tattoo, teaming up with their supposed rivals was an easy decision. “By uniting with other tattoo studios in the community in support of the Childline fundraiser, we are demonstrating that art, compassion and collective effort can bring about meaningful change,” says Dee.
She adds that Childline’s mission of providing a lifeline for vulnerable children and adolescents resonates deeply with her and her fellow creatives at Smiley Dogg Tattoo, which has two branches in Cork city – at North Main St and Oliver Plunkett Street.
“We hope that by engaging in this fundraiser, we can channel our creative passion into making a difference in these young lives. Each ink stroke will serve as a symbol of optimism and hope, a testament to the resilience of these youngsters and a reminder that art can go beyond visual appearances to positively impact lives.”
Dee’s feelings are echoed by Jacob Stahlecker, co-owner of Black Poppy, which is located on Father Matthew St, who says that the artists at the studio have been committed to giving back to our adopted homes and community since it opened in 2020. He is very happy to support the fundraiser for Childline, a service that provides support for all children and young people, no matter what’s on their mind.
ISPCC needs to raise over 75% of its funding through donations each year to ensure we can be there to support children and young people 24-hours a day, 365 days of the year. We rely on the generosity of the public and are grateful for all support. We encourage children to reach out for any reason.
ISPCC and acclaimed author Katie O’Donoghue team up for FREE webinar on coping with anxiety for primary-school teachers and their students
Anxiety can strike even the youngest among us, and it’s never too early to learn coping strategies. So ISPCC and acclaimed author Katie O’Donoghue are collaborating to present ‘The Little Squirrel Who Worried’, a free workshop for primary-school teachers and their students on September 26.
The one-hour webinar is aimed at children aged between five and eight years of age. ISPCC parenting leads, Siobhan Harvey and Niamh Clarke, will be joined by Katie O’Donoghue, an author, illustrator and art psychotherapist.
The webinar is based on Katie’s debut book ‘The Little Squirrel Who Worried’, the tale of a woodland creature who hasn’t left his nest since last autumn. He needs to gather nuts for the long winter to come but he’s too worried to leave his cosy home.
This well-being workshop combines creative therapeutic activities and storytelling. All that is needed to participate in the webinar are the following:
• Colouring templates, provided by ISPCC
• Sheets of blank paper
• Colouring pens/crayons/markers
• An envelope for each participating child
• Parent information guidance sheet on worry time, provided by ISPCC
This is the latest collaboration between ISPCC and Katie after a successful webinar series earlier this year, which focussed on strengthening resilience and coping with anxiety.
We at ISPCC know what is worrying children and young people in Ireland; we know what is on their minds and we know how to support them.
Participants who register by clicking here will also be in with a chance to win a signed copy of Katie’s latest book The Little Otter Who Tried, which aims to teach children valuable lessons about self-care, resilience and the best ways of asking for help.
Webinar details are:
Tuesday, September 26, 11.30am to 12.30pm
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