100 children a week call about parents' drinking

Published on Friday 13 August 2010 15:25

More than 100 children call a helpline each week to talk about their parents drinking or taking drugs, a charity said yesterday.

Children as young as five contact ChildLine, a free 24-hour number run by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), because they are concerned and scared about the alcohol and drug use.

Last year there were 5,700 calls from children wanting to talk about the problem, as well as physical and sexual abuse, or neglect.

One 10-year-old told ChildLine: "My mum drinks all the time. She leaves me alone lots of the time. I feel scared and lonely. I look after mum when she drinks and put her to bed. She shouts and hits me. I don't want to feel pain. I want to die."

The NSPCC said some children were desperately trying to cope with the traumatic role reversal of attempting to look after their parents, brothers and sisters.

Yet despite the burden of responsibility they were more concerned with solving their families' problems than their own, according to the charity.

More than 4,000 children rang the helpline last year to say they were worried about their parents' excessive drinking.

The youngsters were more than three times as likely to mention suffering physical abuse (35 per cent) than other children who called, and 20 per cent mentioned issues with family conflicts, while 10 per cent spoke of sexual abuse.

A 13-year-old boy said: "My mum is an alcoholic. I need to stop mum and dad arguing and fighting. It is always happening.

"I feel upset at the way my dad treats her. I feel sad because she goes off for days and drinks. I have not told anyone about what is happening."

Sue Minto, head of ChildLine, said: "The fallout from parental drug and alcohol abuse is a ticking timebomb in many children's lives. It's vital these children are helped before lasting damage occurs.

"ChildLine has given a voice to these hidden children, many of whom feel they have a shameful secret to hide."