This guest blog comes from our Danish member Børns Vilkår, which operates the child helpline BørneTelefonen. The blog builds on insights first shared during a recent webinar organized by Child Helpline International: Supporting Frequent Callers: Lessons Learned from Børns Vilkår.
At BørneTelefonen in Denmark, we’ve long been familiar with the phenomenon of frequent use, a pattern seen across all types of helplines, from child helplines to emergency services. Thanks to generous support from a foundation, we’ve recently been able to dedicate more time and resources to identifying, addressing, and preventing frequent use in our service.
In the past, we referred to “frequent callers” or “frequent users”. We’ve chosen to move away from these terms to emphasize that it’s not the child who is the problem, it’s the behaviour that signals a deeper struggle. Children are not problems; they have problems, and those problems can manifest in ways that challenge us as counsellors.
We now, therefore, define “frequent use” as: “Consistent and repeated inquiries in an attempt to cope with one’s own life, where the pattern of inquiries regarding content, scope and/or timeframe raises concerns about the user’s development and wellbeing.”
We see frequent use as a coping strategy, a way for children and young people to manage difficult life circumstances. It is, in essence, a symptom of underlying vulnerability and distress.
These conversations can be emotionally challenging. The repetition, intensity and frequency can lead to compassion fatigue, a state of emotional exhaustion that affects not only individual counsellors but also teams and entire organizations. That’s why it’s crucial to approach frequent use with a wide lens: one that considers both the needs of the child and the wellbeing of the professionals supporting them.
Compassion fatigue:
- Can affect anyone
- Is never about blame
- Is a sign of powerlessness
- Can be prevented
With our renewed focus on frequent use and compassion fatigue, we aim to create a shared language around these challenges. Working with these cases is an exercise in powerlessness, not in eliminating it, but in learning how to “sit with it” and reduce its impact.
Our Approach at BørneTelefonen
We’ve established a dedicated working group focused on frequent use. Our efforts include:
- Identification and data analysis to better understand patterns
- Early intervention, including the possibility of lifting anonymity (with consent) to involve local support systems
- Dialogue with users, where possible, to co-create a plan that reduces their need to contact us so frequently
- Debriefing and peer support for staff and volunteers after difficult conversations
- Raising awareness of compassion fatigue, and developing strategies to prevent and manage it.
Tips for Other Helplines
If you’re just beginning to address frequent use, here are a few things we’ve found helpful:
- The best cure for compassion fatigue is care, including self-care, but it must be supported by the organization.
- Pay attention to the language you use, and the fact that you have language to talk about this at all.
- Be curious about each other’s conversations.
- Ask for help and share difficult experiences.
- Commit to facing challenges both ethically and professionally.
- Reflect on what the behaviour you encounter –in yourself and others – might be expressing.
Anne Sofie Switzer Jakobsen
Psychologist
Maya Liv Kjær
Child Specialist Consultant
BørneTelefonen, Denmark
