National child abuse hotline sees uptick as children stay home during quarantine

We are two 9th graders attending Phoenix Country Day School and have recently started a youth-led organization called Kids Inspire Difference (a.k.a. K.I.D), dedicated to inspiring kids around the world to help and support other underprivileged kids.

Working in collaboration with other international nonprofits, devoted to helping children, we aim to create a bridge connecting youth who want to make a difference to kids in need.

Through the use of social media campaigns, we hope to impact the lives of children within the U.S. and abroad who face abuse, neglect, illness, poverty, illiteracy, war, and other social and emotional disadvantages.

We have been working in close collaboration with Childhelp, one of the largest nonprofits in the world fighting for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect in creating our first campaign, “A Million Reasons.”

Through educating kids like us and raising awareness about the issue of child abuse, neglect and its millions of victims, we hope to encourage others to spread Childhelp’s hotline number and raise donations to support the hotline.

The National Child Abuse hotline is available 24/7, staffed by professional crisis counselors, with access to over 170 languages through interpreters. This past year, the hotline reported nearly 100,000 calls. This hotline is a lifeline.

Recently, however, the Childhelp hotline has seen an 11% increase in texts/online chats and a 10% increase in calls, now that more children are out of school and at home with their abusers.

In addition, youth have less access to outside support and services such as teachers and counselors. This situation tends to raise the anxiety and stress for many, causing the predator to become more aggravated and leave the child feeling more isolated.

We cannot allow this health pandemic to become an abuse pandemic. We need your help.

Support our cause by visiting our website kidsinspiredifference.org to donate today. Just $5 can support a call on the hotline and save the life of a child.

You can also contribute by following our Instagram @kidsinspiredifference for daily updates and posts about our initiative and how you can help. Spread this message to your family and friends to get this hotline number in the hands of a child who needs it.

If you are experiencing or witnessing abuse please call 1-800-4-A-Child. Recognize it. Report it. Prevent it.

Editor’s Note: Misha Ghafouri and Devan Amin are students at Phoenix Country Day School.