Girl, 7, contemplates suicide, reaches our for help

Australian children as young as five are crying out for help and in worst cases contemplating suicide.

A seven-year-old girl made a phone call late one night telling a stranger she was thinking about killing herself.

That call saved her life.

The little schoolgirl, who is still in regular contact with her professional counsellor at Kids Helpline, is just one of 4000 Australian children aged five to nine who reach out for help every year.

“That's a lot of really young people who have the courage to ask for help,” Kids Helpline CEO Tracy Adams told news.com.au.

“We take our role to provide them with free, professional support any hour of the day extremely seriously,” she said.

“I really celebrate that they have that courage and absolute ability to recognise in themselves that they need to talk to someone and help them through what’s worrying them.

More than 4000 children between the ages of five and nine reach out for help every year from Kids Helpline. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“The fact they understand themselves well enough to do that is very special. They should never feel not worthy and not valued. We have built a whole service for children and young people, not anyone else, so that’s how much we value them.”

Last year the service carried out 135,000 counselling responses to people from the age of five to 25.

Three per cent of all those contacts were made from children between five and nine years old.

Bullying is one of the key issues affecting the young children who reach out. The epidemic is claiming lives of children turning to suicide as an escape. This month a 10-year-old girl died in her bedroom on the NSW South Coast.

“We are not going to solve the bullying issue if we don’t engage with young people,” Ms Adams said.

“It’s really about building respect, celebrating diversity and helping students and young people to embrace their differences, celebrate them rather than feeling like differences make children a target.”

Mat and Kelly say their final goodbye to Charlotte. Picture Thomas Lisson

Ms Adams said the support service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not only helps young people but “walks beside families who have suffered great tragedy”.

One such family is Kellie and Mat O’Brien from Sydney who lost their 12-year-old daughter Charlotte to suicide last year.

Charlotte O'Brien, who suffered years of bullying at school, with her dad Mat.

The O’Briens are holding a Charlotte’s Wish charity event in August this year to raise much needed funds for the service so no child ever has their call unanswered.

“In the wake of our unimaginable loss, we are honouring her legacy by channelling our heartbreak into action,” Mat O’Brien said.

“We aim to strengthen Kids Helpline’s capacity to engage, inform, and support children, young people, parents, carers, and educators. It’s crucial for everyone to have access to the right support, at the right time, in the right way, and at no cost – 24/7,” he said.

Mat and Kelly O’Brien, with son Will, at a charity event in honour of Charlotte Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Our goal is to create a stronger safety net for children and young people, enabling them to access the right support when they need it most. We truly want no child or young person to feel alone, unheard, or helpless in the face of bullying.

“By working together to honour Charlotte, we believe we can create lasting change in the lives of children, young people, and their families.”

Mr O’Brien said that while bullying is a complex issue, doing nothing isn’t an option.”

The charity is also having a Giving Day on Thursday, hoping to raise $500,000 to allow for another 9000 counselling contacts a year.

To donate visit kidshelplinegivingday.com.au

Originally published as Girl, 7, contemplates suicide, reaches our for help