Last year, NSPCCs 25-year-old ChildLine launched an online version of its call-centre service.

Children who wanted to get in touch about a range of serious issues could now write an email, send a text, or start a live web chat with a volunteer counsellor.

The launch proved incredibly popular, with 60% of ChildLine’s counselling now taking place online.

ChildLine has been supporting struggling children since 1986 and since then, has spread to 150 countries and helped 2.6 million children.

The charity deals with all issues from parental divorce to abuse, cyber bullying and suicide.

ChildLine has taken care to keep up with the rapidly developing technologies and methods of communication in order to always be available for children who need support.

The NSPCC is keen to invest its energy into developing links with technology experts Genseys and its implementation partner ProtCall One.

Sue Minto, head of ChildLine, said: “By developing our online service we can reach out to more of these very troubled children who are struggling to cope with complex problems that are blighting their lives, and may not have contacted us without this new service.”

Research shows that children are now three times more likely to discuss self-harm through online chat or email as opposed speaking on the telephone.

Many counsellors listed on our directory offer long-distance services, including telephone calls, video calls and email. To contact a counsellor, please follow the link to our search facility.

View and comment on the original Call Centre Clinic article. 

Today sees the launch of Britain’s first ever mental-health clinic designed to treat stalkers.

Contrary to sensationalist crime dramas and horror movies, not all stalkers are raging psychopaths- most are ex boyfriends or girlfriends unable to deal with failed relationships.

According to the British Crime Survey, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men have suffered unwanted attention from a stalker at some point in their lives.

‘Stalking’ includes anything from bombarding someone with texts and calls, to following, approaching or impersonating them with malicious intent.

Stalking is commonly known to lead to terrible violence and in some cases, murder. Researchers found that 3 in 4 women murdered by their former partners had been stalked or harassed beforehand. This crime is referred to, rather chillingly, as ‘murder in slow motion’.

Forensic psychiatrist Frank Farnham believes there are 4 types of stalker.

1. The first kind is known as the ‘rejected and resentful’- these are people who can’t handle a failed relationship and want to reunite with or hurt their ex-partner.

2. The second is known as the ‘incompetent suitors’ who are slightly autistic and may exhibit inappropriate behaviour.

3. The third are referred to as the ‘pathologically infatuated’, who have delusions of love.

4. The fourth is the most severe, known as ‘predatory’. Predatory stalkers tend to have made plans of attack and are often found with ropes and handcuffs.

Dr Farnham is the co-founder of the new clinic that opens today In Haringey, North London. He said: “If we can treat stalkers we can save lives. There is a great need for a co-ordinated national service that can provide specialist advice and treatment.”

There is evidence that offenders with mental health problems can be treated with drugs (such as anti-depressants), cognitive behaviour therapy and social skills training.

The clinic is backed by the police force and the Home Office.

 View and comment on the original Independent article. 

A children’s centre in Leeds that local people feared would have to close because of changes to its parent charity, has received news that major refurbishments will be carried out there.

The NSPCC centre at Bramley in Leeds is set to gain new counselling rooms, with work due to start at the end of the year. Extensions and improvements to existing facilities will then be carried out early next year.

The NSPCC regional head for Yorkshire, Gordon Ratcliffe said, “We are pleased to be maintaining and strengthening the NSPCC’s presence in Leeds, where we will be developing new and innovative services to help the most vulnerable children. Child protection is everyone’s responsibility and we are pleased to have the support of key leaders and politicians in Leeds to help us to develop our work.”

Campaigners who lobbied to keep the children’s centre open included Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves who added, “I am delighted about the expansion of the NSPCC facility in Bramley. It is exciting that pioneering services that help and support the most vulnerable children in our society will be in Bramley.”

Fears for the future of the NSPCC centre in Leeds were raised when it was announced that the Yorkshire base of ChildLine, which is run by the charity, was to close. Calls from young people in need of speaking to trained counsellors were to be transferred to a new internet-based service.

Currently, these calls are handled by volunteers who are based in the The Calls area of Leeds city centre. However, staff will now be asked to offer young people advice through a website, with volunteer counsellors working shifts at the NSPCC’s main Leeds headquarters.

The NSPCC is dedicated to ending cruelty to children in the UK and campaign for changes in law, whilst providing help and support for anyone who has been affected by child abuse.

View the original Yorkshire Post article.

A charity based in the South Yorkshire town of Rotherham has launched a phone line, which is aimed at helping victims of sexual abuse and will allow trained professionals to listen to the psychological problems people suffer from as a result.

The charity specialises in dealing with the issues people suffer from because of rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence or previous child sex abuse.

The Rotherham Women’s Counselling Service has set up a weekly six-hour service, which will enable both male and female victims the opportunity to discuss their issues. The phone line is to be manned by trained counsellors every Thursday from 09:00 to 11:30 and Friday from 12:30 to 15:00.

Rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault can all cause psychological trauma injury and this can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If sustained in childhood and left untreated, the effects can last a lifetime. An adult who sustains these psychological injuries will have them for the remainder of their life if they are not treated.

Statistics from ‘Rape Crisis’ reveal that an estimated 1 in 4 women suffer rape or attempted rape in the UK, with the majority of cases involving someone the victim knows. This figure is far higher than official police statistics would suggest.

The effects of sexual harassment, sexual abuse or rape can have a devastating effect on the life of that person and their families. These can be long lasting and can have a significant impact on how they lead a normal life, both from a social and work perspective.

Business development manager for The Rotherham Women’s Counselling Service, Sandra Moule said, “The idea behind the telephone help line is for people who may be already receiving counselling, for people who are contemplating it or people who are on our waiting list. It will give them the opportunity to speak to someone who understands.”

The phone line has been funded by the Ministry of Justice.

View the original BBC News article.

According to a review published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, maltreatment during childhood doubles the risk of developing long-lasting episodes of depression and also makes patients less likely to respond to treatment.

According to researchers, almost one in 20 individuals in the UK have this kind of depression as a result of childhood abuse.

Experts from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London carried out a review of 16 studies involving more than 23,000 patients in order to see if they could identify any patterns relating to reoccurring depression.

Interestingly what the experts found was that maltreatment during childhood such as rejection from their mother, sexual abuse or harsh physical treatment more than doubled the risk of reoccurring depression.

One of the researchers on the project, Dr Rudolf Uher, said: “If these things happen early in life, it is more powerful.”, a statement which was echoed by the charity Sane who also agreed that the study had highlighted just how damaging trauma during childhood could be.

According to figures from the review, in the UK 16% of individuals will develop persistent depression by the time they reach 33, and a quarter of them (or 4% of the entire population) were maltreated as children.

Though there is no exact explanation as to why maltreated children have a higher risk of developing persistent depression, it is thought to be related to changes in the brain, immune system and hormonal glands which stay with us throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, Majorie Wallace, said: “It may seem obvious that traumatic events in our lives can make us depressed, but this study highlights how particularly damaging such traumas can be when experienced during childhood, when our brains are still developing.”

However, Wallace also stressed that it was important that we should not lose hope as research such as this can point the way towards more effective treatments and preventative measures.

For further information about abuse counselling or counselling for depression, please visit our fact-sheets to find out more.

View the original BBC News article.

A recent study has revealed that mothers-to-be who experience high levels of stress during pregnancy can leave an imprint on their unborn child’s brain.

The study involved asking 25 mothers if they had experienced extreme stress caused by domestic abuse whilst they were pregnant, before an assessment of their emotional level was performed.

The researchers then went on to monitor the behaviour of a specific gene known as the ‘glucocorticoid receptor’ in their children, all of whom were aged between nine and 19.

This gene is involved in the brain’s response to stress, and the researchers discovered it was less active in the brains of the children whose mothers had been abused whilst pregnant than in those whose mothers had a happy pregnancy.

Researcher Helen Gunter from the University of Konstanz highlighted the fact that past studies have shown how children who have abused parents are more prone to depression later on in life. The study they have conducted here has similar results, showing that extreme stress of domestic abuse can also change the way people respond to stress and could result in individuals being unable to deal with it effectively both in the present and in the future.

Gunter stressed that this study is very specific to abuse and the researchers did not look into the effects of everyday stresses such as work commitments. She also pointed out that the study was heavily reliant upon the mother’s memories of abuse after over a decade and it does not prove that abuse towards mothers-to-be results in physical changes to a child’s brain, only that there is a link.

Carmine Pariante, a doctor at the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London, commented: ‘This paper confirms that the early foundation years start at minus nine months. We have known for some time that maternal stress and depression during pregnancy induce a unique response in the offspring, by affecting children’s behaviour well into adolescence and children’s ability to modulate their own stress response.’

‘As we and others have been advocating, addressing maternal stress and depression in pregnancy is a clinically and socially important strategy.’

If you are a victim of emotional or physical abuse then you do not need to suffer in silence. There is a huge number of organisations who are experienced in the field and want to help. If you believe you may be in immediate danger then call the emergency services for assistance, otherwise there are a number of websites and helplines offering assistance.

The National Domestic Violence Helpline offers free 24 hour support on 0808 2000 247 or alternatively you can visit their website at www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk. If you are concerned about children at risk you can contact the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk.

Many individuals who have suffered from abuse also find that counselling and psychotherapy can be of benefit. If you would like to find out more about how abuse counselling could help you, please visit our fact-sheet for further information.

View the original Daily Mail article.

Addiction charities are said to have seen an increase in the number of young people seeking help for ketamine use since mephadrone was made illegal in April 2010.

Ketamine users are usually drawn to the drug for its hallucinogenic effects, which many claim gives them the feeling of being detached from their body. For medical purposes the drug has been used to sedate wounded troops and is still used to anaesthetise children and horses, and it is its anaesthetic properties that make it so dangerous when mixed with alcohol.

Harry Shapiro from Drugscope highlights that thought Ketamine is considered a party drug because it emerged in the 1990s, it isn’t really when you consider its effects. ”Accounts suggest it’s anything but a benign drug, with physical and psychological impacts. It’s an anaesthetic, and people have had accidents while under its effect and not realised they were injured.” He said.

UK charity Addaction has reported a 68 per cent increase in the number of enquiries from teenagers using ketamine in the past year and believes this rise could be related to individuals switching from the previously legal drug mephadrone.

Laurie Yearley from the Buckinghamshire Addaction clinic has said that last year he saw very few people (two or three) each week who were concerned about their ketamine use. However, he is now seeing around six or seven people a week who use ketamine as their main drug.

“People started using ketamine because it was cheap, but then they went on to mephedrone, which was legal,” Yearley said. “But when mephedrone was made illegal they went back to ketamine because they said it was like a milder form of mephedrone, which has pretty harsh side effects.” He said.

Yearley added that ketamine’s low price will also be a factor in its popularity, as does its class C classification which leads many to wrongly assuming it won’t be that bad for you.

However the drug has a plethora of extremely dangerous side effects, from remaining unaware of an injury due to the anaesthetic properties through to blood in urine.

Yearley also expressed concern over heavy users increasing their intake week upon week in a bid to achieve the same effects. “A lot of youngsters are snorting the drug because they think they are down there with the big boys who are doing coke. Part of it is an image thing. But if you start using it a bit on Monday and on Tuesday, your tolerance disappears quickly and by Thursday you need to spend £10 to get the same effect and the following week it’s £20.” He said.

If you are concerned about your drug use and would like information about how counselling can help drug abuse please view our fact sheet. Alternatively, visit our homepage and use the search tool to locate a qualified counsellor in your local area.

View the original Guardian article.

According to government figures, more than 80,000 people in Britain claim incapacity benefits because they are obese, drug addicts or alcoholics.

The Department for Work and Pensions has said that over one quarter of those 80,000 had not been in employment for an entire decade and campaigners have estimated that less than 10 per cent of problem drinkers are receiving any form of help.

There have been various pilot schemes which endeavoured to determine whether individuals were capable of going back to work, but none have been a full proof success and campaigners expressed concerns over whether there was enough support to help people back into work.

As part of overhauling the process, the government has released details of 81,670 people who are claiming incapacity benefit as a result of alcohol, drug and obesity issues.

The figures show that as of last August, 42,360 claimants has an alcohol addiction, 37,480 were drug dependant and 1,800 were obese.

When further broken down the figures revealed that 12,800 alcoholics, 9,200 drug addicts and 600 obese people have been claiming the benefit for over ten years.

Employment minister Chris Grayling has said the problem needs to be addressed.

“It is not fair on anyone for this situation to continue,” he said. “Far from being the safety net it should be, the benefits system has trapped thousands of people in a cycle of addiction and welfare dependency with no prospect of getting back to work.

“All of those are conditions which are treatable, which are able to be overcome if we give people the right support.” He said.

Mr Grayling said that various voluntary and private organisations had agreed to invest £580m in helping to treat addicts and prepare them for employment.

If you are struggling with alcohol addiction or drug abuse , please visit our fact-sheets for further information about how counselling could help.

View the original article.

The bill was introduced last year by MSP Rhoda Grant, and is aimed at increasing justice for victims of domestic violence by enabling police and prosecutors to provide better responses to breached civil protection orders by dealing with them as a criminal offence.

The bill also recommended including a statutory definition of ”domestic abuse” in the legislation, which should be restricted to generally accepted categories of partners and not extended to cover additional family relationships.

Convener Bill Aitken MSP said: “The justice committee recognises the importance of Rhoda Grant’s bill and we have agreed to support the general principles of the bill at stage one.”

If you or someone you know have been affected by domestic violence and you would like to contact a counsellor in confidence then please visit the homepage of this site where you can use the search tool to locate a qualified professional in your local area. If you would like to view our fact-sheet on domestic violence please click here.

View the original article here

Childline Manager, Margie Rose explained that children who contacted the service this year on Christmas day did so for a variety of reasons, but the majority of calls were from children who were experiencing loneliness, isolation, depression and difficulties within their family environment.

The volunteers who make the Childline service possible had said they noticed a theme of financial difficulties and the associated stress throughout 2010.

In addition to this many callers also had issues with their parents or other family members alcohol consumption, with one in 10 young people in Ireland admitting to feeling as though their life is significantly affected by their parents alcohol use.

Caroline O’Sullivan, director of The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said: “Alcohol can have such a profound impact on children in the home and can mean the difference between feeling safe and loved in the home and feeling scared, isolated and embarrassed.”

“For some of the children that we speak to every Christmas, what they want and need is to be happy, to be loved, to feel special and to have a Christmas worth remembering.”

View the original article here