24 Hour Crisisline
24 hour Crisis Line
The Childline service was started in 1986 in Kwazulu-Natal in response to the very high levels of child sexual abuse in South Africa. Provincial offices were developed and in 2003 the Mpumalanga office was launched and affiliated with Childline South Africa, becoming Childline Mpumalanga.
Childline Crisisline is a 24-hour toll free helpline for children and their families who have been victims of violence. The 24-hour toll free telephone line serves as the initial point of intake where social work related matters are reported. All incoming calls are screened and assessed to determine the need for immediate assistance or telephone counselling. The 24-hour national telephone counselling service is available to children up to 21 years of age, as well as adults with concerns about children. Telephone calls are routed to the Childline office closest to the caller, where trained counsellors are available to provide assistance. Calls to the Crisis Line are free from South African telephone networks e.g. Telkom, Vodacom, CellC, and MTN. On average 8000 – 10 000 calls are received per year, evidence of the sincere need for this service.
Counsellors are trained to deal with a wide variety of issues. Services to the crisisline are also routed via facebook and WhatsApp. Assistance can be given in areas of:
- crisis intervention
- facilitation of child protection
- a referral and advisory service
- counselling
- Trained counsellors deliver support, information and suitable mediation for cases such as:
- the physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect of children;
- adult survivors of abuse;
- perpetrators of abuse and sexual offenders;
- trafficking, abduction and commercial sexual exploitation of young boys and girls;
- exposure and witness to domestic and criminal violence;
- internet pornography;
- sexuality and gender discrimination;
- poverty, homelessness, begging and referrals for social grants;
- behavioral problems;
- family relationships and parenting skills;
- health e.g. depression and suicide; substance abuse; HIV/AIDS,
- child-headed households and bereavement;
- foreign nationals and refugee children.
Childline Mpumalanga also aims to empower vulnerable children and families through awareness programmes. We aim to encourage families to develop resilience, accept responsibility and to be involved in matters of child abuse.