New findings from Childline show the charity delivered almost 3,000 counselling sessions to young people struggling with anger management within the last year.
The research was published today to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week – an event founded by the Mental Health Foundation to tackle the biggest challenges that affect people’s wellbeing.
According to the findings, Childline provided 2,895 counselling sessions to young people with anger problems over the last 12 months, which equates to a 6% rise on the previous year. The sessions were delivered both online and over the phone.
‘The fact that children are reaching out for help with their anger issues reflects the growing emotional challenges young people face in today’s complex world,’ Shaun Friel,’ Director of Childline explained. ‘At Childline, we’re seeing firsthand how pressures at home, school, online and in communities are affecting children’s ability to manage and deal with difficult emotions.’
One example includes a young boy (whose identify will remain anonymous) aged 15 who told Childline he’s been struggling with his anger for months but feels he can’t confide in his family.
‘For months I’ve been struggling with my anger,’ he said. ‘I started punching the wall, but I had to stoop coz it was messing up my knuckles. Everyone in this house shouts and argues, the noise is too much. My mum always tries to ask me how I am, but I have to lie so I don’t add to arguments.’
Similarly, another girl (whose identify will always remain anonymous) aged just nine years old admitted to Childline that she can never get anyone to listen to her unless she raises her voice.
‘I feel so angry all the time, shouting is just how I express myself,’ she remarked. ‘When my parents shout at me, I shout back. They tell me to talk in arguments and tell people how I feel but no one cares, no one listens unless I shout.’
Previously Childline have cited anger problems as a cause for concern but the recent sharp increase in calls for help and the severity of some situations have led to it becoming one of the charity’s top ten mental health concerns.
With this in mind and against the backdrop of the new findings, two leading children’s health charities, otherwise known as NSPCC and Places2Be, have formed a partnership to offer advice, which can be found here, to young people and parents about how to manage anger issues and ultimately become happier within themselves.
‘At Places2Be we know that learning to express and process emotions healthily during childhood builds resilience and establishes positive coping mechanisms that serve young people throughout their lives,’ Dr Rebecca Kirkbride, clinical director at the charity said. ‘The rise in children seeking support for issues related to anger, as highlighted by Childline’s data, demonstrates the importance of early intervention and teaching children healthy ways to process emotions.’
Photo by Izzy Park via UnSplash
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