Large increase in abuse victims using phone counselling service

There has been a 25 per cent increase in calls for support during 2015 to the Connect telephone counselling service, which assists people who have suffered abuse in childhood. It follows a 17 per cent increase in such calls last year.

Established in 2006, Connect provides out of hours telephone based professional counselling and support for abuse survivors.

The total number of calls to the end of November was 8,113, and the number is expected to reach 9,000 by the end of this month.

Service director Theresa Merrigan believes the increase in demand is due to Connect being better known and also its anonymous nature. “Connect, for many, can be a safe port to begin to put words on traumatic childhood experiences where the caller, who initiates the contact, can remain anonymous while at the same time receiving support from a professionally experienced psychotherapist,” she said.

It was also the case that “many callers can find it difficult to get to a face-to-face counselling service because of geographical location, child care, lack of transport, or physical and emotional challenges. The telephone service can be an excellent resource for people in these circumstances,” she said.

Among callers the most common setting for abuse was the family (48 per cent) followed by the community (31 per cent) and 15 per cent were victims of institutional abuse. Within the family 24 per cent reported abuse by the father, of which 12.5 per cent was sexual abuse; 21 per cent reported abuse by the mother, predominantly emotional and physical abuse.