Determinants of Children's access to the Children's Helpline Number

The relevance of the work is due to the importance of psychological support in the system of assistance to children who find themselves in a difficult life situation in conditions of increasing social risks. The purpose of the article is to assess the regional differentiation of the availability of children's helpline services and to determine the determinants of children's referral to the Children's Helpline Service (DTD), operating under the auspices of the Foundation for the Support of Children in Difficult Situations. The object of study is children and adolescents in difficult life situations. The subject of the study is the determinants that determine the level of children's access to the children's helpline number. The methodological basis of the research was the works defining the role of anonymous psychological support in solving the problems of children and their parents. The information base was provided by data from the reporting services of the DTD, official statistical reports, and sample surveys of Rosstat for 2019–2023. It has been revealed that social crises have an impact on the increase in the number of requests for psychological support at DTD. Among DTD's clients, children occupy a leading place, the main reasons for the appeal are problems in relationships with peers and parents. The results of the statistical analysis indicate a regional differentiation of the characteristics of the DTD activities. In 2020–2022, the differentiation of regions in terms of poverty and availability of Internet services has decreased and has a lesser impact on the use of DTD services. The differentiation of regions in terms of the frequency of complaints of DTD related to abuse has increased. The proportion of unqualified calls has significantly decreased, which may indicate a more trusting attitude towards the capabilities of the DTD. The main determinants affecting the level of access to DTD are: the birth rate among minors; the employment rate of people aged 15–17; the real monetary incomes of the population; the number of organizations connected to the children's helpline. These are indicators of the availability of DTD services and the prevalence of deviations among adolescents, including those caused by material disadvantage.