ChildLine received almost 50,000 calls for help from children and young people in Northern Ireland during Christmas.
The Belfast Telegraph reports: Family relationships, bullying and depression remained the primary concerns of those who contacted the Belfast and Foyle centres.
Esther Rantzen, president of ChildLine, said: “These figures clearly demonstrate how many distressed children depend on ChildLine, especially at times such as Christmas, which is often particularly difficult for vulnerable young people.”
She continued: “ChildLine is a vital lifeline for thousands of young people who desperately need support and advice on suicidal thoughts, self-harm, sexual abuse and mental illness.”
The number of contacts by telephone, email or online chat to ChildLine totalled 48,751 over the 12-day festive period from Christmas Eve and figures showed a 50% increase in the number of counselling contacts on Christmas Day compared with the previous year.
One caller to ChildLine in Belfast said: “My brother is thinking of running away because we get hit by our parents. We get hit randomly – hitting a person for discipline is what my dad does.
“I self-harmed tonight. I hurt myself and I am angry that the marks disappeared – I wanted the marks to stay.”
Across the UK, there was a dramatic increase in depression and mental health-related counselling, which increased by 103% compared with Christmas 2010. Counselling for self-harm and suicide also increased by 62% and 57% respectively. Visits to the ChildLine website increased by 57% last year.