Don't call us: More support is needed for child telephone helplines

Last year, ChildLine – the national telephone helpline for children – celebrated its twentieth year of operation. Since its launch, it has answered 22 million telephone calls and counselled almost two million children on a range of grave problems including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, bullying, self-harm and suicide. ChildLine can rightly be viewed as one of the most important developments in child protection and wider child welfare in the UK in the last two decades.