Sydney
7 September 2003
Home
Archive
Subscribe
Links
Contact
Tasmania accused
on same-sex adoption and ‘marriage’
Refugee
kids freed, but for how long?
Matter
of perspective
Archbishop
honours Year 12 students
Treasured
Gospels from Holy Island
Own
faith is vital to dialogue – cardinal
Marist
laity unity move
$50,000
for Susan’s pilgrimage
Good
Shepherds find green pastures
Upgraded
Bulls go into bat against their demons
Editorial:
A parallel universe?
Letters:
Age of consent
Conversation:
Prof Friedhelm Mennekes, parish priest and art lecturer - Space for art in a sacred
space
Why
the world is the way it is
1500
reasons to be proud of his school
Brothers
died on mission to save their leader
‘Don’t
forget your people back home’
Pius
XII – Hitler, the Holocaust and ‘Canossa’
On
‘going to Canossa’
Laity,
clergy share the pastoral load
Pell
embraces Cardinal's vision for Sydney Synod
Kylie
on line to help kids
Engadine
sisters in Columban art show
Kylie on line to help kids
Pop superstar Kylie Minogue is again spearheading the Kids Help Line television campaign to help the organisation raise the $500,000 needed to expand their web counselling services.
Last year, Kylie, who is the Kids Help Line official ambassador, appeared in a series of commercials promoting the organisation during Child Protection Week.
The ad campaign was a huge success and, with the backing of major sponsor Optus, Kids Help Line was able to raise $500,000. It’s hoping to reach a similar target this year.
Kids Help Line is Australia’s only free national anonymous telephone and real-time web counselling and referral service for 5-18 year olds.
“There are a lot of issues that children want to talk about and now they can do it not only on the telephone but also online,” says Kylie. “I really loved talking to my parents when I was growing up, but not all kids have an adult to talk to. That is why Kids Help Line is so wonderful. It gives any child the chance to reach out and chat.”
Trevor Carylon, Kids Help Line executive director, says Kylie’s support is important to the success of the campaign.
Local, long distance and mobile calls made on the Optus Network during Child Protection Week (September 7-13) will help raise money to help thousands of young people access professional counselling services.
The De La Salle Brothers Boys Town ministry, which operates the internet site, has found that children are more likely to disclose incidents of child abuse to a counsellor on the internet than by telephone.
This is because young people feel more comfortable and “safer” revealing issues of child abuse, mental health and suicide this way, because these issues are easier to write down instead of saying them out loud.
Online counselling is also useful for kids with special needs, such as those with hearing and or speech impairments and those for whom English is a second language.
Kids Help Line counsellors responded to almost 8300 online counselling sessions and 430,000 telephone calls last year.
Kids Help Line and Optus launched web counselling in 1999. This year the service was expanded with the addition of world leading interactive tools and a new website, www.kidshelponline.com.au
Currently, the web counselling runs from 3pm to 9pm five days a week, but the organisation is looking to extend it to seven days.
Mr Carylon says children “feel safer on line because it gives them a sense of anonymity”.
Donations can also be made direct to Kids Help Line by calling 1800 552 033.