By REBECCA TORR
Published: 14 September 2006
AN emergency helpline for children aged, six to 18, is to be launched in Bahrain at the beginning of November.
The toll-free helpline, which is the first of its kind in the country, aims to provide children and young people with someone to talk to if they are in distress, victims of abuse, or facing other problems.
Trained experts will then be able to offer advice concerning abuse, bullying, or about difficulties in the family.
The initiative comes from the Batelco Centre for Family Violence Victims, which opened in June last year, headed by Dr Banna Bu Zaboon.
By REBECCA TORR
Published: 14 September 2006
AN emergency helpline for children aged, six to 18, is to be launched in Bahrain at the beginning of November.
The toll-free helpline, which is the first of its kind in the country, aims to provide children and young people with someone to talk to if they are in distress, victims of abuse, or facing other problems.
Trained experts will then be able to offer advice concerning abuse, bullying, or about difficulties in the family.
The initiative comes from the Batelco Centre for Family Violence Victims, which opened in June last year, headed by Dr Banna Bu Zaboon.
The clinical psychologist said those calling the helpline could be children themselves, concerned adults or individuals like paediatricians and school teachers contacting the helpline for a child in need of care and protection.
The helpline is an anonymous and confidential initiative protecting all individuals in need of the facility. Dr Bu Zaboon said the centre had approached Batelco to sponsor the helpline and salaries of its staff, and chairman Hassan Ali Juma had agreed to back the project one hundred per cent.
“We have agreed that it will be called the Batelco Children’s Helpline and Batelco has promised to give us a number that’s easy for children to remember,” said centre president Dr Bu Zaboon.
“It will be a pilot helpline at first and manned for about four to five hours every day.
“We are members of the Children Helpline International and they will come and evaluate the helpline.” Dr Bu Zaboon said so many children were in need of information to guide them through problems of bullying, peer pressure and stress associated with academic work.
Others who were victims of sexual, emotional, physical and psychological abuse vitally needed somewhere to turn where they could receive advice and help, she said.
“Many feel they can’t tell their teachers, or parents, but the helpline experts can give them guidelines, have them come to the centre, or call parents if they agree to and it will be a big relief for them to speak about it,” Dr Bu Zaboon told the GDN.
To gain a better understanding of the problems experienced by children in Bahrain, the centre is conducting a study in private and government schools across the country.
Around 2,000 to 3,000 children, aged six to 18, are being targeted with a questionnaire, which seeks to find out information regarding their emotions, problems and willingness to seek advice.
Questionnaires are also being distributed to teachers, concerned adults, ministries and health centres in order to obtain further information about the kinds of problems being faced by children. Schools to participate so far include the Al Majd Private School, Al Eman Girls’ School and Shaikha Hessa Girls’ School.
“Each child experiences different types of suffering, especially as they move from a child to an adolescent and they need guidance and people they can trust to talk to,” explained Dr Bu Zaboon. “The parent and child relationship conflict is the main problem we see at the centre, especially among teenagers, so both the parents and child need help.
“I think the helpline will have a very positive response.” Dr Bu Zaboon will be giving a paper about the Bahrain helpline at the children Helpline International Consultation 2006 to be held in Stockholm, Sweden from October 1 to 4.
At the consultation they will discuss children and violence, reaching out to children, and Children Helpline International and helpline strategies.
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