Childhelp offers aid to schools

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 20

Childhelp offers aid to schools

Childhelp Line has approached 95 Christchurch schools to help make children more aware of the new telephone counselling service, but results have been disappointing. The response from the schools has been slow, only three having replied to the organisation’s efforts to distribute pamphlets and hold a painting competition. Childhelp Line is an offshoot of Parentline, which is run by the Co-ordinating Organisation for Parent Education. The president of C.0.P.E., Mrs Anne Marshall, has said that the service needed to

make more direct contact with children and young people. After eight days of operation, Childhelp Line received 19 calls, mainly from concerned adults, but one from a young person. The calls included two alcohol-related cases, one of sexual abuse, two cases of Teen-agers unable to relate to family or friends, several incidents of abuse and neglect, and two persons asked for counsellors to call at their homes to talk to their children. "Once the children are aware of the telephone number, 66-944, and that they and other concerned people can trust us, the calls will increase and more supportive help can be offered,” said Mrs Marshall. The service was not there to separate families or worsen teacher-pupil relationships but to help build bridges between adults and children and between children themselves, she said. “We know many teachers spend a lot of time in counselling sitpations because they are caring people. We would like to think we are lightening their workload."