Unheard Voices
Ensuring Every Child Is Heard
Every child has a voice, but not every child has access to a child helpline. Through the Unheard Voices project, Child Helpline International works with partners and governments to support the establishment of child helpline services in countries where they do not yet exist. Today, while more than 130 countries have a national child helpline, […]
Every Second Counts Campaign
Did you know that every five seconds, somewhere in the world, a child helpline telephone is ringing, or a counsellor is opening an email, or a chat room is receiving a message from a child or young person? In 2024 alone there were 12 calls per minute. That’s around 725 calls per hour. That’s roughly […]
Free Our Voices Campaign
Expanding Access to Child Helplines Globally
Every second, a child reaches out to a child helpline for support. Yet too often, these calls go unanswered. Launched in 2014, the Free Our Voices campaign set out to change this, working towards a world where every child who needs help can be heard. This video highlights the campaign’s key achievements and lasting impact. […]
Child Helplines Supporting Children During Global Crises
Marking International Child Helpline Day 2020
This video marks International Child Helpline Day 2020, recognising the vital role of child helplines in supporting children and young people around the world. At a time of global uncertainty, child helplines continued to provide accessible, confidential support to children facing a wide range of challenges. From emotional distress to experiences of violence, these services […]
Leveraging Child Helplines Data
Case Study from Child Helpline in Burundi, Yaga Ndakumva
This video features insights from Yaga Ndakumva, the child helpline in Burundi, on how helpline data can be used to better understand and respond to children’s needs. Developed as part of the 2021 initiative “Coordination of Field Support to Child Helplines during COVID-19”, implemented by Child Helpline International in collaboration with Child Protection Area of […]
Every Call Matters: Why Child Helplines Are Critical for Protecting Children
This week in Geneva, Child Helpline International (CHI) co-hosted a side event at the UN Human Rights Council with the Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations in Geneva, exploring a question that sits at the heart of our work: how can we strengthen child protection systems so that every child who reaches out for help receives a timely, […]
Preventing Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Africa: What Works?
Strengthening Child Protection Through Awareness Raising and Stakeholder Engagement
Across Eastern and Southern Africa, child helplines are strengthening national responses to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) through community-driven awareness campaigns and coordinated stakeholder engagement. The new Voice Up Africa! Best Practices Report documents practical insights, impact and lessons learned from seven national child helplines working to prevent and respond to OCSEA. The report […]
JUST LISTEN officially launches in Lisbon
On 3–4 February 2026, Laura and I travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, to attend the kick-off meeting of the JUST LISTEN – Justice Professionals Listening to and Engaging Safely with Traumatized and Exploited Children, a project co-funded by the European Union under the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Hosted by NOVA School of Law, the two-day meeting marked the […]
The Role of Child Helplines in Ending Domestic Violence Against Children in the EU
Position Paper and Child Helpline Data – December 2025 Domestic violence remains one of the most persistent and under-detected forms of violence affecting children across the European Union (EU). This report brings together annual data submitted by child helplines and findings from a dedicated consultation with child helplines from 16 EU Member States. Every year, thousands of children […]
Recommendations for Strengthening EU Action to Protect Children from Violence
Data-Driven Findings to Inform EU Efforts on Prevention, Detection and Support
Violence remains one of the most common reasons why children and young people contact child helplines. Between 2020 and 2024, child helplines across Europe recorded 1.3 million violence-related counselling contacts, including nearly 80,000 bullying-related contacts in 2024 alone. Technology-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation (TF-CSEA) is also rising, with 10,107 contacts in 2024, up from […]