Summer holidays spike loneliness in kids, Childline warns

While many children look forward to the six weeks holidays, Childline have revealed that it can be their busiest time of year.

New research from the leading children’s helpline shows the service delivered more than 4,500 counselling sessions to young people experiencing loneliness from April 2024 to March 2025 – an average of 380 sessions per month.

While this statistic is surprising, the figures from last July and August are even more so. The research shows 852 counselling sessions were provided to children suffering with loneliness – a number that skyrockets above the monthly average.

Some of the main themes identified during the sessions include children worrying about the lack of contact with their friends over the summer and concerns about starting a new school year in September.

What’s more, one 13-year-old boy told Childline last year that he was feeling excluded from social activities. He said: ‘It’s the summer holidays where I live. I don’t have many people to talk to and one of my friends blocked me online for no reason. It kinda feels like no one likes me.’

Echoing similar concerns, another child, aged 14, said: ‘All my friends are away on holiday or visiting family over summer, so I don’t have anyone to hang out with. I’m feeling pretty lonely right now.’

Childline, which is free to contact and available 24/7, was established by the leading children’s charity NSPCC, who are working harder than ever to support children over the next two months. As well as providing a phone service, the charity also offer a free online text befriending scheme called Building Connections.

‘The summer months should be a time of freedom and joy for children. Sadly, we are seeing at Childline that it can also be a difficult period for some young people, with loneliness setting in after being cut off from school friends and normal routines,’ Shaun Friel, director of Childline, said. ‘Loneliness is a challenging thing to contend with and left unaddressed can start to have a wider impact on mental health and wellbeing.

‘It is very important that children or young people who find themselves in this situation during the school holidays, or any other time of year, understand that support is out there for them.’

Image via Childline 

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