Kids Helpline is reminding Australians that we can all play a part in promoting safety and wellbeing among children and young people.
Kids Helpline is a service of charity and service provider yourtown.
Yourtown chief executive Tracy Adams said that this year’s child protection week theme of ‘every conversation matters’ resonates strongly with all that Kids Helpline stands for.
“It’s hard for children and young people to lead happy lives if they are not safe,” Ms Adams said.
“Current data has revealed that children and young people are contacting Kids Helpline in increasing numbers relating to child abuse as a common topic when reaching out to Kids Helpline counsellors. Up from one in 15 in 2022–23 to one in 14 in 2023–24,” she said.
She said that child abuse was the topic raised by 4,924 contacts to Kids Helpline counsellors in 2023-24, and that this represented 7% of all Kids Helpline contacts over the twelve-month period.
This translated to 1 in 14 contacts raising child abuse as a concern when connecting with a counsellor.
She also said that a large proportion of emergency or crisis interventions by the organisation’s counsellors related to child abuse, representing 30% of all 4,047 emergency interventions in 2023-24.
An emergency intervention occurs when a counsellor engages with an external service (e.g. police or ambulance) to assist children and young people who experienced harm from child abuse or who they believed were at risk of child abuse harm, over the same twelve-month period.
“We need to acknowledge the courage that is shown by children and young people who reach out for support for themselves and for others … our counsellors play a critical role in ensuring that support can be found when other services are closed or at capacity,” Ms Adams said.
“If we are to leave no child behind, then every opportunity must be taken to ensure the conversations about child protection is something that happens every day, and not just during Child Protection Week.”
Details: kidshelpline.com.au/child-protection-week
