Parentline 2012 OVERVIEW

Transcription

1 Parentline 2012 OVERVIEW Support, counselling and parent education for the cost of a local call 1

2 Parentline 2012 OVERVIEW Parentline counsellors are able to talk with you about your family and any parenting challenges. We can assist you to: Understand the way your family works Believe in your own skills and strengths Change how things are done in a way that suits your family Access information on services and resources in your local community Increase your parenting skills through overthe-phone training Parentline provides education, guidance and support for parents and other individuals who care for children in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Parentline Parentline is a joint initiative of: The service operates between 8am-10pm, seven days a week for the cost of a local call.

3 Contents Page Introduction 2 Summary and Highlights 3 Who Contacted Parentline? 4 Age, Gender and Cultural Background of Callers 4 Are Callers Parents, Carers or Other Family Members? 5 Diversity of Family Structures 5 Where Did They Phone From? 6 Main Concerns 6 Challenging Behaviour and Discipline 9 Parent-Child Relationships 9 Parenting Strategies 9 Parent Relationships 10 Mental and/or Emotional Health of a Child 11 Contact and Access Issues 11 Family Law 12 Mental and/or Emotional Health of Parent 12 Child Abuse 12 Violent Behaviour of Child 13 Concerns for Client Groups 13 Differences Between Genders 13 Concerns for Children of Different Ages 14 Concerns for Single Parents 16 Concerns for Grandparents 16 Concerns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clients 17 Concerns for Clients of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds 17 Concerns for Non-Custodial Parents 18 Ongoing Counselling 18 Referral to Other Support Services 19 Client Satisfaction and Counselling Outcomes 19 Data Collection and Limitations 21 1

4 Parentline 2012 Overview Introduction Parentline commenced in Queensland in April 1996 as a confidential telephone counselling service providing professional counselling, education and support for parents and carers of children and young people. It was extended to the Northern Territory in May Parentline receives funding from both the Queensland Department of Education and Training (Office for Early Childhood Education and Care) and the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families. The service operates between 8am and 10pm, seven days a week for the cost of a local call.* Counsellors respond to more than 220 calls each week concerning a range of issues such as parenting strategies for challenging behaviours, parent-child relationships, custody and access, and the emotional wellbeing of children and young people. During 2012, Parentline also offered support to parents and carers online, with 92 and 33 real-time web counselling sessions provided. Parents, carers and family members have direct access to counsellors and can choose to speak with either a male or female counsellor. They are also able to call back and speak with the same counsellor to work through their issues. Parentline provides a mix of assistance through counselling, information and referral that is tailored to meet individual client needs. Parentline assists callers to: Obtain a better understanding of the way their family works Believe in themselves and their own skills and strengths Reflect on and develop strategies for changing how things are done in their family in a way that suits their individual family s needs Identify their information needs counsellors can provide callers with relevant tip sheets regarding more than 100 topics. Parentline focuses on the parenting relationship, of which there are three main dimensions: Concerns in relation to the child (parenting strategies and skills related to behaviour management or concerns for the child s emotional well-being) Relationship concerns (relationship with children or relationship between parents/carers) Concerns in relation to the caller s role as a parent or carer. *Mobile phone charges apply 2

5 Summary and Highlights Queensland and Northern Territory parents, carers and family members sought help from Parentline at high rates during Overall, there were 13,064 attempts to reach the telephone counselling service with counsellors responding to 8,925 (68%) of these calls. In addition, counsellors made 2,606 outreach calls to parents and carers, 50% more than the previous year. They also provided 92 responses and engaged in 33 web counselling sessions. In total, Parentline counsellors engaged in 11,656 individual sessions, providing counselling, support, information and/or referral services across telephone, and web. This was an increase of 12% from the previous year. The objective of this 2012 Overview, is to detail the diversity of Parentline clients, their main concerns and the nature of those concerns. Parentline has continued to be successful in reaching a diverse range of clients including custodial and non-custodial parents, grandparents, two-parent and blended families, single-parents, extended family members, first-time and ongoing callers and clients in regional areas. In fact, Parentline saw an increase in contacts from parents and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and an increase in contacts from parents and carers who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The profile of main problems concerning callers has remained consistent over the 16 years of Parentline operations. These relate to problems with children s challenging behaviour, parenting strategies, enhancing relationships, mental and emotional wellbeing, infant care, custody or family law issues and child abuse. Parentline has noted increases during 2012 in the number of contacts about parenting strategies, contact and access issues, and parent s relationships compared with Additionally, there were decreases in the number of contacts about infant care and development concerns; child physical health or disability; bullying; and concerns about children running away or leaving home compared with Men, grandparents, single parents, non-custodial parents and those callers receiving ongoing support from Parentline sought help at different rates on a number of issues to people from two parent families: Men were significantly more likely than women to seek help from Parentline about family law concerns, and contact and access issues Grandparents were significantly more likely than parents to seek help about child abuse concerns, family law issues and children s relationships with others Single-parent families were significantly more likely than two-parent families to seek help about family law, contact and access, parent-other relationships and their own mental and emotional wellbeing Non-custodial parents were significantly more likely to seek help about parent-child relationships, parent mental or emotional health and child abuse concerns (when compared to custodial parents and those with shared custody) Clients engaging in ongoing counselling support were significantly more likely than first-time and occasional clients to seek help about their own mental and emotional wellbeing, relationships between parents, parenting strategies, family law issues, contact and access issues, parent relationships with others, and issues related to their parenting role or self-concept. Parents concerns often changed with the age of their children. For instance, help-seeking about parenting strategies and relationships between parents were significantly more prominent for families with children aged up to 9 years. Concerns about contact, access and family law issues were predominant issues for parents of children under the age of 10 years. Concerns about behaviours and discipline were most prominent for families with children aged between 10 and 18 years. As children get older, there was an increase in the concerns about parentchild relationships. Feedback from Parentline clients during 2012, continued to report high levels of satisfaction and effectiveness of the service to create positive change for parents and children. Ninety-eight percent of parents reported satisfaction with the service and 97% rated the service as effective overall. When applicable to their concerns and needs, more than 90% of parents rated the service as effective at increasing parenting confidence, parenting strategies and skills; understanding children s needs; parents capacity to cope and to be effective at improving relationships with children. Additionally, parents reports of observed changes in their children suggest that Parentline enhances children s social and emotional well-being and behavioural adjustment. 3

6 Online Support The Parentline website continued to offer access to information and support to parents and carers. The site provides 24/7 access to parenting information and tip sheets, with new material added monthly. During 2012, there were 32,987 visits from 27,587 unique visitors, with 80,176 pages viewed. There were 8,485 downloads of the hot topics, which provide information on key areas of concern about children and young people. This represents a 50% increase in downloads of hot topics on the previous year (5,637). During the year, the top 10 hot topics were: 1. Cross-cultural-differences 1, Cyber-bullying 1, Respectful relationships Sleep Alcohol and other drugs Exam stress Anxiety Self-harm Making friends Transitioning 321 and web counselling provide those parents who do not feel comfortable speaking with someone over the phone an alternative method of help-seeking. Real-time web counselling is available between 11am and 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Parents are also able to a message, query or request to counsellors. counselling often works for those clients who need to take longer to compose their message or express their thoughts and feelings. It also benefits individuals who feel confronted by phone and web counselling. Who Contacted Parentline? Of the total 11,656 telephone, web and interactions during 2012, Parentline counsellors recorded detailed information for 11,606 sessions. The remainder of this Overview is based upon counsellor s data from these 11,606 interactions with parents and carers across Queensland and the Northern Territory. Age, Gender and Cultural Background of Callers Parentline clients ranged in age from teenagers to 83 year olds, with 91% aged 21 to 59 years. The average age was 41 years. Females made up 83% of contacts, with males comprising the remaining 17%. Although there was a slight increase in male callers since 2011, these proportions are consistent with the tendency for mothers to take a primary caring role for children in our community and are consistent with male helpseeking tendencies in general, especially in terms of their use of counselling services. The cultural background of callers to Parentline is provided in Table 1. The data shows that more than 13% of sessions were with parents and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, while almost 6% were with Indigenous parents and carers. Table 1 Cultural background of callers to Parentline Cultural background Proportion* 2012 (n =6,567) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 5.9% CALD 13.7% Other 80.4% Total 100% * Proportions based on numbers of sessions where the cultural background of client was known During 2012, Parentline saw an increase in contacts from parents and carers from CALD and Indigenous backgrounds. 4

7 368 Parentline sessions (5.9%) were with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and carers: a 116% increase in absolute numbers of sessions with this group as compared with 2011 figures. 901 sessions (14%) were from CALD clients: a 24% increase in the absolute number of sessions compared with Notably, given that the background of clients was recorded in 57% of contacts during 2012, the above figures are likely to be an under-representation of the actual number of counselling sessions provided to Indigenous and culturally diverse clients. Are Callers Parents, Carers or Other Family Members? Most Parentline clients (60%) phoned with concerns about a child 48% regarding a female child and 52% concerning a male child. Ages ranged from newborn babies up to adult children. Table 2 demonstrates the spread across age ranges. Table 2 Age of client s children Age Group Proportion of Contacts (n = 6,752) 0-4 years 20% 5-9 years 18% years 30% years 26% Adult Offspring 6% Total 100% The majority (70%) of individuals contacting Parentline in 2012 were custodial parents. A further 13% were parents with shared custody and 8% were non-custodial parents. These proportions have been mostly consistent since Parentline began. Contacts from grandparents accounted for over 5% of sessions, of which a third had full or shared custody of their grandchildren. Parentline also received a small number of contacts (4%) from foster carers, other relatives, family friends, neighbours and professionals involved with children (e.g. teachers and social workers). Diversity of Family Structures Clients who contacted Parentline were mostly concerned about children residing in single parent families (48%) or two-biological parent families (32%). A smaller proportion of clients were from two-parent blended families (17%). The remaining 3% of callers were extended family members or had another relationship to the family. These proportions demonstrate an increase in contacts from single parents and two-parent blended families during 2012 as compared with the previous year (44% from single parents and 15% from two-parent blended families during 2011). Most families had one (39%), two (33%) or three (16%) children. However, having four or more children was not uncommon (12%). During 2012, more than 11,000 interactions with parents and carers saw Parentline counsellors provide a service that impacted on approximately 25,000 children throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory*. *This figure has been extrapolated to account for missing data 5

8 Main Concerns Where Did They Phone From? Ninety-five percent of sessions (11,018) with Parentline counsellors during 2012 were with Queensland residents and 4% with Northern Territory residents (503 contacts). The remaining 1% of sessions were from other states - New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia. This ratio was consistent with previous years. Parentline counsellors spent an average of 31 minutes with clients in telephone and online counselling sessions, with the duration of sessions ranging from one minute to more than two hours, depending on the clients needs. The 15 most frequent concerns for parents, carers and family members, who contacted Parentline in 2012, are shown in Figure 1 along with comparison data for All Parentline calls, s and web counselling sessions are directed to BoysTown s counselling centre in Brisbane. Of contacts from Queensland, 75% were from the South East region including Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. Additionally, 77% of Northern Territory contacts were from Darwin or its satellite city of Palmerston. The remaining contacts were received from regional areas (see Table 3). Table 3 Geographic location of contacts QUEENSLAND (n = 5,220) Brisbane 42% Gold Coast Region 11% Figure 1: Main Concerns 2012 Challenging behaviour and discipline Parent-child relationships Parenting strategies Parent relationships Child mental/ emotional wellbeing Contact and access Family Law 4.8% 4.0% 3.8% 4.2% 7.6% 6.5% 7.1% 7.1% 6.5% 6.4% 11.8% 11.7% 16.2% 18.4% Toowoomba Region 8% North Coast Region 7% Parent mental/ emotional wellbeing 3.6% 3.3% Ipswich Region 7% Sunshine Coast Region 7% Cairns/Cape York Region 6% Rockhampton Region 5% Mackay Region 4% Townsville Region 3% Mt Isa Region <1% Child abuse Violent behaviour of child Infant care and development Runaway/ leaving home Parenting role or self-concept 3.4% 3.3% 3.1% 3.7% 2.8% 3.6% 2.7% 3.5% 2.6% 3.0% NORTHERN TERRITORY (n = 200) Darwin 61% Palmerston 16% Alice Springs Region 16% Top End Region 5% Katherine Region 1% Tennant Creek 1% Parent-other relationships Child drug or alcohol use 2.4% 2.0% 2.0% % % 5% 10% 15% 20% Proportion of all Parentline concerns Note: geographic location was not recorded for all contacts 6

9 The top concerns faced by callers to Parentline have remained mostly consistent since the service began in In summary, the major concerns of parents and carers were: Challenging behaviour and discipline Enhancing parent-child relationships Parenting strategies Relationships between parents The mental and emotional well-being of children and parents Custody, access or family law issues Child abuse During the year, help-seeking rates increased for some issues and decreased for others compared with However, there are no consistent upward or downward trends emerging in terms of the concerns presented over recent years. The help-seeking changes noted during 2012 consisted of: The number of contacts from parents and carers with concerns about parenting strategies, contact and access issues and parent s relationships with others increased significantly compared with While not making the top concerns, the number of contacts about learning and study; legal issues and juvenile justice; and concerns about risktaking or suicidal behaviours of a child increased significantly compared with the previous year. The number and proportion of contacts declined in relation to infant care and development concerns; child physical health or disability; bullying; and concerns about children running away or leaving home. *For trends analysis refer to Table 4 on page 8 Parenting Strategies Darren* rang Parentline because he felt he needed help to understand and resolve an issue between his five year old daughter, Tegan* and his new girlfriend. He shares custody of his daughter with his ex-partner and Tegan seemed to be having difficulty adjusting to and accepting his relationship with a new woman. He told the counsellor that his girlfriend had made a big effort to try and be reassuring towards his daughter, but Tegan was throwing lots of tantrums and seemed to be very jealous of the new relationship.together Darren and the counsellor explored the dynamics in each relationship and information was offered about the relevant developmental stage Tegan might be experiencing and possible adjustment processes she might be going through in having a new stepfamily. The counsellor and Darren reviewed options for coping strategies and solutions such as slowing the pace of the new relationship, providing his daughter with plenty of reassurance about his love for her, as well as introducing some fun family activities involving both his daughter and new partner *name changed for privacy reasons. 7

10 Table 4 Problem type yearly trends - proportion of Parentline concerns by year Note: Over the past two years Parentline has noted changes in the nature of the contacts. In order to ensure the ongoing ability to meaningfully compare data with previous years, the proportion of problem types calculated in the following table is a proportion of all counselling sessions as opposed to a proportion of all contacts as reported in previous years. Of the total contacts to Parentline, 8,300 were categorised as counselling interventions. Data from the years has been updated. PRIMARY CONCERN BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT 25.3% 24.6% 25.2% 26.8% 28.4% 26.5% Challenging behaviour/discipline 13.7% 13.6% 16.8% 17.8% 18.4% 16.2% Parenting strategies 9.1% 8.3% 6.3% 6.6% 6.5% 7.6% Child runaway and/or left home 2.5% 2.7% 2.1% 2.4% 3.5% 2.7% INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 24.5% 26.1% 24.5% 21.5% 23.4% 23.5% Child-other relationships 2.0% 2.2% 2.3% 1.5% 2.2% 1.9% Parent-child relationships 12.6% 13.5% 12.3% 10.9% 11.7% 11.8% Parent-other relationships 2.8% 2.6% 2.5% 2.1% 2.0% 2.4% Parent relationships 6.6% 7.4% 7.1% 6.7% 7.1% 7.1% Sibling relationships 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.2% 0.4% 0.3% HEALTH/WELLBEING OF CHILD 8.5% 7.4% 7.5% 8.8% 9.2% 9.0% ADD/ADHD 1.2% 0.6% 0.6% 0.4% 0.5% 0.5% Mental and/or emotional health of a child 4.8% 4.6% 4.6% 5.5% 6.4% 6.5% Child physical health or disability 1.8% 1.5% 1.8% 2.3% 1.8% 1.3% Risk-taking or suicidal behaviours of child 0.7% 0.6% 0.4% 0.6% 0.5% 0.7% RESIDENCE/CONTACT 7.8% 7.0% 8.7% 8.9% 8.1% 8.7% Contact and access 3.1% 3.2% 3.2% 3.9% 4.0% 4.8% Family law 4.6% 3.8% 5.5% 5.0% 4.2% 3.8% HEALTH/WELLBEING OF PARENT 7.9% 8.2% 8.0% 7.8% 6.7% 6.7% Parent physical health or disability 0.7% 0.7% 1.0% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% Mental and/or emotional health of a parent 4.8% 4.8% 5.0% 4.7% 3.3% 3.6% Parenting role/self concept 2.4% 2.4% 1.8% 2.5% 3.0% 2.6% Suicide-related issues of parent/significant other 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% VIOLENCE 2.5% 3.1% 2.9% 3.8% 4.7% 4.2% Domestic violence 0.9% 1.0% 1.1% 0.8% 0.8% 0.9% Physical/sexual violence 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 0.2% Violent behaviour of child 1.2% 1.8% 1.5% 2.8% 3.7% 3.1% SCHOOL RELATED 3.1% 2.8% 3.3% 2.9% 4.5% 3.6% School authority 1.1% 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 0.8% 0.7% Bullying 0.6% 0.9% 1.1% 1.0% 1.6% 0.9% School adjustment 0.9% 0.8% 0.9% 0.9% 1.6% 1.2% Learning/study 0.6% 0.5% 0.7% 0.3% 0.5% 0.8% POST NATAL 6.4% 7.5% 6.5% 4.6% 3.9% 3.0% Infant care and development 5.8% 6.8% 5.9% 4.2% 3.6% 2.8% Post natal adjustment 0.6% 0.7% 0.6% 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% CHILD ABUSE 3.5% 3.6% 3.7% 4.1% 3.3% 3.4% Emotional abuse 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% Neglect of a child 0.6% 0.7% 0.9% 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% Physical abuse 0.7% 1.0% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% Sexual abuse 1.6% 1.6% 1.5% 2.1% 1.4% 1.5% DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE 1.9% 1.8% 2.1% 2.2% 2.7% 2.4% Child drug or alcohol use 1.5% 1.4% 1.8% 1.9% 2.2% 2.0% Drug or alcohol use of a family member 0.3% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% SEXUALITY 2.3% 2.3% 2.1% 2.3% 2.5% 1.9% Sexual behaviour 2.0% 1.9% 1.6% 1.9% 2.0% 1.5% Sexual orientation 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% Pregnancy 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% PRACTICAL ISSUES 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.9% Child Care 0.5% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% Employment/financial 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% Legal/juvenile justice 0.3% 0.4% 0.3% 0.7% 0.6% 1.0% OTHER CONCERNS 4.7% 4.1% 4.0% 4.6% 1.2% 5.3% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

11 Challenging Behaviour and Discipline After 16 years of operation, the number one reason parents and carers contacted Parentline remained concerns about managing children s challenging behaviour. This represents concerns about responding to children s behaviours and seeking help with discipline. Table 5 shows the nature of the 1,348 counselling sessions with parents/carers seeking help about these concerns during Table 5 Challenging Behaviours and Discipline Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 1,348) Seeking information 6% Intermittent behaviour/discipline problems 19% Ongoing behaviour/discipline problems 45% Significant distress and/or severe problem behaviour 22% Not coping and in need of referral/support 8% Total 100% Concerns about children s behaviour and discipline were most prominent for families with children aged 10 to 18 years (73% of all contacts about this issue). Callers were most likely to be custodial parents (80% compared with 70% across all problem types), and parents from two parent families (57% compared with 49% across all problem types). The vast majority (92%) of callers seeking assistance with managing challenging behaviour and discipline of children were first-time or occasional clients to the Parentline service. Parent-Child Relationships The number of parents with concerns about the relationships between themselves (as parent or as prime carer) and their children remained the second most common reason for contacting Parentline in Issues such as communication difficulties, arguments and interpersonal conflict continued to be common themes. This category also includes concern about the relationship between a child and the client s partner/ex-partner. Table 6 shows the details of the 983 counselling sessions about parent-child relationships. Table 6 Parent-Child Relationships Nature of Calls % of Contacts (n =983) Seeking information 7% Occasional problems with communication 14% Ongoing problems with communication 30% Conflict causing major concern 31% Severely distressed with the situation 18% Total 100% The number of contacts from parents focused on their relationship with their children increased as children grew older, with 57% of these concerns in 2012 about children older than 14 years. Additionally, non-custodial parents and parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) were proportionally more likely to seek help about parent-child relationships than custodial parents and parents from other backgrounds: 11% were non-custodial parents, compared with 8% across all problem types. 18% of these counselling sessions were with parents from CALD backgrounds compared with 13% across all problem types. Parenting Strategies These concerns are in relation to the client s need to explore parenting strategies and disciplinary techniques. Table 7 shows the nature of the 627 counselling sessions with parents and carers during

12 Table 7 Parenting Strategies Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n =627) Seeking information 21% Unsure about own strategies 26% Managing, but seeking new strategies 36% Major difficulties, current strategies not working 14% Severe distress, not coping 3% Total 100% Parenting strategy concerns were most likely to be raised by parents and carers regarding children aged up to 9 years, with 62% of contacts involving this age group. Additionally, ongoing clients were proportionally more likely to seek help about parenting strategies than one-off or occasional clients (23% of these contacts were with ongoing clients). Parent Relationships Parent relationship concerns include problems between the caller and their partner and/or ex-partner. Table 8 shows the nature of the 586 counselling sessions with parents/carers seeking help about these concerns. Table 8 Parent Relationships Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n =586) Awareness of relationship problems 10% Conflict over children/ parenting 18% strategies Concern about the effect of relationship problems on family Significant relationship difficulties causing distress Relationship breakdown/separation/ divorce 11% 22% 39% Total 100% Help-seeking about relationships between parents was significantly more prominent for families with younger children, with 63% of contacts during 2012 from families with children younger than 10 years. Additionally, ongoing clients and parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds were proportionally more likely to seek help about parent relationships than one-off or occasional clients and parents from other backgrounds. Of the contacts about parent relationships: 19% of these counselling sessions were with parents from CALD backgrounds compared with 13% across all problem types. 26% were sessions with clients accessing ongoing support from Parentline compared with 18% across all concerns. 10

13 Parent Relationships Stephanie* contacted Parentline in a state of exhaustion. She told the counsellor that her son had been born one year ago through emergency Caesarean four weeks prematurely and that subsequently she had not been able to take much maternity leave. She told the counsellor she relied heavily on her parents for practical support and often felt her own partner was not supportive at all. She reflected to the counsellor that she was experiencing difficulty at work and feeling socially isolated, often feeling frustrated and having outbursts as the only way to feel heard. Life had become so bad that the neighbours had called the police last night because she had been screaming so loudly at her husband. Stephanie was feeling very embarrassed but also at a loss as to how to communicate her need for more support to her husband without turning everything into a fight. The counsellor normalised Stephanie s experiences and validated her frustration and exhaustion. The counsellor also assisted Stephanie to reflect on her strengths in managing to hold onto a job and care for her baby throughout this difficult time. Together they explored community supports Stephanie could access such as connecting with a mother s group and using Parentline as a place to vent her emotions when they become overwhelming. Stephanie was also offered a referral to her local Community and Child Health Clinic for access to support/mother groups. *name changed for privacy reasons. Mental and/or Emotional Health of Child Concerns about children s mental health and/or emotional wellbeing included changes in the child s behaviour, ways of interacting with others or related to issues such as grief, loneliness, eating disorders, psychosis, depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Table 9 shows the nature of the 538 counselling sessions related to these issues during Table 9 Mental and/or Emotional Health of Child Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 538) Enquiry about child s mental/emotional state 19% Concern over recent change in child s behaviour 20% Concern for child with ongoing mental/ emotional problems Difficulties coping with mentally/emotionally ill child Severe distress, requires urgent intervention/ referral 37% 20% 4% Total 100% Concerns about children s mental health or emotional wellbeing tended to be evenly spread across children of all ages between 5 and 18 years, with 91% of contacts in relation to children older than 5 years. These issues were predominantly presented by first-time or occasional clients (90%). Contact and Access Issues This problem type represents concerns about arrangements for contact or access with children, including difficulty agreeing on or maintaining access arrangements with other parents, family members, or a child protection agency. Table 10 shows the nature of the 401 concerns presented by parents and carers during Table 10 Contact and Access Issues Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 401) Seeking information 17% No contact/access arrangements in place 13% Occasional difficulties with access 10% Ongoing difficulties 35% Continual lack of contact 25% Total 100% 11

14 Contact and access concerns in 2012 were most prominent for families with children younger than 10 years (69%). Fathers, single parents, noncustodial parents, parents with shared custody and ongoing clients had a greater representation in concerns about contact and access: 36% were male (mostly fathers), compared with 17% across all concerns 77% were single parents, compared with 48% across all problem types 60% were non-custodial parents (28%) or parents with shared custody (32%) compared with 21% across all problem types 26% were sessions with clients accessing ongoing support from Parentline compared with 18% across all concerns Family Law Family law concerns include any family law matters, the process or outcomes of family court action or other issues related to family court decisions. Table 11 shows the nature of the 319 family law related concerns during Table 11 Family Law Concerns Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 319) Enquiry about family law 39% Concerned about the process or outcomes of mediation/ counselling 10% Difficulties with receiving or paying child support/ maintenance 12 3% Ongoing family law matters 38% Unresolved, dissatisfied with court decision 10% Total 100% The majority of family law contacts were from single parents (77%) and parents concerned about children younger than 10 years (69%). Males, grandparents, non-custodial parents, parents with shared custody, and ongoing clients also had a greater representation in family law concerns: 38% were males compared with 17% across all problems types. 45% were non-custodial parents (17%) or parents with shared custody (28%) compared with 21% across all problem types. 31% were sessions with clients accessing ongoing support from Parentline compared with 18% across all concerns. 9% were with grandparents compared with 5% across all problem types. Mental and/or Emotional Health of Parent This problem type relates to concerns about the mental health and/or emotional wellbeing of the client, another parent or carer. Table 12 shows the nature of the 296 counselling sessions with parents and carers seeking help about these concerns during Table 12 Mental and/or Emotional Health of Parent Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 296) Seeking information 8% Dealing with issues from own childhood 10% Coping but needing support or strategies 52% Problem interferes with parenting 24% Needs urgent intervention or referral 6% Total 100% The majority of contacts about a parent s mental health and/or emotional wellbeing were from single parents (59%) and half of these contacts during 2012 were with clients accessing ongoing counselling and support from Parentline (50%). In addition, noncustodial parents made proportionally more contacts about mental and/or emotional wellbeing of a parent: 16% were non-custodial parents, compared with 8% across all concerns. Child Abuse Contacts to Parentline about child abuse issues in 2012 related to sexual abuse (44%), physical abuse (25%), neglect (19%) and emotional abuse (12%). Tables 13 and 14 shows the nature of these 282 concerns. Table 13 Sexual Abuse Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 123) Enquiry or suspected abuse 47% Unsure how to support an abused child 33% Concern for child currently at risk of abuse 13% Distress over ongoing abuse 5% Severe distress, urgent intervention or referral required 2%

15 Concerns for Client Groups Table 14 Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse or Neglect Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 159) Enquiry or suspected abuse 39% Concern over evidence of physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect Concern about own behaviour in relation to physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect 38% 2% Concern about ongoing abuse 18% Severe distress, urgent intervention or referral required Child abuse concerns mostly related to children younger than 10 years (60%), with 84% in regard to children younger than 15 years. These concerns were predominantly presented by first-time and occasional clients (90%). Grandparents also made proportionally more contacts about child abuse (15% of these contacts) compared with their helpseeking across other problem types (5%). Violent Behaviour of Child Concerns about the violent behaviour of a child included intimidation, harassment or threatening behaviour. Table 15 shows the nature of these concerns for parents/carers seeking help during Table 15 Violent Behaviour of Child Nature of Contacts % of Contacts (n = 257) Seeking information 8% Concern related to an incidence of violence 32% Client fearful for safety of self/family 31% Frustration, no intervention works 22% Injury to client or others from violence 7% Total 100% The vast majority of callers seeking assistance with violent behaviour of children were first-time or occasional clients (90%) to the Parentline service. 3% Differences Between Genders The top two concerns for both male and female callers to Parentline during 2012 were from parents seeking help with managing children s challenging behaviour; and enhancing parent-child relationships. Males (mostly fathers) were proportionally more likely than females to seek help about family law concerns, and contact and access issues. It is important to note that men were more likely (than women) to be experiencing shared parental custody or to have no custodial rights at all. Fiftyfour percent of males reported being a custodial parent compared with 73% of females, 18% shared custody of their child versus 12% of females, and 22% reported a non-custodial relationship with their child compared with 5% of female clients. Top 10 Concerns of Male Clients 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Contact and access issues 4. Family law 5. Parenting strategies 6. Parent relationships 7. Child mental/emotional health 8. Child abuse 9. Parent mental/emotional health 10. Child runaway or left home Females were more likely than males to seek help about challenging behaviour and discipline concerns; infant care and development; parenting role/selfconcept; and parent relationships with others. Top 10 Concerns of Female Clients 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Parenting strategies 4. Parent relationships 5. Child mental/emotional health 6. Contact and access issues 7. Parent mental/emotional health 8. Child abuse 9. Violent behaviour of a child 10. Infant care and development 13

16 Concerns for children of different ages The issues about which individuals contact Parentline also differ according to the age of the child of concern: Concerns about behaviours and discipline were most prominent for families with children aged between 10 and 18 years. Parents of children in this age group were also more likely to contact about a runaway child or children leaving home than those with children of other ages. As children get older, there was a significant increase in the concerns about parent-child relationships it is the number one reason for contacting about children 19 years and older. Help-seeking about parenting strategies and relationships between parents was significantly more prominent for families with younger children, aged up to 9 years. Contact and access issues and family law issues were most prominent for families with children younger than 9 years. Virtually all contacts about infant care and development were from parents with children aged less than 5 years. Child mental and emotional wellbeing concerns were significantly greater for parents with children older than 5 years. Child abuse concerns were significantly higher for parents calling about children aged up to 9 years. Parents of older children (15 years and above) were significantly more likely to have concerns about a child s drug or alcohol use. 14

17 The Top 10 Concerns for Each Age Group Children 0-4 Years 1. Parenting strategies 2. Infant care and development 3. Challenging behaviour and discipline 4. Parent relationships 5. Contact and access issues 6. Parent mental/emotional health 7. Family law 8. Child abuse 9. Parent-child relationships 10. Child mental/emotional health Children Years 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Child mental/emotional health 4. Child runaway/leaving home 5. Violent behaviour of child 6. Child drug/alcohol use 7. Parenting strategies 8. Parent relationships 9. Child-other relationships 10. Parenting role/self concept Children 5-9 Years 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent relationships 3. Parenting strategies 4. Contact and access issues 5. Child mental/emotional health 6. Child abuse 7. Family law* 7. Parent-child relationships* 9. Parent mental/emotional health 10. Violent behaviour of child Adult Children 1. Parent-child relationships 2. Child mental/emotional health 3. Child drug/alcohol use 4. Challenging behaviour and discipline 5. Child-other relationships 6. Violent behaviour of child 7. Parenting strategies 8. Parenting role/self concept 9. Parent mental/emotional health 10. Parent relationships * These two issues were ranked equal 7th Children Years 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Child mental/emotional health 4. Parenting strategies 5. Parent relationships 6. Violent behaviour of child 7. Child runaway and/or leaving home 8. Contact and access issues 9. Child abuse 10. Family law 15

18 Concerns for Single-Parents Single-parents were significantly more likely to seek help from Parentline about family law concerns, contact and access issues, parent-other relationships and their own mental and emotional wellbeing. The following list presents the top 10 concerns for single parents: Concerns for Grandparents Grandparents were significantly more likely than parents or carers to seek help from Parentline about child abuse concerns, family law concerns and children s relationships with others. The following list presents the top 10 concerns for grandparents: Top 10 Concerns of Single Parents 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Parent relationships 4. Contact and access issues 5. Family law 6. Parenting strategies 7. Child mental/emotional health 8. Parent mental/emotional health 9. Violent behaviour of a child 10. Parent-other relationships Top 10 Concerns of Grandparents 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Child abuse 4. Child mental/emotional health 5. Family law 6. Violent behaviour of child 7. Child-other relationships # 7. Contact and access issues # 7. Parenting strategies # 10. Domestic violence* 10. Parent relationships* # These three issues were ranked equal 7th * These two issues were ranked equal 10th 16

19 Concerns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clients During 2012, Parentline counsellors delivered counselling to clients who identified themselves as Indigenous. The following list presents the top 10 concerns for Indigenous Parents: Top 10 Concerns of Indigenous Clients 1. Contact and access issues 2. Family law 3. Parent-child relationships 4. Challenging behaviour and discipline 5. Parent mental/emotional health 6. Child abuse 7. Parent relationships 8. Parenting strategies 9. Child mental/emotional health 10. Violent behaviour of child Concerns for Clients of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds During 2012, Parentline counsellors delivered counselling to clients who identified as belonging to a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. These callers were proportionally more likely to seek help about parent-child relationships, and relationships between parents (when compared with all other clients). The following list presents the top 10 concerns for the CALD parents during 2012: Top 10 Concerns of CALD Clients 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Parent relationships 4. Parenting strategies 5. Child mental/emotional health 6. Child abuse* 6. Contact and access issues* 8. Violent behaviour of child 9. Parent-other relationships 10. Child-other relationships Family law Infant care and development + * These two issues were ranked equal 6th + These three issues were ranked equal 10th 17

20 Concerns for Non-Custodial Parents Non-custodial parents were significantly more likely to seek help from Parentline about parent-child relationships, parent mental or emotional health and child abuse concerns (when compared to custodial parents and those with shared custody). Both non-custodial parents and those with shared custody were significantly more likely to seek help about contact and access issues and family law issues (when compared to custodial parents). The following list presents the top 10 concerns for non-custodial parents: Top 10 Concerns of Non-Custodial Parents 1. Contact and access issues 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Family law 4. Parent mental/emotional health 5. Parent relationships 6. Challenging behaviour and discipline 7. Child mental/emotional health 8. Parenting strategies 9. Child abuse 10. Child-other relationships Ongoing Counselling Over the past year, most counselling and support provided was with first-time clients (64%) and clients who contact Parentline occasionally (18%). However, a unique feature of the service is the ability to provide ongoing counselling and support and allow clients to reconnect with the same counsellor over a period of time. The remaining 18% of interactions were with clients engaged in ongoing counselling with Parentline counsellors. There were differences in the issues that parents sought help about once or twice and those issues that were likely to involve ongoing counselling support. First-time and occasional clients were significantly more likely than ongoing clients to seek help about challenging behaviour and discipline, child mental/emotional health, child abuse, violent behaviour of a child, and contacts about children running away or leaving home. The following list presents the top 10 concerns for first-time and occasional clients of Parentline: Top 10 Concerns of First-Time and Occasional Clients 1. Challenging behaviour and discipline 2. Parent-child relationships 3. Parenting strategies 4. Child mental/emotional health 5. Parent relationships 6. Contact and access issues 7. Child abuse 8. Violent behaviour of child 9. Family law 10. Child runaway or left home Clients engaging in ongoing counselling support with Parentline were significantly more likely than first-time and occasional clients to be seeking help about their own mental and emotional well-being, relationships between parents, parenting strategies, family law issues, contact and access issues, parent relationships with others, and issues related to their parenting role or self-concept. The following list presents the top 10 concerns for clients engaging in ongoing counselling support: Top 10 Concerns of Clients Engaging in Ongoing Counselling Support 1. Parent-child relationships 2. Parent mental/emotional health 3. Parent relationships 4. Parenting strategies 5. Challenging behaviours and discipline 6. Family law 7. Contact and access issues 8. Parent-other relationships 9. Parent role/self-concept 10. Child mental/emotional health 18

21 Referral to Other Support Services Client Satisfaction and Counselling Outcomes Parentline counsellors have access to an extensive database of support services for parents and children. These include child health services, family counselling services, clinical services for behaviour management, child care and parent support groups. The database allows counsellors to quickly identify relevant services within the caller s local community. Counsellors were able to directly assist 55% of Parentline clients without referring them to another agency. Twenty-four percent of counselling sessions resulted in the client being referred to another service for ongoing support. A further 16% of Parentline clients were referred to their doctor, counsellor, mental health worker or other non-specific referral. In 5% of sessions, counsellors were unable to provide a referral because no appropriate service was available or the client finished the session before a referral was recommended. Parentline conducts an annual survey amongst parents and carers from Queensland and the Northern Territory who use the telephone counselling service. The survey measures the effectiveness of Parentline in empowering parents and carers to overcome their concerns, assist with parenting support needs, as well as assessing their level of satisfaction with the service. In 2012, 152 parents and carers participated in the survey. The sample group included both male and female callers from a diverse range of ages and cultural backgrounds. Ninety-eight percent of clients reported satisfaction with the telephone counselling service, of which 85% claimed to be very satisfied. In addition, 97% of clients said they would recommend Parentline to a friend, many of whom gave unsolicited feedback that they had already made recommendations. Parentline was rated as effective overall by 97% of all parents surveyed. Before the call I felt confused and inadequate. Afterwards, I felt very empowered and they knew how to help me. It was exactly what I needed. Parentline helped me understand things about family relationships, my kids state and the developmental stages of kids. It increased my parenting ability, it s easier to cope and we are a happier family. In addition, parents were asked to rate Parentline s effectiveness in relation to its ability to assist them in the specific areas of parenting confidence; parenting strategies and skills; understanding children s needs; personal capacity to cope; improving their relationship with their children; and improving their ability to care for their children. As Parentline provides a broad range of assistance in terms of information, counselling, support and referral depending on client needs, not all parenting outcomes are relevant for every client. Of the clients surveyed, 99% rated Parentline as effective or very effective at assisting them with at least one of these areas. When an area was considered relevant by the client to their reasons for seeking assistance from Parentline, the following rates of effectiveness were reported: 19

22 97% for increasing parenting confidence 96% for increasing their personal capacity to cope 94% at improving their ability to care for their child/children 93% for increasing their understanding of their children s needs 92% for increasing parenting strategies and skills, and 90% for improving their relationships with their children. Parentline has been a place for me to bounce ideas off and to help me with my parenting. They reduce my stress and are a good source of information on child development. They empowered me and made me look at my strengths. Parentline counsellors are very good listeners. They are trained to hear you and they are very specific, not general. They provide you with advice and several alternatives. They actively engage with you, listen, ask questions about the child and honestly think about you as an individual. It has been amazing. Parentline helped me to put things in perspective and see the big picture. They helped me to cope and gave me confidence. The impact for children and young people Analysis of feedback from parents on the changes they have observed in their children as a result of contacting the Parentline service suggest that Parentline contributes to enhancing children s social and emotional well-being and behavioural adjustment. Specifically, key themes emerging from parents reports of change in their children included: Improved/better behaviour and attitude : child is more cooperative, pleasant, has fewer tantrums and presents less aggressive behaviours and rude language. Improved relationships : greater degrees of openness and closeness between children and their parents and more engagement with the family. Improved communication : child is more responsive, understanding and listens better as well as engaged in fewer arguments and conflicts, and greater negotiation with their parents and other family members. Feeling better : the child feels reduced anger, greater calmness and happiness. Coping better with different issues and situations. Feeling more loved, secure and safe with the parents. Increased confidence. Improved school attendance due to issues being resolved. I have tried some of the ideas the Parentline counsellor suggested and some have worked well. I work hard on making sure my children feel loved and safe even when they are naughty and they know I m angry at them. I am more in tune with the children s needs so they seem more settled, secure and happy. Having someone to talk to relieves frustration and increases my ability to deal with issues that arise and therefore limits the chances of the frustration being taken out on the children. The children are more understanding towards our situation as parents and we are a better family unit. My son is talking to us now and is joining in with the family since we ve been using the new strategies. There s been a reduction in my child s physically aggressive behaviours. My child is going to school now as we ve resolved the school refusal issues. 20