   Modrá linka

An Account of activities in TES work during the last two years

Modrá linka was established before 15 years ago and is an emergency service for children and youth but will not refuse to comunicate with anyone else, even though his/her age does not correspond.

Presently, Modrá linka employs a team of 22 consultants. Fifteen of them operates on six hours shift basis, others serve occasionaly as needed by the organization.

Modrá linka operators are ready to react upon the needs of clients twelve hours daily, including Sundays and holidays, from 9 am to 9 pm. Client may choose from four ways how to contact us. It is possible to dial telephone n. +420 549 241 010, or cellular n. 608 902 410. Or electronically by Skype (Skypename: modralinka), another possibility is to contact TES operator by e-mail on address , or from site where an application form can be found. We reply on e-mails in less than 48 hours, every reply is consulted at least once by other team member. In the field of internet counselling, since 2008 Modrá linka is organizing conferences and since 2001 provides accredited education for broad spectrum of organizations in the Czech republic and the Slovak republic. We are contacted by phone or internet not only by Brno or the Czech republic inhabitants but also from the Slovak republic because of the language, historical and cultural proximity. We are frequently contacted by Czechs and Slovaks living abroad.

Modrá linka operators fulfill qualification requirements set by Social Services Act n.108/2006 Coll., which means mainly to have university degree in social work field or related. They participate regularely on intervision and supervision meetings, and continually self-educate, and participate on team educational activities.

2008 STATISTICS

In year 2008, Modrá linka registered 5063 contacts in total. Traditionally, clients contact us mainly via e-mail, in stable rate two thirds of e-mails to one third of phone calls. In voice services, the main part of calls is made via telephone (54%), internet (30%) and cellular (16%).

The largest age group seeking advice by Modrá linka are 10 to 14 years old children (29%) and youth from 15 to 19 years old (14%). 4% of contacts were made by clients older than 30 years, trying to deal with personal problems as well as problems of their children. Regarding the fact that nearly half of the clients use their right not to tell their age, it is necessary to také the possibility of certain error into account.

From the gender perspective, girls and women are repeatedly nearly six times more frequent in contacting us than men. Modrá linka is not contacted only by individuals but also by couples or groups of clients – peer or family (in year 2008, we registered eight cases).

Distribution of main issues of our clients do not differ much from the previous year. Most frequently, we are encountered by human relations issues, which, in our evidence, makes 33% from all the contacts approximately. Modrá linka is therefore a help in case of dealing with uneasy family, peer and partnership crisis situations. Second in frequency are personal and existencial issues, we have been contacted for this reason by 31% of clients. Another large group of problems, our clients contact us with, are health problems, representing 12% of the total. From this group the most frequent are gynekological and andrological themes (mainly physiological changes during adolescence), followed by issues of healthy living and optimal body weight, eating disorders, worries and questions concearning pregnancy, fear of the sexual diseases, etc. Other frequent themes are addiction issues and social pathology (5%).

We register gradual increase of sexual themes (7% - increase by 2% from 2006). Another theme consists of social legal issues (4%) and psychopathology (1%), children abuse and neglect syndrom (4% of contacts). Most of the cases were related to bullying and sexual abuse (total 107 cases). In two cases, after client‘s agreement, a notification duty for CAN suspection was carried out to Police of Czech republic. Minority issues were dealt with in one third of percent. Emergency line also provides help to clients who encountered traumatic crisis situation (2%), death of a close person or acts of violence, accidents, etc. In 15 cases we dealt with client‘s crisis situation, to whom emergency service was transconnected by integrated rescue system (emergency call 112).

2009 STATISTICS

In 2009, Modrá linka registered 4105 contacts in total. Traditionally, the most used way of communication was e-mail, this year in slightly smaller rate – 46% share of voice contact to 54% of written (e-mail) contact.

In voice services, the biggest part of phone was calls realized via traditional telephone wires, in 47%. Mobile networks are used in 32% and internet (Skype) in 21%. Modrá linka is an emergency service for children and youth, we do not reject anyone else in crisis situation, even though hes/her age is higher than the designated age period, it is reflected in the following statistics:

The largest age group seeking advice by Modrá linka are children of age10 to 14 years children and youth from 15 to 19 years old (13%). 3% of contacts made by clients older than 30 years, with personal problems as well as problems of their children. Regarding the fact that nearly half of the clients use their right not to tell their age, it is necessary to take the possibility of certain error into account.

From the gender perspective women and girls are six times more frequent in contacting us than men. In 2009 we registered slightly higher interest from boys and men, within the range of few percent. Modrá linka is not contacted only by individuals but also by couples or groups of clients – peer or family, in 2009 in 7 cases.

Distribution of main issues of our clients in 2009, does not differ much from the previous year. Most frequent are human relations issues, approximetely in 33,3% of contacts in total. Modrá linka is therefore a help in dealing with difficult and crisis situations in family, peer and partner relations issues. Second most frequent are personal and existencial uneasiness, 32.6% of clients contacts. Another highly represented group of problems refers to health issues (10,4%), from which the most frequent are gynecological and andrological issues (mostly physilogical changes related to adolescence), then issues referring to healthy living and optimal body weight, eating disorders, worries or questions referring to pregnancy, anxiety from sexual diseases, etc. Other frequent issues refer to addictions and social pathology (4,6%). We register gradual increase of sexual issues (6,2%). Following are social and legal issues (5,3%) and psychopathology (1,6%), children abuse and neglect syndrom (4% of contacts). Number of cases were related to bullying (51 cases) and sexual abuse (34 cases), physical maltreatment (equaly 34 cases). Major part of contacts were related to mental cruelty (62 cases). In two cases was, after clients aggreement, a notification duty for CAN suspection was carried out to the Police of the Czech republic. Minority related issues we dealt with in 0,4% of cases. Emergency service provides help also to clients affected by traumatic crisis situation (1,6%), death of close person, crime victims, accidents, etc.