BRIS Report Calls made to BRIS helplines 1999

Published in March 2000

BRIS

Children's Rights in Society

Contents Summary

Children's Rights in Society (BRIS) Report

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More calls from children than ever before 4 200,000 attempts to contact the Children's Helpline 4 Survey of abusers for fourth year in succession 5 The BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children 6

Calls from children and young people

Calls made in 1999 to the Children's Helpline and to the BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children

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Number of calls from children 1991-99, FIG. 1 7 Number of calls from children per month, FIG. 2 8 Nature of the calls 9 Calls to BRIS from children and young people related primarily to: 10 Problem categories in children's calls, FIG. 3 10 Perpetrators of sexual abuse cited in calls from children, FIG. 4 14 Perpetrators of physical abuse/neglect cited in calls from children, FIG. 5 16 Who called the Children's Helpline? 19 Age of children cited in calls from children, FIG. 6 19 Do boys and girls have the same problems? 19 What are the environments in which problems occur? 20 Breakdown of problem environments in calls from children, FIG. 7 20 How are problems affected by age and environment? 20 Family patterns and problem categories 21 Domestic circumstances of children callers, FIG. 8 21 Children in care 22 BRIS referrals 22 Breakdown of BRIS referrals 23 Referrals of calls from children TABLE A 23 Managing assignments 23 Other calls Breakdown of calls to the Children's Helpline, FIG. 9 24 Other calls: state of mind of the children, FIG. 10 26 Breakdown of total call durations, FIG. 11 27

Calls from adults about children

For every call made to BRIS' helplines where sufficient information is available, a statistical record is made based on different criteria for calls from children and adults. No personal details are recorded, but the forms used contain information such as the children's sex and age, where they live, their domestic circumstances and the views they expressed in the call. Information relating to abusers, important contacts for the child, the length of the call, the reference and the date and name of the person who took the call are also recorded. Information from these forms is collected together and presented in the annual BRIS report.

Children's Rights in Society (BRIS) Gunnar Sandelin, Press Secretary Peter Irgens, Development Secretary March 2000

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Profiles of adult callers 28 Callers' relationships to the children cited in the calls, FIG. 12 28 Age of children cited in calls from adults, FIG. 13 29 What do adults call about with regard to children? 29 Problem categories in calls from adults, FIG. 14 29 Breakdown of BRIS referrals of calls from adults 33 Referrals, etc. of calls from adults TABLE B 33

Conclusion

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Text:

Gunnar Sandelin

Research:

Peter Irgens

Photography:

Martin and Karin Nauclér

Layout:

Rolf A Olsson

Printing:

Ålands Tryckeriet

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Summary More calls from children than ever before

In 1999 a total of 14,341 calls from children and young people to the BRIS Children's Helpline were statistically recorded, the highest annual total to date. Compared to 1998 this was a 12 per cent increase in the number of calls. During the 1990s the number of calls to the BRIS helpline, Sweden's largest specialist helpline for children and young people, has increased tenfold. Following two years in which there was a marginal decrease, the number of calls from children has increased dramatically over the past two years. The major increase in the number of calls over the past decade is partly due to the fact that BRIS has become more well-known and because children and young people in general have developed a greater readiness to talk about difficult problems. Yet there are also indications that there is a growing number of children and young people whose situation appears to be deteriorating. Certain children appear to be suffering from serial abuse ranging from neglect to physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Yet the calls recorded in BRIS' statistics during 1999 accounted for a mere 14 per cent of the total number of calls received. During the year there was a total of 104,000 calls, yet 86 per cent of these provided insufficient information for further statistical processing. An indepth study of these so-called "other calls" is presented on page (24).

200,000 attempts to contact the Children's Helpline

Despite an increase in the number of lines, actual accessibility of the Children's Helpline in 1999 was less than 50 per cent, which means that there were an estimated 200,000 attempts from children and young people to contact the service. In 1999 around seven out of ten of the statistically recorded calls related to girls with an average age between 13 and 14 years. This has also been the case during recent years.

calls, children and young people convey feelings of sorrow, anxiety, loneliness or fear. In addition, there were more than 400 calls in which the caller expressed suicidal sentiments. "In the municipal networks we're good at identifying the troublemakers, which is fine. But the calls to BRIS show that many of the children who are suffering the most are invisible and remain unnoticed," says Göran Harnesk, general secretary of BRIS. "The task before us is becoming increasingly clear: we have to ensure that these inconspicuous, invisible children must be noticed. I see a necessity for all types of training for work involving children to draw attention to this."

The most common types of problems which children called about were: • Bullying: 13.3 per cent of calls • Family conflicts: 11.9 per cent • Love and personal relationships: 10.9 per cent • Problems relating to sexual abuse (8.5 per cent) and physical abuse (7.7 per cent) were also common. Problems involving abuse of a serious nature accounted for almost one third of the statistically recorded calls. Calls relating to bullying were up 32 per cent on the previous year and calls relating to sexual abuse increased by 25 per cent. The number of calls relating to physical abuse of children showed only a minor increase and remained proportionally at the same level. Information on the mental state of the children and young people who call BRIS reveals that they are often suffering from depression. In the majority of

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Roughly one third of the calls from children relate to victims of crime. In future, BRIS aims to extend its involvement with this group of children who are particularly at risk. This is one of the reasons why BRIS, for the fourth year in succession, has conducted a survey of those committing abuse in the most serious cases. This information has been passed on to the relevant authorities, the media and other organisations at the International Victims of Crime Day held in February 2000.

The survey of abusers reveals that the home is by far the most common place where crime takes place and that the most common abusers are parents. According to the children themselves almost nine out of ten cases of physical abuse and more than half of all cases of sexual abuse take place within the family.

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Survey of abusers for fourth year in succession

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The Children's Helpline revealed that natural parents were the perpetrators in 75 per cent of cases of physical abuse (father 41 per cent, mother 19 per cent, both adults 15 per cent). Sexual abuse was perpetrated at a rate of 24 per cent by a natural father, and 6 per cent by a natural mother. It is also noteworthy that 21 per cent of cases are perpetrated by young abusers (under 18 years of age), and that women are cited as the abuser in 15 per cent of cases. In discussions, BRIS has stressed the importance of modifying the conventional view that the abuser is exclusively an adult male and that the victim is exclusively a girl. Calls relating to bullying come top of the list on the Children's Helpline, and in 18 per cent of cases this bullying is carried out by fellow pupils at school, mostly by boys. There has been a noticeable decline in the bullying carried out in groups by both sexes. As in previous years, around half of the children and young people who called BRIS live together with their natural parents, whereas almost one in five lives together with a lone mother. In the population as a whole, a significantly larger proportion of children lives with their natural parents in a nuclear family. Serious problems in the home accounted for a very high proportion (80 per cent) of the calls made by children living with stepparents.

Calls from children and young people During the 1990s the number of calls to the BRIS Children's Helpline has increased approximately tenfold. The most dramatic increases took place up to and including 1995. In 1996 and 1997 there was a marginal decrease in the number of calls, followed by a 24 per cent increase in 1998. In 1999 there were 14,391 statistically recorded calls form children and young people, the highest number ever in BRIS' history spanning almost thirty years. The volume of calls represents an increase of 12 per cent compared to 1998.

In 1999 there were 14,341 statistically recorded calls to the BRIS Children's Helpline.

No. of calls from children

By and large girls and boys called about similar problems, although there are certain differences. Girls, for example, often reveal a more depressive state of mind. In terms of the relationship between age and types of problems, a general observation that problems relating to individuals themselves increase with age, whereas problems at school decline. Calls relating to family problems are, however, common in all ages. During the year BRIS conducted an in-depth study of the children and young people in care who called the Children's Helpline. Results showed that two thirds of children in care felt unsatisfied or deeply unsatisfied with their circumstances. A similar proportion felt that contacts with the relevant authorities are equally poor as the actual care to which they have been allotted. Very few feel that they are in any way involved in the care offered by the community.

The BRIS Helpline for Adults – About Children

There were 2,073 calls from adults to the BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children, an increase of 25 per cent on the previous year. Those who called were mainly parents and other family members. A clear majority of the calls related to girls and the average age of the children was 10 years. Around one third of the calls to the Helpline for Adults - About Children concerned divorce problems, but physical abuse, family conflicts and sexual abuse were also common problem areas. BRIS used information from the Helpline for Adults - About Children in cases of serious abuse as material for its survey of abusers. In cases of physical abuse, natural parents were cited as the perpetrators in three out of four cases. In cases of sexual abuse, fathers emerged as the main culprits.

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≈

Fig. 1. Number of calls from children 1991-99 These calls formed the basis for the information recorded on a comprehensive form by the 300 or so voluntary staff who man the helplines in Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg, Norrköping and Umeå. This information subsequently forms the basis for BRIS' statistical processing of children's calls. Yet only 14 per cent of the calls received by the Children's Helpline are documented in this way. In 1999 there was actually a total of around 104,000 calls from children and young people, yet 86 per cent of these could not be processed, mainly because they did not provide sufficient information.

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These calls were either silent, cut off or so-called test calls. In many cases callers hang up, "test the water", or otherwise conceal themselves before they summon the courage to ask for help. Sometimes hoax or nuisance calls are also made. For BRIS it is important to have relevant information from which to form the basis of our efforts to influence public opinion. For this reason we place stringent demands on the information which forms the basis of the BRIS report. Because of the public nature of this work, BRIS only uses material which has been statistically processed. In this year's report we are presenting for the first time an in-depth study of those calls to BRIS, almost nine out of every ten, which up until now have remained un-researched. Since tests over the year have shown that the Children's Helpline was only 50 per cent accessible, BRIS estimates that around 200,000 attempts to reach us have been made by children and young people. This lack of accessibility is due to insufficient financial resources. As a voluntary, independent organisation rather than a public body, BRIS is 90 per cent financed by bequests, donations and membership fees which are primarily used to fund ongoing expansion of the Children's Helpline. The spread of statistically recorded calls over the year can be seen in Fig. 2. The main increase occurred in April and May when BRIS, for the second year in succession, presented a well-publicised and award-winning information campaign about the Children's Helpline to all pupils in the fifth school grade around the country.

BRIS is based on the concepts of voluntariness, anonymity, trust and respect. A fundamental principle for those working on the Children's Helpline is that the child is our client. BRIS is also a mouthpiece for children and young people at risk who dare to call because they know that they have the right to remain anonymous. They know that they will be able to speak to adults who have wide experience of listening and providing support.

Samtalens karaktär

From the point of view of gaining the confidence of those who call it is of vital significance that BRIS is not a public body or authority. At this time of expansion, the notion that BRIS is some sort of public authority is a common misapprehension in media coverage. Calls to BRIS mainly tend to focus on one area, but it is not uncommon in the course of the conversation for children and young people to mention other problems. So, for example, a call being dealt with in one problem category might also relate to assault, abuse and bullying. These elements will also be noted in the BRIS statistical records. Translating these calls which describe all manner of problems and events into a pure statistic can present problems. The BRIS statistics are based on the assessment of the principal problem made by the volunteers who answer the calls. But it should also be pointed out that if a preliminary summary is made between first and second alternatives, this does not result in any major difference to the order in which problems are ranked. A comparison with last years' BRIS report will reveal that problem categories in certain cases have been re-formulated or have been demarcated from each other. Thus last years “troubled relationships” has been replaced by the wider term “family conflicts”. We have also seen fit to distinguish “physical abuse/neglect” from “psychological abuse”.

No. of calls from children

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Fig. 2. Number of calls from children per month 1999 (n = 14,341*) * n is the number of calls upon which the table is based. In addition to telephone calls throughout the year, BRIS has also received hundreds of e-mails from children and young people. The questions posed are of the same kind as those to the Children's Helpline, and we often direct the writers of these messages to the Helpline itself. We at BRIS are currently involved in developing opportunities to communicate with our target group via the internet.

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Calls to BRIS from children and young people related primarily to:

Bullying

Love/relationship problems Sexuality and sexual development Sexual abuse Problems with friends Physical abuse/neglect Drug/substance/alcohol abuse Identity and “life” issues

A common situation is for those being bullied to have kept their problems to themselves for a long time before calling BRIS. Vulnerability and loneliness combined with fear of telling anyone make their situation intolerable in the long run. Furthermore, the children and young people who call the Children's Helpline about bullying often mention that they have spoken about the problem with teachers or other school staff but have not been believed! However, as children advance in years, the problems in school about which they call have a tendency to diminish.

Divorce problems Information Eating disorders Psychological abuse Miscellaneous

Fig. 3. Problem categories in children's calls (n= 14,300)

“They shout “darky” and other racist things at me every day.” “They bring weapons into school. I just want to kill myself.”

BULLYING. Over the years, being bullied has been the most common single reason for calling BRIS, and now once again calls relating to bullying are top of our list of problem categories. This follows an ongoing trend in helplines for children and young people all over Europe. During 1999 there were almost two thousand calls which were primarily concerned with bullying, an increase of 32 per cent compared to 1998. By way of comparison, in 1992 BRIS statistically recorded around 450 calls on this subject. Apart from an increase in bullying, BRIS has also given warnings over the past year about increasingly brutal behaviour with sexual overtones in which girls are influenced by the behaviour patterns of boys. A study carried out by Save the Children in 1999 showed a dramatic increase in the use of sexual language by children. There is a risk that this may cause sexual violence to occur at much lower ages than is currently the case. For a number of years BRIS has held conferences and seminars providing training and information about successful models in use in the fight against bullying. This was also the main subject for our magazine Children and Young People (Barn & Ungdom) (2/99). In the magazine we featured a study by the Swedish Institute of Public Opinion and Research, commissioned by one of the major Swedish teaching unions, which indicated that one third of pupils in grade nine feel uncomfortable when they are at school owing to

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BRIS' expert on bullying, AnnCha Lagerman, stresses the importance of getting pupils actively involved in efforts to counteract bullying and the necessity of establishing a nationwide network of on-the-job training for those who are actively engaged in work of this kind. Schools are the “problem areas” where bullying takes place in virtually all cases. This prompted BRIS, for the second year in succession, to run an information campaign about the Children's Helpline this spring for all school children in grade five. The campaign featured pictures of children who have now grown up to become celebrities, but who experienced problems when they were young. Together with the advertising agency TBWA, BRIS received the Golden Egg, the advertising industry's highest award, for the campaign. “Without preaching, and making full use of children's inquisitive natures, BRIS manages to convey its message: “You're not alone!” This is genuine communication in terms the receiver understands, if ever there was”, was the citation of the Swedish Advertising Association.

Family conflicts

“Everyone just laughs at me because my mum's a lesbian.”

threats, violence, abusive language or as a result of direct persecution.

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For the fourth year in succession BRIS has recorded information on the perpetrators of bullying which has shown that in 85 per cent of cases, fellow pupils at school commit the bullying. In 2 per cent of cases teachers or other members of school staff are cited as the bullies. Both boys and girls behave as bullies, but it is more common for boys to be both the perpetrators and victims. 17 per cent of calls refer to bullying by mixed groups of boys and girls, a significant decrease compared to the previous year. Boys alone are cited as perpetrators in 56 per cent of cases, and girls alone in a mere 27 per cent of cases.

FAMILY CONFLICTS is a newly devised problem category replacing the former heading “troubled relationships” (within the family). In 1998 calls in this category showed the largest increase of all, 40 per cent. In 1999 this trend continued with a 31 per cent rise, an increase in the number of calls by 1,700. This means that family conflicts is the problem category which has shown the largest overall rise in the past two years.

“At home they just argue and fight. I want to go to a foster home, but the social services don't believe me…”

This problem category encompasses all kinds of conflicts inside the family, but often involves profound and difficult disputes from which it is not easy for those involved to free themselves. What often happens is that the child is drawn into a destructive conflict of loyalties between parents whose relationship is disintegrating or has broken down. Disputes are often caused by the fact that parents exploit the fact that their children are dependent on them. Many calls in this category refer to a burden of care within the family, in which parents are incapable of recognising their children's needs. In addition, there are often conflicts as a result of sexual and physical abuse of children.

“The whole family call my Swedish girlfriend a tart…”

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“I want to withdraw the complaint I made against my dad, because nobody in the family talks to me any more…”

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One call in four pertains to children in conflict with their mothers, but equally common are cases in which a child is in conflict with both parents. Overall some 70 per cent of calls related to conflicts between the child and one adult.

“If I only had a girlfriend then life would be fine…” “I slept with a boy I'd been chatting to. Now he says he'll kill me if he can't see me again…” “My parents have arranged a wife for me, but I'm in love with a Swedish girl…”

LOVE/RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS have produced a marginal increase in calls in 1999, yet this category has still fallen from the top position it held in last year's BRIS report. Even though the Children's Helpline is not an “agony aunt”, the pains and pleasures of young people relating to this perennial subject have always resulted in a certain volume of calls. Together with sexuality and sexual development, they account for around 20 per cent of the total number of calls. The love/relationship category usually involves teenagers who call for advice on problems related to falling in love. They also need someone to talk to about the unhappy state which this can cause. The category also includes a number of calls about the conflicting feelings aroused in a relationship, such as whether to remain together with someone who is aggressive or has an alcohol or substance abuse problem, or the problems caused by developing a crush on a teacher. Lover/relationship problems which cross ethnic and cultural barriers also feature, along with problems resulting from contacts established via the internet, yet these are only a small proportion of the overall total. The most common questions tend to be: “How can I make a move on the person I'm interested in?” and “What can I do now that the relationship has ended and I feel so bad?” One noticeable trend of recent years is that there is a relatively equal spilt between boys and girls who call for advice on love/relationship problems.

“What is foreplay?” “If you get an erection in the shower after PE, does it mean you're gay?” “Do girls think about sex as much as boys do?”

SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT is a problem category which relates to love/relationship problems. Here too, most of the calls come from teenagers, yet in this case there is a higher proportion of boys who call about sexuality and sexual development. Many calls relate to a fixation with appearance and what is normal in terms of bodily development. Questions about sexual identity and how others accept this are also common. “Am I a lesbian?” “Could I be gay” are recurring questions. Questions relating to the fear of HIV/aids and sexually transmitted diseases are also common. Calls from children which relate purely to pregnancy, abortion and similar problems have also been included in this category. The sexuality and sexual development category comprises a number of difficulties and crises, but also positive hopes relating to the process of becoming an adult.

SEXUAL ABUSE is a problem category to which BRIS has devoted special attention in 1999. We have given information via the media and in seminars about a change which took place during the past year. One fundamental reason for this was a dramatic increase in the number of calls during the first six months of the year. Overall in 1999 there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of calls relating to sexual abuse compared to the previous year. Over the full period there were 1,200 statistically recorded calls relating to sexual abuse, compared to a mere 300 back in 1991.

“It's not my dad who comes in to my room at nights. It's a disgusting old man…” “Dad used to rape me and Mum drank herself to death. Now it's my foster father who rapes me…” “Mum's boyfriend takes money from men who pay to have sex with Mum and me…”

BRIS does not have a straightforward answer as to why children and young people are currently making so many calls about sexual abuse. Information on the incidence of sexual abuse of children only dates back for twenty years, and only now are we beginning to gain a clearer overall picture both of the perpetrators and their victims. “We want to focus on this because we no longer think that the generally accepted view that perpetrators are adult males who interfere with children is sufficient. This is true in six cases out of ten, according to our sources. But we also need to gather information about perpetrator groups including women and young people in order to provide the best possible preventive and therapeutic protection for those children and young people who become their victims. It may also help us to reach potential perpetrators,” wrote BRIS' general secretary Göran Harnesk and press secretary Gunnar Sandelin in the Swedish broadsheet Dagen's Nyheter at the end of November. Increased knowledge results in a gradual breakdown of taboo barriers. Children and young people today know more and are more willing to tell about their experiences. There are also signs which indicate that there is an increase in the sufferings of a small yet growing group of vulnerable children in Swedish society. In the late 1980s and at the beginning of the 90s when the taboo about mentioning sexual abuse of children and young people was broken down, the number of abuse-related calls to BRIS increased significantly. In the late 1990s there was a stagnation in the number of calls on this subject, yet in 1999 the number increased once again. It is important to realise that many of the calls to the Children's Helpline about sexual abuse concern offences of a most serious nature. They seldom relate to verbal abuse or a hands-off situation. Almost exclusively they involve a hands-on situation - often rape or sexual intercourse forced upon the victim with violence. Calls relating to sexual abuse may often be preceded by a number of so-called test calls before the child cautiously begins to talk about the issue. A high degree of professionalism is required in order to deal with these revelations. Together with physical abuse/assault, sexual abuse is the problem category in which children have clearly been the victim of what the law defines as criminal acts. The majority of cases occur within the family and very seldom result in any criminal charges. Children rarely wish to report their relatives: instead, they call BRIS because they want to put a stop to their suffering. Calls relating to sexual abuse showed that around 80 per cent of victims

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were girls, boys making up the remaining 20 per cent. The calls revealed an over-representation from children and young people who live with stepparents. For the fourth year in succession BRIS has conducted a survey of perpetrators, and this year we have also studied the nature of the abuse in question.

Mother/stepmother (9 per cent). This category includes the majority of female perpetrators, the victims of whom are mostly boys. Violation of the genitals is not uncommon from female perpetrators. Abuse is often linked to problems of alcohol, drug and substance abuse and to psychological disturbance. Cases in which a stepmother turns a stepson into her secret lover behind the back of the father are also not uncommon. The other adult in the family category may involve a number of adults, a relative living with the family, or foster parents committing the abuse.

Father

The other known adult category often involves a friend of the family, sports coach, adult neighbour or perhaps the father of a friend. For the most part this group tends to commit rape or serious sexual assault. The victim often feels ashamed and afraid to reveal the identity of the perpetrator since that person is often a popular adult in their social circle. “Who would believe that Dad's best friend raped me?” In these cases the victim often talks about committing suicide.

Known person of equal age (not sibling) Teacher/ other member of school staff Stepfather Mother/stepmother

The Others category involves unknown perpetrators. They may be adults who interfere with or rape the victim, and sometimes the victims are girls as young as 14 who pose for, or sell sexual favours to, older men. Occasionally cases involved groups of unknown older boys who commit gang rape, and sometimes older boys who molest younger boys. The fact that the perpetrator is unknown is especially frightening for the victim. Could he strike again?

Sibling Other adult family member Other known adult Others

Fig. 4. Perpetrators of sexual abuse cited in calls from children (n = 1,305) The father is cited as the perpetrator in 24 per cent of cases. Cases often involve rape, although other forms of physical abuse also occur. Sometimes a number of siblings are at risk and the victim may often protect younger brothers and sisters by “consenting” to be their father's sexual partner. In many cases the mother is absent, otherwise she may turn a blind eye to what is happening. These children, almost always girls, often speak about suicide as their only escape route. When a stepfather is cited as the perpetrator the pattern of abuse is very similar to those cases involving the natural father. The known person of equal age category (13 per cent) together with the sibling category (7 per cent) comprise the “young perpetrators” group. Abuse often takes the form of rape or forced intercourse practised by boyfriends or older brothers on girls. In some cases boys too are the victims. BRIS has observed that at least one case of sexual abuse in five reported to the Children's Helpline is committed by a child under 18 years of age. From these cases we can observe a fixation with sex and violence which appears to be occurring in children of increasingly younger ages. The IT-society exposes children to a steady flow of sexual stimuli - “sexual rain,” as it has been called. We have noticed from calls to the Children's Helpline that this flow of information has probably affected the boundaries of impulse control in the young perpetrators category. This view is also shared by the Save the Children unit which deals with boys' problems. As in previous years the teacher/other member of school staff category is “over-represented”. This is probably because it is easier to talk about sexual abuse at school than about abuse in the home, where children often feel that they are “turning in” a close relative.

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In 85 per cent of cases the perpetrator was said to be male, but at least 20 per cent of these were boys under the age of 18. Women accounted for the remaining 15 per cent of perpetrators.

The number of calls relating to PROBLEMS WITH FRIENDS continued to rise in 1999, this time by 9 per cent. This was preceded by a record 43 per cent increase in the previous year. These calls might appear to be of an everyday nature, yet the children and young people who call can nevertheless be totally crushed by the isolation they feel. Common problems are strong feelings of loneliness and sorrow resulting from the loss of, or changes in, friendships or from friendships which have broken down. More particularly, calls can relate to feelings of rejection without being directly bullied, fighting or serious conflicts between different gangs or a falling out with a best friend. Other problems might relate to moving and not being able to find new friends, or to extreme shyness which prohibits contact with others. Questions relating to trust are also common: “Do I have any friend I can trust?” Taking up these issues with an adult outsider can sometimes be of help.

“My best friend has moved away. Now I've got no-one.”

PHYSICAL ABUSE / NEGLECT has been recorded separately this

“My dad's quite a scary type. Not to mention his friends.They'd kill you.”

year because psychological abuse has also become a separate problem category. Over the past five years BRIS has given warnings in the media that physical abuse of children in Sweden is on the increase, as indicated by statistics from the police and from BRIS itself. In 1999 calls relating to physical abuse of children showed a marginal increase yet remained largely on the same level as the previous year.

“My friends shun me because they think my boyfriend's a nazi.” “I daren't tell the singer in our band that he sings flat.”

“I stay home from school because I've got bruises on my face.” “My mum's been hitting me all my life.”

In 1999 there were around 1,100 calls primarily relating to physical abuse.

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For the fourth year in succession BRIS has conducted a survey of the perpetrators of physical abuse of children, and results reveal a picture which is broadly similar to previous years: A parent is cited as the perpetrator in 74 per cent of cases. Fathers (41 per cent) are the chief perpetrators. Mothers (19 per cent) and both parents (14 per cent) are also active perpetrators.

DRUG/SUBSTANCE/ALCOHOL ABUSE. Calls from children and

In 61 per cent of cases the abuse was carried out solely by a male perpetrator, and by a female in 23 per cent of cases. In just under 16 per cent of cases both a male and female were the active perpetrators.

For children in environments of this kind, everyday life often involves abandonment, excessive responsibility and a good deal anxiety. Many calls refer to parents who are abusers both of drugs and alcohol. In some cases children have to look after their siblings and the home itself. These children often learn how to conceal the reality of their home situation from the rest of the world. They have often been required to take responsibility from a very early age. Often these cases also involve neglect, psychological abuse and beatings of the children who call. Taking into account secondary subjects of calls received, this problem category is one of those which is increasing most.

Looking at gender in all cases of physical abuse, 66 per cent of perpetrators were men and the remaining 34 per cent were women. Thus it can be seen that calls to the Children's Helpline show a more complex picture than the common assumption that it is only men/fathers who beat children.

young people who live in families affected by abuse of this kind increased by 12 per cent in 1999, the same amount as the overall average increase in the number of calls to the Children's Helpline. During the previous year the increase was 26 per cent, an indicator that these calls are growing in number even though the overall proportion they represent remains largely constant (at around 5 per cent).

“Mum's soiled herself and is lying on the floor…” “My parents say it's my fault that they drink and hit me.” “I got so drunk at the spring festival that it was no fun at all…”

Calls relate primarily (69 per cent) to abuse on the part of parents, but some also relate to siblings who are abusers of some kind. Around one fifth of all cases involve abuse on the part of callers themselves, and sometimes callers are worried about a friend who is in the danger zone.

Father Mother Both adults

“So what is the meaning of life then…?”

Known person of equal age (not sibling) Stepfather Sibling Teacher/other member of school staff

IDENTITY AND “LIFE” ISSUES chiefly relate to basic existential problems, various life choices and questions relating to individual identity. “Who am I?” “Am I good enough?” are typical problem questions covered in this category. Some callers occasionally express more serious kinds of dissatisfaction with life and its meaning. Calls in this category decreased by 14 per cent in 1999.

“My mum's going to die soon…”

DIVORCE PROBLEMS and problems relating to separations, custody and access. Calls in this category to the Children's Helpline have fallen by around 50 per cent since the 1980s. On the other hand, problems resulting from divorce are the single most common reason for adults to call the BRIS Adult Helpline - About Children.

“Dad fancies men and Mum drinks all the time.Who should I live with?”

“I'm scared that I might be a psychopath…”

Other known adult Others

Fig. 5. Perpetrators of physical abuse/neglect cited in calls from children (n = 1,432) A number of calls relate to parents under stress who start to hit out. Alcohol often plays a part, and abuse against both women and children is not uncommon. In many cases the caller relates how the social services have elected only to believe the parents' side of the story. Children and young people from different ethnic backgrounds also call in the hope of escaping family violence. Calls are also received from children and young people who want to help a friend who is the subject of violence in the home. Suspicions or certain knowledge of physical child abuse was also a common reason for adults to call the Adult Helpline - About Children during 1999. (See also the section on calls from adults). “In an age in which the pace of life is increasing and networks are diminishing, parents are coming under increasing levels of stress. In our experience this often spills over onto the children,” says Göran Harnesk, general secretary of BRIS.

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The children who call are often very anxious over the fact that they are not able to see one of the parents and about moving around against their will, etc. Step families with new stepparents and step siblings can be a source of conflict which affects the child. Conflicts of loyalty and feelings of alienation also lead to considerable insecurity. Many calls relate to a desire on the part of children to see more of their fathers.

“I hide at Mum's to get out of going to Dad's…” “Mum's always getting new boyfriends. I really miss Dad…”

BRIS has promoted the rights of children to have their views heard in custody disputes and welcomes the law which seeks primarily to grant joint custody of children where possible. It is important for society to respect a child's rights to both parents. However, BRIS maintains that the best interests of children must always come first, and a judgement for joint custody must never be a right for any parent who is unable to provide protection for a child or to fulfil his or her needs.

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“Where is BRIS?” “Are two 13 year-olds allowed to sleep with each other?” “Are you allowed to read a police report?” “I eat and then I'm sick. I just can't help it…” “I want to look like a supermodel…” “I never wanted it to be like this…”

“My parents and brother call me a fat pig all the time…” “Mum says she's going to kick my head in…” “Dad threatens us. He's not right in the head…”

“Will the world come to an end in 2000?” “I go into town and attack people. There's something wrong with me…” “I've taken 12 sleeping pills…”

INFORMATION is a new problem category for this year. Here we have collected together questions regarding all manner of subjects. They might be practical questions on how to do something (“How do you dance?”) or requests for information about children's rights. They may also be of a general request for information about BRIS or subjects related to the organisation.

EATING DISORDERS are not a common source of calls to the Children's Helpline. Calls of this nature have gone down over the past year, only accounting for a small percentage of the total number of calls. Yet those who call (almost exclusively girls) are distressed and their physical and mental health is in danger. In many cases one can discern identity crises and inner conflicts as underlying factors. Unrealistic and inflated demands for beauty from those around and the individual's own ego make this issue one which is complicated and difficult to solve.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE. This category has been separated from physical abuse/neglect this year in order to study the problems more closely. Actual psychological abuse represents only a fraction of the total number of calls relating to abuse in general, yet those children and young people who do call bear witness to a daily terror which undermines their value as a human being. The most common perpetrators of psychological abuse are fathers (25 per cent), mothers (17 per cent), and both parents together (20 per cent). Those of similar age (including siblings) account for almost 13 per cent of psychological abuse.

For many years the average age of those to whom calls to BRIS relate has been 13 to 14 years. This was also the case in 1999. Thus most calls relate to children of basic secondary school age. On average, the boys tend to be somewhat older than the girls. The Children's Helpline is open to all children and young people up to 18 years of age.

Who called the Children's Helpline?

The majority of calls concerned girls, as usual. Girls, perhaps, find it easier to seek help and to talk about their problems. In 1999, 71 per cent of calls primarily related to girls, with boys accounting for the remaining 29 per cent. Exactly the same division has now occurred for the past three years. In recent years the average length of calls has increased, rising to just under 13 minutes in 1999. Overall there were more than 3,000 hours of calls. Older children spoke for longer than younger ones, and girls on average spoke for longer than boys. The spread of ages for calls from children and young people is as follows:

MISCELLANEOUS is a category which comprises those questions which could not be ascribed to other categories. It includes calls on related and serious topics which only account for a few per cent of the total number of calls. Miscellaneous may cover, for example, a child who simply wants to talk, criminality, loneliness, a feeling of having lost one's way, and thoughts of suicide. In 1999 BRIS received at least 400 calls involving suicidal thoughts, of which a large part came from children and young people with an express desire to take their own life. Calls may also refer to problems at school other than bullying, or to sorrow and feelings of helplessness when, for example, a parent or sibling has died. Calls often reveal the callers' desire to be noticed, accepted and reassured for who they are. Other calls in this category concern unemployment and family finances, problems of refugees and racial conflicts. Many calls reflect the feelings of depression, alienation, loneliness and sorrow which permeate the majority of calls to the Children's Helpline. Calls in the “miscellaneous” category increase in number as the callers progress in age.

Years Fig. 6. Age of children cited in calls from children (n = 12,552)

By and large girls and boys call about similar problems, yet boys call more frequently about bullying, sexuality and sexual development and about physical abuse. Girls talk for longer and their calls more often concern various kinds of relationship problems: family, friendship and love-related problems. Calls from girls are also more frequently concerned with sexual abuse of various kinds.

Do boys and girls have the same problems?

However, it could not be said in general that girls talk about problems relating to feelings and boys about subjects which can be measured. Boys are almost equal to girls when it comes to expressing their state of feelings, yet girls tend to express feelings of sorrow, depression and thoughts of suicide more often than boys.

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What are the environments in which problems occur?

Most commonly, problems are not linked to any specific environment but tend rather to exist in the inner world of the children and young people themselves, where problems such as love and relationships and sexuality and sexual development tend to predominate. The home is also a common problem area. Calls to the Children's Helpline confirm that most serious violations, such as physical and sexual abuse, take place within the family. School is also a relatively common environment in which problems occur, largely because it is the principal “place of work” for children and young people. As one might expect, problems in school are mainly concerned with bullying and friendship issues. Recreational environments give rise to fewer problems than school. Main problem areas concern love and relationships.

often personal in nature or relate to difficulties in love/relationships. Problems concerning friendships, bullying and physical abuse fall with age, whereas calls relating to sexual abuse are dominated by the middle group of “secondary school children”. However, calls relating to problems in the home feature large in all age groups.

As in previous years, the majority of children (56 per cent) who called BRIS live with their natural parents in a nuclear family. However, this is a clear under-representation compared to the Swedish population in general. 17 per cent of the children to whom calls to the Children's Helpline relate live together with a lone mother. Around 7 per cent live in stepfamilies, the same number as those who live with a lone father. A small minority live with both their separated parents or in accommodation of their own.

Family patterns and problem categories

7,6 % Recreation Natural nuclear family Natural lone mother

21,7 % School

38,4 % Personal

Stepfamily Natural lone father Foster home

32,3 % Home

Living with both separated parents Living in accommodation of their own Others

Fig. 7. Breakdown of problem environments in calls from children (n = 12,483)

How are problems affected by age and environment?

As in previous years, dividing the calls from children into three age groups shows distinctions between the groups of a consistent nature: • junior and middle school children (12 years old and below) • secondary school children (13 to 15 years old) • older teenagers (16 years old and above) School appears to be a more common problem environment for younger children. 36 per cent of junior and middle school children related their problems to school. This figure fell to a mere 7 per cent in the upper age group. On the other hand, the percentage of personal problems rises with age to more than 60 per cent in the “older teenagers” group. These problems are

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Fig. 8. Domestic circumstances of children callers (n = 8,154) Looking at the subjects to which calls refer in relation to family patterns we can observe that 80 per cent of calls refer to problems in the home if the child lives with a stepfamily. If the child lives with a lone father, the equivalent figure is 70 per cent. Calls relating to physical abuse are far more common if the child lives with a lone father, and in stepfamilies there is an over-representation of the sexual abuse and family conflicts categories. On the other hand, when the child lives with a lone mother there is a higher frequency of family conflict-related problems than in other calls.

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Children in care

For many years BRIS has been carrying out in-depth studies into various issues arising from calls to the Children's Helpline. These include Child Abuse Calls, and Children's Contacts with Authorities (1998) and a study into children who are the victims of crime (1996).

Table A. Referrals of calls from children (n = 13,616, _≠ 100%) % (of calls referred)

School During 1999 BRIS examined the situation of children in care. The reason for this is that around 3 per cent of the calls received by the Children's Helpline are from children and young people who have been placed in care outside their own homes under the supervision of various local authorities. In the majority of cases children have been placed in care under the Social Services Act, but many calls are from children and young people who have been placed in care under the Care of Minors Act.

Teacher School nurse School counsellor Head teacher

13.5 12.2 8.6 2.9

Adult in the family

28.6

Friend & boy/girlfriend (5.6%)

21.4

Young persons clinic

10.6

Social services

6.7

Child psychiatry & Health services

3.4

Further contact with BRIS

23.7

The in-depth study shows that two thirds of those children and young people in care who call BRIS feel unsatisfied or deeply unsatisfied with their circumstances. Many children and young people complain that they are not listened to, that foster parents are insensitive and want to make money from the placement. Abuse is also mentioned in certain cases.

Other referrals

10.4

A similar proportion felt that contacts with the relevant authorities are equally poor as the actual care to which they have been allotted. The general view of children and young people in care is that social workers behave in a nonchalant way towards their clients. “I don't even know who my social worker is,” says one 11 year-old girl in the study. Very few feel that they are in any way involved in the care with which they are provided by the community. Statistics produced by the National Swedish Board of Health and Welfare show that 16,000 children were placed in care of one type or another during 1998.

BRIS referrals

37.2

The BRIS study covers 128 calls involving 150 children. The calls were made to BRIS between May and August in the previous year. Calls usually relate to placements in foster homes, but some also concern placements in institutional care of various kinds.

“My foster father touches me up, but he denies it to the rest of his family,” says one 16 year-old girl. “My real parents used to beat me…I was sent to another home when I was six, and they beat me too. Then I went to a children's home, then on to another foster family. But I don't want to stay here…I'm scared that they're going to beat me too,” says one 13 year-old boy.

An important part of the way in which BRIS works is the ability to listen and build up trust so that one can explore the avenues for taking a case further together with the caller. It is vital that the person calling is reassured and taken seriously, especially given that so many children and young people claim that no adults actually do listen or take them seriously.

Breakdown of BRIS Referrals

Other adult outside the family

5.4

Referring the caller to school is often the most obvious thing to do, since the majority of children and young people who call BRIS attend school. At school they can find an adult from whom to seek help, especially if they have problems at home. For many years BRIS has been warning how cutbacks in the school system affect those pupils with the greatest needs. We are keen to draw parallels with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stresses that cutbacks in public services should be carried out with respect to the best interests of the child, and with special consideration for groups at risk. The “other referrals” group comprises, for example, referrals to persons working in after school clubs, or various voluntary organisations.

It is worth noting that a small proportion of calls (around 2 per cent) result in follow-ups in the form of call reports or so-called assignment management. It may, for example, be necessary to have repeated contact with a caller in order to inspire them with the courage to take their problem further. Furthermore, it is sometimes necessary for someone from BRIS to follow up a call in order to provide more active support to the caller. BRIS staff may, for example, contact pupil care workers, a social worker or other persons in authority. This is always done at the request of and together with the child or young person who has called the Children's Helpline.

Managing assignments

As BRIS' finances are being put on a sounder footing we hope to be able to develop our assignment management capacity. This will involve more active and concrete measures of support for children at risk. Extra resources for training and recruitment within the organisation will be required. Assignment management is especially important when a child who calls BRIS is the victim of crime. This has been shown to be the case in almost one third of the statistically recorded calls.

There is a commonly held view that BRIS carries on long-term telephone psycho-therapy, but our actual brief is to support the callers by guiding the child or young person in question towards another person (almost always an adult) who can provide concrete support or help with their problems in everyday life. This has been the case for several years in almost two thirds of all calls.

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Other calls “It's free for me to call you and see how long you can stand it…” “You'd believe anything…!” “Pervert, dyke, child molester!”

Only a fraction of all calls to the Children's Helpline contain enough information for statistical recording and subsequent presentation in the BRIS report. Other calls fall outside the statistics, and in previous years we have not compiled any information about their content. For this reason a 4-week pilot study was carried out in 1999 by Salomon & Wiklund, the findings of which were reported in the BRIS magazine Children and Young People, (Barn & Ungdom), (5/99). In the four weeks during which the study took place there was a total of 9,200 calls to the five regional offices of BRIS, yet only 1,200 calls (13.2 per cent) ended up as statistically recorded calls from children.

3,7 % Others/ miscel5,3% laneous Habitual callers

Boys tend to account for most of the calls (63 per cent) in the other calls category, a gender reversal compared to the calls which are statistically recorded, where boys account for a maximum of 30 per cent of calls. This overrepresentation can be explained to a certain extent by the fact that almost all of the habitual callers are boys. In terms of content there does not appear to be much difference between calls from boys and those from girls. All manner of sexual insults, such as “tart”, “queer”, “dyke” and “paedophile” are common, together with sexual suggestions or questions relating to the sexual experience, tendencies or habits of the person answering the call. Nonsense questions and statements are also common, plus comments relating to physical and sexual abuse. Information about the age of the callers exists in only half of the cases, the average age being 14 years. This is somewhat older than the “average child” in the normal calls.

13,2 % Statistically recorded calls from children

Most frequently calls are received from more young people than one, but usually one of them has been selected to do the talking whilst the others whisper and giggle in the background. - If you want to have a joke at an adult's expense, then one of the best ways to enjoy it is in a group! There are many indications that these groups are gender-homogeneous. Lone boys call more often than lone girls, and if the subject is of a sexual nature, the caller is most usually alone.

11,3 % Silent calls

DO THEY CALL? It is not always easy to answer this question, but in those cases where the voluntary member of staff has an opinion on the subject (62 per cent of cases), the main reason appears to be that the caller wants to have a joke at someone else's expense or that he or she has nothing better to do. The reasons behind the motivation for calls of this kind which can be discerned are that girls are more likely to call because they are inquisitive or want to play a joke, whereas boys have a tendency to want to impress someone or to let off steam.

WHY

28,3 % Nuisance / test calls

38,2 % Caller hangs up

Fig. 9. Breakdown of calls to the Children's Helpline during the in-depth study period Oct/Nov (n = 9,200) Calls in which the caller hangs up are those in which this takes place immediately. There is no real information about these calls representing 38.2% of the total. The same applies to silent calls, in which the caller is silent for not more than 30 seconds. Nuisance / test calls are calls in which BRIS volunteer staff have either been subjected to jokes, insults or calls in which it can be assumed that the caller wishes to “test the water” in terms of BRIS as a contact. Habitual callers are known to the staff because they call time and time again, sometimes for years, often telling the same story. Those who make series of nuisance / test calls during a period of duty do not count as habitual callers. Others/miscellaneous includes wrong numbers, those who are referred to the BRIS Adult Helpline - About Children, etc.

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One question on the forms for recording information concerns the feeling conveyed by the child in the call. In the genuine calls from children, feelings of depression, worry, sorrow, etc predominate. In the other calls category these feelings are turned upside down. The atmosphere is one of mischief, high spirits and provocation. The state of mind of callers in the other calls category is in opposition to the content, since children and young people who call as a joke often touch upon serious subjects such as bullying and physical and sexual abuse. Those callers who appear questioning or curious most often call relating to sexuality and sexual development.

23 tim 7 tim 8 tim Habitual Others/ Silent callers miscellaneous calls

64 tim Nuisance / test calls

7 tim Caller hangs up

Agitated 5%

Sad 4%

266 tim Statistically recorded calls from children

Angry 4%

Mischievous 28 % Neutral 11 %

Fig. 11. Breakdown of total call durations during the indepth study carried out in October/November. Questioning/curious 14 % Happy/”Silly” 17 %

Just as the ordinary, statistically recorded calls to the Children's Helpline are a reflection of an important part of the everyday life of children and young people, the content of the other calls clearly acts in a similar way. Callers speak about themselves, about parents who assault them, friends, falling in love and the psycho-sexual development in which they find themselves. The difference, however, is that their behaviour in these calls is coupled with a more provocative and sexually-charged use of language than is normal. The language is more crude, the forms of address more impertinent.

Provocative 17 %

Fig. 10. Other calls: state of mind of the child (n = 2,276)

Length of calls. Although other calls account for almost nine out of ten calls received, the statistically recorded calls take up the vast majority of the total time spent on calls. (Compare figs. 9 and 11). A genuine call to the Children's Helpline is 13 minutes long on average, whereas the other calls vary from a few seconds to the most common duration of between one and two minutes. For this reason many calls only comprise a greeting and no dialogue, even though our staff do usually manage to initiate some kind of two-way communication.

As such, the other calls stand out because of this coarser, more sexuallycharged language - one of the side effects of the IT-society and the growing number of ways in which pornography is transmitted. Sexuality is, after all, the principal interest of most teenagers. In certain cases one can assume that callers might be calling to test whether they dare to tell all about a traumatic incident. Can they trust BRIS? In other cases one can assume that the person calling is making an awkward attempt to make contact with a reliable adult, but this does not apply to all calls. These other calls can in many cases place a severe strain on the patience and motivation of our voluntary staff, qualities which they naturally want to use in order to help children in distress. It is important to convey that fact that as an adult one is entitled to respect, but that one is prepared to listen if necessary.

(table)

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Calls from adults aboutchildren In 1999 BRIS received 2,073 calls from adults. This represents an increase of around 20% since 1998. In total there were 735 hours of calls from adults, an average of 22 minutes per call. The calls are spread throughout the year, peaking in March and November, and with fewer calls in July.

Profiles of adult callers

Most of the adults who call the BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children are the child's parents or other relations. Calls from grandparents are common. Relatives, neighbours, acquaintances or parents of friends often call because they are the only adults close to the child who know about the vulnerable position they are in. The group “others” might, for example, include parents of friends or foster parents. These are the adults who call BRIS regarding children for whom they are worried:

Years

Fig. 13. Age of children cited in calls from adults (n = 2,525)

As is the case with calls to the Children's Helpline, serious problems tend to dominate the calls from adults. With a number of minor variations, the problem categories covered ranked roughly the same as in the previous year.

What do adults call about with regard to children?

Mother Father Grandparent

Divorce problems, whereof Access problems 16.1% (A)

Rep. of an authority/ other professional

Physical abuse / neglect Sibling or other relative Family conflicts

Friend of the family

Problems with various authorities

Step-parent Neighbour

Sexual abuse

Others

Problems on the part of children Bullying, friendship and school problems

Fig. 12. Callers' relationships to the children cited in the calls. (n = 2,052) As in recent years a slight majority of the calls to the adult helpline concerned girls. 56 per cent of calls concerned girls, the remaining 44 per cent concerned boys. Adults who call BRIS tend to be concerned about younger children. The average age of the children referred to in calls from adults is between 9 and 10 years. These children may find it difficult to speak up for themselves. One can compare this with the average age of children and young people who call the Children's Helpline, around 14 years.

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Psychological abuse Information / guidance Alcohol, substance, drug abuse problems Others and miscellaneous

Fig. 14. Problem categories in calls from adults (n = 2,067)

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DIVORCE PROBLEMS (including access and custody conflicts) are once again this year the most common reason for adults to contact BRIS. Calls of this nature have been increasing dramatically in recent years, yet in 1999 there was a slight fall off in numbers. On the Children's Helpline calls which primarily relate to divorce account for only a few per cent of the total, even though many serious problems occur in conjunction with a split or change in the family. On the adult line, however, the situation is entirely different. Calls relating to divorce problems may include everything from parents wanting advice as to how to make a divorce as painless as possible for the children, to long drawn-out and bitter disputes where the child is caught in the middle. From a child's point of view BRIS has welcomed the fact that, since 1998, the courts have tended towards granting joint custody, as it is usually in the best interest of the child to have equal access to both parents. We would, however, like to stress that a child's right to protection must always come first. Those adults who call regarding PHYSICAL ABUSE or neglect tend to be parents, but also people inside the child's social circle, such as relatives, neighbours or friends who are uncertain as to whether they should report the problem to the social services or to the police. Calls in this category are also made by people working for various public bodies and authorities. Calls are sometimes received from parents or other adults committing the abuse who want help to change their behaviour. Information about perpetrators on the BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children is generally similar in nature to that obtained from the Children's Helpline, yet tends to involve perpetrators of the same age far less. In calls relating to physical child abuse it is mainly parents who are cited as those committing the abuse. It is worth noting in this context that mothers as perpetrators occupy a larger proportion of the total in calls from adults compared with calls from children. Other perpetrators might be teachers or other known adults. In 1999 the proportion occupied by parent perpetrators was as high as the previous year - 83 per cent. This figure also includes stepparents as the cited perpetrators, yet these account for only 5 per cent of the total. The spread is as follows: father: 38 per cent, mother: 27 per cent and both adults: 12 per cent. Calls refer to boys and girls as victims in roughly equal proportions. In 1998 BRIS carried out an in-depth study which showed that, according to the children themselves, only 2 out of ten adults who were aware that physical child abuse was taking place, actually did something to put a stop to it. (See last year's BRIS report). In the summer of 1999 a study into the same subject was carried out which showed that even those adults who do attempt to do something find it difficult to be taken seriously. They felt that both the authorities and other people involved often wanted to turn a blind eye to their worries over the vulnerability of the child.

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FAMILY CONFLICTS is a newly formulated problem category on both the child and adult helplines. When adults call BRIS about family conflicts, in almost half of the cases it tends primarily to concern conflicts between adults. The child is involved in the conflict in almost half of the calls. Conflicts with the mother are most common (23 per cent), followed by conflicts with both parents (16 per cent), and with the father (8 per cent of calls). Calls relating to PROBLEMS WITH AUTHORITIES have been relatively frequent for many years. Numbers are actually far higher than appear from the table, since these are very common secondary problems. Many adults are disappointed at the way they have been treated by various authorities. They feel that no help has been given to them and decide to speak to BRIS, which is not a public body. The caller may also be some kind of representative for an authority who wishes to confer with BRIS. See also the findings of our special study of calls relating to children in care above. Calls from adults on the subject of SEXUAL ABUSE are often made by mothers or other people close to a child who have suspicions and worries on the child's behalf. Calls are sometimes made by people wishing to protect their child from a parent previously convicted of abuse. Those who consider themselves to be the subject of unwarranted suspicion may also call, and occasionally perpetrators themselves call in order to seek help. With regard to the perpetrators of sexual abuse, adults calling cited the father as the perpetrator in 41 per cent of cases. Other perpetrators were “other known adults”, such as grandfathers, recreational and sports leaders, in 20 per cent of cases. Stepfathers (8 per cent) and teachers/members of school staff (5 per cent) are among other perpetrator categories frequently mentioned. More than 90 per cent of calls from adults relating to sexual abuse cited a male perpetrator, and in 10 per cent of cases, siblings of the abused child were also affected.

PROBLEMS ON THE PART OF CHILDREN comprises adults who are worried about things such as physical, medical or emotional problems on the part of a child. Parents might be worried about the changed behaviour of children who have become adolescents, or about their child's ability to cope with sexuality and falling in love. BULLYING, FRIENDSHIP AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS comprises adults who have noticed that a child is unhappy or has difficulties at school. Friendship problems also comprise difficulties with friends in leisure time. There have been many calls in this category in recent years. In 1999, bullying was the single most common reason for children and young people to call BRIS. PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE has, as on the Children's Helpline, been designated as a problem category in its own right from this year onwards. Psychological abuse is also constantly present in cases of serious physical abuse, bullying, divisive custody disputes, etc. As such, psychological abuse is one feature of a major proportion of calls to BRIS, yet in the statistics we register physical abuse as the first choice alternative.

INFORMATION / GUIDANCE comprises calls requesting information, such as where the caller should turn to in a specific case, questions on civic matters or on the legal position regarding children at risk.

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ALCOHOL, SUBSTANCE, DRUG ABUSE PROBLEMS: this category covers the same type of problems as in the calls from children, yet adults usually talk about these matters from a different point of view. More frequently than in calls from children, abuse on the part of parents, most commonly mothers, is the subject under discussion. More than half of the calls are solely concerned with abuse on the part of the mother, and only 15 per cent concern abuse on the part of a child. Here too, numbers of calls are actually far higher than appear from the table, since these are very common secondary problems. OTHERS AND MISCELLANEOUS: this category might include financial problems which have affected the family, the need for support in the community, or an adult's need for legal advice. Issues relating to refugees and immigrants, problems of a religious nature or mere suspicions that a child is in distress, are other subjects which are entered under this category.

As is the case in calls to the Children's Helpline, BRIS usually provides adults with the opportunity of taking up their problems elsewhere in the community. Referrals were provided in 82 per cent of calls from adults. These break down as follows: Table B. Referrals, etc. of calls from adults (n = 1,704; _≠ 100%) % (of calls referred)

Social services

Other discernible tendencies: • mothers call more frequently about school-related problems or problems on the part of the child • fathers tend to call about access or other divorce-related problems • calls about physical abuse tend to be made by people who are part of the child's social network • if the caller is a representative for an authority of some kind, calls tend to relate to problems with authorities or to physical abuse

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45.2

Soc. welfare office, etc Family law centre Others

Further contact with BRIS

25.0 17.3 2.9

21.3

Adult asked to refer child to BRIS Adult him/herself

Two thirds of calls from adults relating to problem environments are concerned with problems in the home environment. Further analysis of how calls from adults differ between concerns for boys and girls reveals that: • a significantly higher number of calls relating to girls concern sexual abuse and family conflicts • calls about boys more frequently relate to physical abuse, problems with authorities or problems on the part of the boys themselves.

Breakdown of BRIS referrals of calls from adults

12.0 9.3

To the child in question

17.3

Child psychiatry services

12.1

Lawyer

9.4

Social counsellor

7.5

Other healthcare body

4.9

Police / prosecution service

4.6

Family Advice Centre

3.9

Other authority

5.8

Other non-profit-making organisation 4.5 Other referrals

10.4

Social services is by tradition the authority which can usually help an adult caller to get to grips with any problems. “Other non-profit-making organisation” might, for example, be the Save the Children helpline for parents or one of the women's support groups. “Other authority” might involve a referral to the Children's Ombudsman or to the National Agency for Education, etc. “Other referrals” might comprise the caller being encouraged to make contact with a relative or another key person who is close to the caller.

B R I S R E P O RT • C A L L S M A D E I N 1 9 9 9

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Conclusion BRIS - Barnens Rätt i Samhället (Children's Rights in Society) - is a non-profit-making organisation, independent of political parties, which supports children in distress. BRIS acts as a supplement to public bodies and authorities and is a link between children, adults and the community. BRIS also aims to influence public opinion in order to increase the respect which adults have for children as individuals, and to ensure that decision-makers promote a more child-friendly society in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Founded in 1971, BRIS is a national association which operates in five regions all over Sweden. Each region has its own office, helplines, permanent members of staff known as BRIS representatives, and voluntary staff known as duty counsellors. All have experience of working with children and young people and have passed through the BRIS internal training programme. Since the early days of the organisation, BRIS has moved away from its almost exclusive focus on physical child abuse, turning its attention to other important areas in which children are in distress or suffering from problems. The BRIS Children's Helpline is accessible for children and young people up to the age of 18 years on 0200-230 230 during opening hours: Monday to Thursday,15.00 - 19.00, Friday, 14.00 - 18.00 and Saturday and Sunday, 14.00 - 17.00. Calls are automatically routed to the nearest regional office which is open. BRIS bears the cost of the calls, even those made from mobile telephones. Calls to the Children's Helpline do not appear on the caller's telephone bills, and BRIS neither sees nor stores the caller's telephone number. In recent years the number of lines on the Children's Helpline has been greatly increased, yet still only half of all calls made actually get through. At the BRIS Helpline for Adults - About Children on 077-150 50 50, BRIS receives calls from adults who need someone to talk to about problems relating to children. Calls are received at different offices, and the current cost (March 2000) is 23 öre per minute. The helpline for adults is open every weekday from 11.00 - 13.00. Long experience of contacts with children in distress has given BRIS the skills necessary to assess what measures are necessary in order to safeguard the rights of children and young people alongside the work carried out by public bodies and authorities. BRIS is also highly familiar with the true meaning of the term “the child's point of view”. In 1999 BRIS paid special attention to questions relating to sexual abuse, physical child abuse, bullying, children as the victims of crime and to how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child should best be applied in society.

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B R I S R E P O RT • C A L L S M A D E I N 1 9 9 9

B R I S R E P O RT • C A L L S M A D E I N 1 9 9 9

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BRIS

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS IN SOCIETY

Riksförbundet BRIS Karlavägen 117 S-115 26 Stockholm The BRIS report is the annual review of the helpline services provided by BRIS - the association for Children's Rights in Society. In 1999 there were 14,341 statistically recorded calls from children and young people to the BRIS Children's Helpline, a higher figure than in any previous year. There was a 12 per cent increase in the number of calls compared to 1998. The average age of callers was between 13 and 14 years. Calls related to subjects such as: • • • • •

Bullying, 13.3 per cent. Family conflicts, 11.9 per cent. Love / relationship problems, 10.9 per cent. Sexual abuse, 8.5 per cent. Physical abuse, 7.7 per cent.

Calls relating to bullying increased by 32 per cent compared to the previous year, and calls about sexual abuse by 25 per cent. Information about the state of mind of the children and young people who call the Children's Helpline confirms that they often express feelings of depression. However, those calls which were statistically recorded by BRIS represent only a fraction of the total number of calls received. Despite an increase in the number of telephone lines, accessibility of the Children's Helpline in 1999 was estimated at less than 50 per cent, indicating that there may have been around 200,000 attempts to get through to BRIS. In addition, for the fourth year in succession, BRIS has conducted a survey of the perpetrators of serious abuse. This study of perpetrators showed that the home is by far and away the most common place for abuse to take place and that the perpetrator is usually a parent. According to the children themselves, almost nine out of ten cases of physical child abuse, and more than half of all cases of sexual abuse, take place within the family.

Tel +46 (0)8-664 64 00 Fax +46 (0)8-664 50 58 Postgiro 90 15 04-1

BRIS Central Region Torkel Knutssonsgatan 27 S-118 25 Stockholm Tel +46 (0)8-429 88 30 Fax +46 (0)8-429 92 30

BRIS Northern Region Västra Esplanaden 7A S-903 25 Umeå Tel +46 (0)90-77 23 11 Fax +46 (0)90-77 39 31

BRIS Southern Region Kronborgsvägen 8A S-217 42 Malmö Tel +46 (0)40-91 20 95 Fax +46 (0)40-91 20 82

BRIS Western Region Baldersgatan 4 S-411 02 Gothenburg Tel +46 (0)31-20 40 47 Fax +46 (0)31-20 40 12

BRIS Eastern Region Knäppingsborgsgatan 7 S-602 26 Norrköping Tel +46 (0)11-16 17 81 Fax +46 (0)11-16 32 53

Children's Helpline - for everyone up to 18 Tel 0200-230 230 BRIS Helpline for Adults About Children Tel 077-150 50 50 www.bris.se