– It is a vital offer for those who apply. At times there are suicide calls every single evening, says Arvid Solheim. He is the day-to-day manager of Blå Kors Kristiansand, which runs the national chat services Snakkompsyken.no and Snakkommobbing.no. These are offers for children and young people, who can chat anonymously with a safe adult through the services. Solheim thinks it is tragic that, due to reduced subsidies, they now have to reduce the offer, which according to him has already been blown up. – We have unanswered calls every day, he says. Opening hours will be reduced from five to three afternoons and evenings a week. Last year, the two chat services had a total of 17,000 conversations. 10,000 went to Snakkompsyken. 7,000 was for Snakkommobbing, which had a 30 per cent increase from the previous year. Arvid Solheim, day-to-day manager of Blå Kors Kristiansand, which runs the national chat services. Photo: Elisabeth Sandve / news Fears that children will be harmed Elevombodet in Kristiansand Tone Martha Sødal, says the consequence is that someone loses the only channel they have to share the problem. – We know that. These services are completely anonymous and that is decisive. Children and young people throughout the country have to pay the price, she says. Sødal points out that they know that bullying in schools is increasing throughout Norway. – Bullying can be just as harmful as violence. I wonder why they cut where children and young people are. Sødal says that the so-called “snitch culture” is strong, and now fears that children and young people sit at home with shame and loneliness because they cannot talk to adults in the Blue Cross. – We want children and young people to speak up when they are being bullied, but it doesn’t always work that way. Many hold the mask. But an anonymous service helps these children, says Sødal. The student representative in Kristiansand, Tone Martha Sødal, fears for the children when the chat service is hit. Photo: Marie Nordahl / news Mister subsidy Chattetenestene has been operating since 2015 with support from the Directorate of Health, the Directorate of Education, Vest-Agder county municipality and Kristiansand municipality. They recently learned that the government transfers are being reduced by almost NOK 6 million a year. Gone are, among other things, 3.1 million in earmarked grants from the Directorate of Education. The funds that previously came from there have now been transferred to the Directorate of Health, the media watchdog in the Ministry of Education and Culture informs news. The chat services have received and continue to receive money from the Directorate of Health, but what they receive this year does not correspond to what they previously received from the Directorate of Education and the Directorate of Health combined. – We have received 3.6 million from the Directorate of Health and we were among eight out of 64 who received. We are very happy about that, says Solheim. Blue Cross has also not received the 2 million they previously received from Bufdir. Solheim says the possibility of applying for a remedy from there has been postponed, but now an application has been sent. – We really hope we get to keep the two million from there, says Solheim. Blue Cross has also lost NOK 750,000 linked to suicide prevention work, according to Solheim. 25 laid off The 25 people who work with managing the chats have received layoff notices from 1 May. Now they have to reduce their working hours. In total, there is talk of nine man-years. Solheim hopes that they managed to get new sources of funding up and running within three months, before the layoff notice may have to be extended. – We may not come back with nine man-years immediately, but perhaps we can come somewhere in between, and be open four days instead of three.
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Chattetenesta Snakkommobbing.no must reduce opening hours – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
