www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12346...phone-ChildLine.html

Childline is a crucial charity who provide a service to unhappy children - unlike the Police they are not judgemental or trying to hit targets. They are there to listen.

This is a very harrowing article - worth a read - and there is a chance to donate as well to the Femail Christmas Appeal for Childline.

I admire what Esther R has done by founding this Charity. Children deserve the right to grow up happy and with no fear. In addition Childline has never interfered in "politics" and has never "allied" itself with the POLICE ( most people ( Like Esther ) dont believe the courts are the right place for children to be put after such traumatic experiences. Her article also shows the reality of abuse is usually taking place within the family - which CRB checks etc will never stop.......

I think childline was created with misguided intentions by very naive people with such opinions as "children never lie about being abused'. I remember the launch on BBC TV with so many celebrities, including Rolf Harris, lining up to get in on the action. The downside is that it has handed a lot of power to children who use the threat of contacting childline as leverage in getting what they want.

I prefer to donate to Save the Children than to such a dodgy set up as childlibe.

as I think I may have mentioned here before, a friend of mine told me she was mightily unimpressed with Esther Rantzen when they held a function to celebrate the launch of Childline.

My friend is a survivor of multiple abuse as a child, but when she told Ms R of her history, apparently all the latter was interested in was "so how are your parents?"

This is third hand so I cannot verify it but I do trust my friend and she was not impressed.

These things may be true - but I know of several children who have been "saved" by Childline - and know that thousands call the service - and receive help. That has to be a positive thing. Celebrities can be very disappointing in the flesh - as many of us know !!

Francis D wrote:
I think childline was created with misguided intentions by very naive people with such opinions as "children never lie about being abused'. I remember the launch on BBC TV with so many celebrities, including Rolf Harris, lining up to get in on the action. The downside is that it has handed a lot of power to children who use the threat of contacting childline as leverage in getting what they want.

I prefer to donate to Save the Children than to such a dodgy set up as childlibe.

I suppose the should just close it down then because of a small minority? Children with a voice a bad thing? Don't think so. Idiot.

I think I'm with Francis on this one. I don't think it's only a small minority of children who use childline as a blackmail tool, although it's probably only a very few who use the sexual abuse angle. We live in a generation where children threaten to 'divorce' their parents, and have the legal right to try and do so, if they don't get what they want. No surprise that the less drastic measure of threatening to call childline is used more often. The intentions behind it may have been good, but I think it wasn't properly thought through and some of the people behind it had virtually no experience. For every serious call from a genuinely abused child there will be many from kids complaining about bed time or not being bought the latest games console.

When we had proper communities where neighbours watched out for each others kids as a part of everyday life, there was no need for something like childline. If something was amiss it was noticed by one or more of the people in their lives. Kids have always had a voice, and there has always been people prepared to listen to that voice.

Angel, it's such a pity you can't debate without resorting to the word "idiot".

Emma Bee wrote:


Angel, it's such a pity you can't debate without resorting to the word "idiot".

Emma, its a subject close to my heart. Referring to Childline as a "dodgy set up" is idiotic to me. No profanities just an opinion dear.

I absolutely approve of the concept of Childline and the motives of those who started it but, like many things... "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions".

Although everything in life can be mis-used CHILDLINE is there for the kids of parents who just dont care.

If any of you have walked around the "feral" estates in London or any other City you will see "parentless" kids.
For many of these kids they might ONLY have Childline as a last resort for many issues.

Telling the Police about problems in your life leads to worse grief - telling Social Services leads to a life in Foster Care and potentially abuse by the "elite" who prey on foster kids with no voice ( Read Icke and others about this )

Childline is a force for good. I have no doubt about that.

There is nothing wrong in listening to a child - even if they are making up a story. Every story needs evidence and should be checked out. Therefore, in the "olde" days before the POLICE accused everyone of being a terrorist and a paedo - people would look at the evidence before judging a situation.

Of course institutions work together to "cover up" abuse. Social services and the Police and the Catholic Church have been responsible for this many times to cover their own abuses.

Childline has no agenda like these institutions. It is a Charity and so although it is not perfect - how would people suggest it could be improved.

It is easy to KNOCK others - but we should provide ideas and solutions on here - this is a very intelligent forum. A very open minded and caring set of posters - able to see all sides. I cant see how it can be improved as a service - it ticks all boxes for me. But perhaps others on here can suggest how it could be improved......

Excellent post BR.

I think you expressed it well JK.

I don't really know enough about Childline and I reserve my opinion on Esther..she is probably well intentioned ..but

There is a similar woman in Oz-Hetty Johnson who is a real rabble rouser and sees "pedos behind every bush". She has caused endless anounts of trouble including the whole farce behind the photographer Bill Henson (with works in the Tate)who did some terific pics of 14 year old boys and girls just on the outset of puberty.

Hetty proclaimed them porn and all hell broke loose with the PM caling the pics "revolting" whilst the Opposition leader said he had Henson works on his walls.

However in person Hetty is a wonderfully nice person and ..well intentioned.

I note though she has just lost her government funding.

I prefer to give any money I can to a French doctor who runs an orphange in Thailand for abandoned kids with AIDs..he won't accept any government funding and has devoted nearly 30 years to the cause..the locals think he is a Buddha.