ChildLine Founder Esther Rantzen
The NSPCC has revealed that ChildLine, the charity’s 24 hour confidential helpline, has counselled more children for sexual abuse last year than at any other time in its 22-year history.
Figures from 2007/08 show that 13,237 children were counselled by ChildLine for sexual abuse, a 53% rise - and of the 13,237 calls, 465 were from children aged just seven or under, and nearly 6,000 called about rape.
The NSPCC believes that no cry for help should be unanswered and is calling on the public to support its "Child’s Voice Appeal" so that it can expand the ChildLine service and answer even more calls.
The NSPCC says more children now understand what sexual abuse is and are encouraged to speak out, whereas before many were reluctant to ask for help. However, ChildLine is currently unable to answer every call it receives.
Many children who reach out are having their cries of help unanswered as ChildLine is still only able to answer two-thirds of the 2.3million calls it receives every year. So in response, the NSPCC is urgently calling on the public to donate to their Child’s Voice Appeal, a three-year £50m fundraising campaign launched last year. This is needed in addition to £30m already pledged by the UK government.