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Following a recent school shooting, the Child and Youth Support Chat operated by the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters (ETKL) has seen an uptick in conversations about anxiety, depression, self-harm, and feelings of insecurity among children and young people. The majority of these young individuals have never before shared their fears or concerns with anyone, highlighting a profound sense of distress and the need for immediate support.
The ETKL’s chat service provides a vital lifeline, offering children and teenagers a chance to receive prompt assistance, with an average wait time of just two minutes. Trained professionals staff the chat, offering guidance and, if necessary, directing the young people to specialized services for dealing with violence.
Topics frequently discussed include difficulties in communicating personal issues with parents, a reluctance to burden them with additional worries, and the challenge of navigating through sudden crises which can trigger personal anxieties or past traumas. This has become especially poignant in light of the recent school shooting in Vantaa, prompting the ETKL to extend chat hours to provide added support during this critical time.
Experts responding to the chat indicate that violence and bullying experienced by young people often go unnoticed, minimized, or unaddressed by adults outside the family circle. Many children and teenagers report experiencing violence that adults dismiss as mere bullying.
In response to the acute crisis, social and health organizations have demonstrated their agility by offering conversation support to both young individuals and adults feeling helpless about the situation. The ETKL has joined this effort, expanding its chat and hotline services to meet the immediate need for assistance.
Secretary-General Riitta Särkelä emphasizes the profound impact parental distress can have on the entire family, affecting children’s mental health, self-esteem, life management, sleep, and overall sense of security. In these tumultuous times, the support provided by 11,000 social and health organizations across Finland becomes all the more critical, with the ETKL’s member associations reaching over 21,691 individuals in need in 2023 alone.
Amid growing signs of distress among children and teenagers, Särkelä calls for a moment of reflection and a serious commitment to addressing these issues head-on. She warns against the short-sightedness of proposed government budget cuts to organizations’ funding, stressing that now is not the time to reduce support for children, teenagers, and families amidst increasing hardship and poverty among families with children.
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
