Brave phone

Brave Phone is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation with the needs, rights and protection of children in Croatia at its heart. As well as offering a helpline for children and parents, Brave Phone supports families through a number of programmes based in schools, communities and online.

91% of children in Croatia have heard of Brave Phone. It is the country´s second most recognisable organisation.

To complement these programmes, we engage in education and training (including collaboration with universities), publication of research, and campaigning to raise public awareness of issues affecting children. Click here for more about our activities.

Over 1500 professionals have directly collaborated with children and parents through Brave Phone´s programmes.

We distribute 18000 copies of educational material to programme users and child protection professionals every year.

Principles

• accessibility (all activities and services are free of charge for users);
• confidentiality (information about users is used solely for statistical processing and analysis and is not publicly available) and
• the best interests of the child (counselling and support services are guided by this principle).

Our Story

Brave Phone was established in 1997 as a helpline for abused and neglected children. Over the years, we have become a source of help for all kinds of problems faced by children in their daily lives, and now offer support to children, their parents, and professionals through our diverse community programmes.

When Brave Phone began its work in 1997, the issue of child abuse had not entered public or institutional awareness: there were no documented cases of child abuse and many refused to believe in its existence. With minimal funding, mostly from international sources, the organisation set up an SOS helpline for abused and neglected children. We began producing printed resources, and established a counselling service. Following these initial successes, Brave Phone further expanded its role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect by offering psycho-social services to families. The growth of the organisation led us to offer volunteer opportunities to young people studying social sciences, thus providing valuable experience for future welfare professionals. The expansion was followed by a significant increase in financial support from the local government, public authorities, business sector officials, and individual donors.

Through the immense effort, determination, and enthusiasm of Brave Phone´s workers, we have been able to raise public awareness of the issues of child abuse and neglect, deliver appropriate social support, and establish child and family protection mechanisms drawing on best practices demonstrated by Northern European countries.

Brave Phone has been granted full membership of Child Helpline International and has been assigned an EU Child helpline number, which is in use in 23 states. Brave Phone serves as a model for child protection programmes in neighbouring countries, and is called upon to share its experiences.

Since 1997, Brave phone volunteers answered over 200 000 calls from children, parents, experts and other callers.

If you are a child or an adult who need help and support, there might be a helpline in your own country. Here is a link where you can find helpline`s name and contacts in your country: https://www.childhelplineinternational.org/child-helplines/child-helpline-network/