More and more boys call the helpline

More and more boys use the nationwide helpline "Number against grief". However, there are clear differences between the boys and girls in the top positions in the subject spectrum.

03/12/2010

According to a study by the Berlin social scientist Klaus Hurrelmann, more and more boys use the helpline „Number against grief“. According to study results, the proportion of male children and adolescents has risen by 15 percent in the last ten years.

Nationwide is a pastoral care number „Number against grief“ offered for children, adolescents and adults. According to a social science study by the expert Klaus Hurrelmann, the proportion of boys has risen from almost 25 percent in 2000 to almost 40 percent in 2009. "The fact that boys and young men seek help on their own initiative, there has hardly been so far," said the scientist Hurrelmann at the presentation of the study in Berlin. In view of these figures, a changed role behavior as well as an increasing readiness of the boys and men to recognize, to open to the outside and to talk about their problems.

Differences in the subject spectrum of boys and girls
Boys talk superficially about sexuality, girls and young women talk more about their worries and problems in terms of love and partnerships. Both mentioned topics occupy leading positions in the respective different genders. "This shows the different feelings and expectations with which both sexes discover eroticism and relationships for themselves", summarized Prof. Hurrelmann, chair holder for „Public Health and Education“ at the Berliner „Hertie School of Governance“. Overlaps in the ranks Two, four and five are in the topic spectra „Problems of a personal nature“, „Friends and friends“ and „Problems in the family“. The subject ranks third in boys „Partnership and love“ and with the girls „sexuality“.

Differences between girls and youngsters are particularly evident in the top ten. Sexual practices, boredom, body / looks and homosexuality are high on the ladder, partnership and love in the back. Quite different from the results look at the girls. Here are the top topics lovesickness, being in love, contact and partnership. Themes like „boredom“ (Rank 9) and „enthusiasm“ (Rank 10) are less common among girls than boys.

80 percent of the callers are children between 11 and 16 years
The study is the third of its kind. Already in the years 2005 and 2007 evaluations were made, which are based on discussion protocols of anonymous callers of the "number against grief". In total, two million calls were evaluated. 80 percent of the callers were between 11 and 16 years old. The anonymous data of the care phone of the last ten years are for researchers according to Hurrelmann „incredible data treasure“. Through the data, one can create a kind of "seismograph" for changing ways of life and lifestyles of young people. In this way, social developments and trends can be identified and researched at an early stage.

20 years „Number against grief“
The „Number against grief“ is already over 20 years old and was first put into operation in 1980. The youth telephone is reachable throughout Germany under the freephone number 0800-1110333. The project is run by a total of 4,000 volunteers. Over three million children, adolescents and adults have already used the advisory telephone conversation. In 2009 alone, around 233,000 people called. During many thousands of discussions, constructive solutions and help have already been conveyed.

The Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Hermann Kues (CDU) therefore described the results as a positive sign. More and more boys would dare to talk about their problems with other people. This was a signal to promote and support boys more intensively in the future. The task should be taken over by society as a whole. (Sb)

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Picture credits: Rainer Sturm