Surge in demand for support with children’s emotional wellbeing

Scotland’s national children’s charity, Children First, has seen a significant surge in demand for its services - supporting more than 1,000 additional people this year compared to last year.

The charity reports that emotional wellbeing is the most pressing issue facing families it supports, with over 60% of children experiencing challenges related to their mental and emotional health.

Children First offers practical, emotional and financial support to children and families when they need it most, helping them to recover from trauma and harm.

A recent survey conducted by the charity revealed that online harm is the number one threat identified by children and young people themselves, at a time when cybercrime rates have doubled in recent years.

Fourteen-year-old Amelia* was already being supported by Children First, when she and her friends were collectively targeted by an abuser online. She says:

“I was in a Snapchat group, with about ten other teenagers, all my age and from near where I live. A new guy joined and when he started sending indecent pictures, I realised he was only pretending he knew us.

 “Some of my friends thought it was a laugh, and we should just sort of shrug it off but my Children First worker has been helping me understand what’s safe in relationships and I knew that we shouldn’t just let it go. I told an adult I trusted and we reported it to the police.

 “After he left the Snapchat group, the abuser tried to contact me directly. I blocked him but it’s scary that he didn’t just go away.

 “If I hadn’t already been through some of the awful things I experienced when I was little, didn’t have adults around me that I trust and wasn’t being supported by Children First something even more terrible might have happened.

 “I want other young people to know how easily something like this can start, that if it does it’s not their fault and that they must speak up and get help to make it stop and keep themselves safe.”

Mary Glasgow, Children First’s Chief Executive, said: "Children and families across Scotland are telling our support teams that they feel alone and overlooked. They’re finding it tough to make ends meet, to support their children to go to school, stay safe in their communities and avoid abuse and exploitation online.

“We are extremely concerned that violent and sexualised content, as well as abuse and bullying online is having an ever-increasing impact on children and young people's mental health, leaving many frightened and anxious. Without support to recover, the effects can be devastating.

"Young people are telling us they are not safe online and that they need adults to protect them. Scotland’s children need us all to take urgent action to tackle online harm.”

Last month Children First published a manifesto for the Holyrood 2026 Elections, calling on the next Scottish Government to commit to urgently tackling online harm as a public health crisis.

Children First’s Scotland-wide confidential support line can be called free on 08000 28 22 33 or contacted by webchat at www.childrenfirst.org.uk. The charity’s support line is open 9am – 9pm, Monday to Friday or 9am – 12 noon Saturday and Sunday.

To donate to help protect Scotland’s children go to www.childrenfirst.org.uk/donate 

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the young person quoted.