About a third of the calls being made to Supportline 179, which provides assistance in personal crises, are hoaxes, get hung up or are wrong numbers. As more volunteers are being sought to provide this vital service around the clock, the support line is being targeted by an increasing number of pranksters.
Last year, 234 of the calls received were hoaxes, 3,807 hung up as soon as the call was answered while 2,035 said they had dialled the wrong number by mistake.
These callers use up valuable time that the volunteers need to dedicate to people genuinely in need of assistance
This totals 6,076 of the 16,667 calls received, the highest number since 2009 when 5,930 of these types of calls came in. In 2010 the figure dipped slightly to 5,578 but rose again the following year when 5,723 such calls were received.
These callers use up valuable time that the volunteers need to dedicate to people genuinely in need of assistance or even of urgent help in an emergency.
Supportline 179 is a 24-hour free telephone service offered by Aġenzija Appoġġ and run by a team of professionally trained volunteers. It started operations in January 1996, providing immediate, confidential support to callers of any age requiring assistance both with day-to-day difficulties and crisis situations.
The number of genuine calls in 2011 surpassed the 11,800 mark, nearly 1,000 more than in the previous year. In 2009, 9,662 genuine calls were received, down from 11,834 in 2008.
Over 4,500 of the 10,600 genuine calls last year were either related to family issues, substance abuse or gambling problems. Some also came from people who felt suicidal.
Listening was an important factor for 2,234 people who called 179 last year. Many were just passing through a dark patch in their lives and needed someone to listen to their fears and concerns.
Another 1,080 people called because they had mental health problems while 1,045 because they felt lonely. Most of these were elderly people who still live in the community but are rarely visited by their relatives.
More than 400 calls dealt with child abuse. Mainly, rather than from the children themselves, calls were received from relatives or friends who suspected a case of child abuse or had just discovered shocking details.
A similar number were reports of domestic violence while nearly 900 callers requested information about the various services offered by the agency.
Besides being trained, volunteers are also assisted by a professional who is on call 24/7. They are trained to face very difficult situations and to be able to identify whether the call is genuine or not.
The line is currently manned by 80 volunteers but more are needed – especially during weekends, public holidays and to cover morning and evening shifts.
Appoġġ is seeking to recruit new volunteers both for the support line and for the Ulied Darna programme which offers support to children, families and vulnerable adults in need.
There are currently 57 volunteers in this programme but more are needed, especially but not exclusively to provide transport for children and families to important appointments.
People interested in joining either of the two teams may visit www.appogg.gov.mt or call on 2295 9000 during office hours.