Children’s Helpline

Sedaye Yara helpline center, created by the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child to offer counseling on issues related to children and adolescents, received 516 calls during the first five months of this calendar year that began in March.

“Of the total calls, 89% were by mothers, 7% by children, 2% by persons known to the child, and 2% by fathers,” a social worker working with the association, Shirin Sadr Nouri, said, ISNA reported.

Approximately 54% of the calls were associated with issues pertaining to boys, she said, adding that family issues were the main reason for the calls.

As part of the helpline program, set up in 2001, psychologists, social workers and trained specialists offer free counseling to anonymous callers in dealing with children and adolescents.