Concern for the future and body image are Welsh teenagers most common worries

One in three teenagers in Wales say they are concerned about what the future will bring and their body image making them the most common concerns among young people today, according to new NSPCC polling released to mark Childline's 40th anniversary.

The survey of 259 Welsh teenagers, conducted by Savanta, also found that one in five young people (20%) are troubled by the state of the world and one in four (26%) said mental health was one of their main concerns.

Only 12% cited social media and being online as a major worry.

In a parallel poll, 275 adults in Wales – who were teenagers when Childline launched in 1986 – said social media and being online (63%), body image and appearance (52%) and mental health issues (47%) were the main reasons why it was harder being a teenager now than when they were growing up.

The new polling comes as Childline marks 40 years of supporting children and young people across the UK and just weeks after Childline Founder and President, Dame Esther Rantzen, died.

On Thursday 30th October 1986, Childline opened its telephone lines and received 50,000 attempted calls from young people seeking help and support.

Since the launch of Childline, the service has delivered over 6 million counselling sessions to children on a range of topics, including abuse, online harms and bullying.

During its early years, physical and sexual abuse were the most common reasons young people contacted Childline for help. Today, and for the past decade, mental health has consistently been the number one concern.

The way children access support has also changed significantly over the last forty years, from phone calls and letters to online support. In Childline's first decade, more than half of contacts came via telephone boxes, with the remainder made through landline phones.

Today, almost three quarters of Childline contacts take place online, with trained counsellors providing support through one-to-one chats alongside the service's telephone helpline.

Rebecca Wilcox, Deputy President of Childline, said: "I’m not sure even my ever-prescient mother could have predicted just what a huge impact Childline would make on young people’s lives when she launched the service in 1986. “Since then, millions of children have benefitted from this unique service, and from having somewhere safe to go. Childline is confidential, open 24 hours a day, and there for young people whenever they needed help and felt they had nowhere else to turn."

“40 years on, Mum leaves behind an incredible legacy, and it is now up to all of us who support Childline to carry on this vital work and continue to listen to children and provide a space for them that they can trust. We must always ensure we are here for children and young people now, next year and long into the future. “I am so proud and thankful to be part of Childline and its ongoing journey. Thank you to all those Childline volunteers, staff and supporters who work tirelessly to ensure that no child ever feels alone. Thank you from both mum and me. "

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Childline, actor, producer and NSPCC’s Ambassador for Childline, Natalie Dormer, has released a podcast celebrating the service.

Natalie Dormer, Actor, Producer and NSPCC’s Ambassador for Childline, said: “These last months after interviewing a cohort of the incredible Childline Volunteer Counsellors across the country for my documentary podcast CHILD ON THE LINE, and talking to Childline staff and brave past contacts,

I am in deep gratitude more than ever for the helpline and the courage that children and young people find to reach out. It is striking to explore what is so very different from previous decades for the contacts, yet what fundamentally remains constant: Our responsibility to listen to our children.”

Childline is reminding young people that it is there for them 24/7 via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 1-2-1 chat service on the Childline website.

Chris Sherwood, CEO of the NSPCC, said: "Young people are growing up in a world that often feels fast paced and constantly changing. Our findings reveal how many are grappling with concerns about the future, the world around them and their mental health, which reinforces why Childline remains as important as ever.

"Forty years after Childline was founded by the remarkable Dame Esther Rantzen, our counsellors around the UK continue to provide a safe, confidential space where children and young people can talk openly about anything that is troubling them. Whatever their concern, Childline will be there to listen and help them find a way forward."

The NSPCC is the leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse in the UK and Channel Islands.

Using voluntary donations, which make up over 80 per cent of its funding, it helps children who’ve been abused to rebuild their lives, we protect children at risk, and we find the best ways of preventing child abuse from ever happening.

Childline provides a safe, confidential place for children with no one else to turn to, whatever their worry, whenever they need help.

Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.