A woman who was sexually abused as a child has praised the NSPCC’s Childline service for saving her life. Nicola - not her real name – said speaking to a Childline counsellor is what stopped her from taking her own life when she was a teenager. When she was nine, Nicola’s parents split up and her mother’s new boyfriend moved into their home.
The 49-year-old, who grew up in a small town in the North of England, said: “There were constant arguments about nothing. If we didn’t set the table quickly enough, he’d whack us - my sister would argue back and he’d chase her through the house, which would end in physical violence.” Nicola was sexually abused by this man and another during this time but did not feel confident speaking out.
She wrote to Childline, then began calling from payphones. At 16, with Childline’s support, Nicola found the confidence to report the abuse. Nicola said: “Childline stopped me from taking my own life on numerous occasions.
“He moved out, but the trauma remained and I kept calling Childline. I needed so much support at the time. Everything was so hard.
” Nicola has engaged with counselling and therapy since first speaking out, and uses art, creative writing and poetry as part of her healing and recovery process. But her journey started with her decision to contact Childline. Almost 5,500 children and young people contacted Childline last Christmas.
On average, a child will contact Childline every 45 seconds, asking questions –.