Using Child Helplines to Protect Children from School Violence

A joint effort by Plan International and Child Helpline Internatioonal (CHI), this study taps into the direct, unadulterated contacts child helplines worldwide have with children to help produce a very real picture of the types and incidences of violence and abuse children face in schools, as reported by children themselves.

Specifically, to assist in the formation of a joint advocacy agenda to help reduce school violence, Plan International and CHI undertook a two month pilot study in four countries from different cultures and regions where both organisations are active: Egypt, Paraguay, Sweden and Zimbabwe.

In each of these countries there is a functioning, nation-wide child helpline, all members of the CHI global network. For this study, the four child helplines recorded all school violence-related contacts they received over the two-month period. This data was then analysed by Plan International. While some of the details do differ slightly from one country to the next, the same overall conclusion can be drawn in each: violence and abuse in schools is a very real problem which must be dealt with.

This study made use of the combined expertise and resources of CHI and Plan International and provides a unique, in-depth look at the issue at hand.