Children and young people: tools to make it easier for them to ask for help

Talking about what's happening to us isn't always easy, especially when it comes to emotions or situations that cause distress. But there are increasingly more spaces designed for children, teenagers, and young adults to express themselves, ask for help, and receive emotional support without fear or prejudice.

The Department of Social Rights, in collaboration with the Department of Health, is promoting new initiatives to bring emotional support and protection from violence closer to home through accessible digital channels. Two of these tools, Obro Feel and Tot OK, have become benchmarks for a new way of understanding the well-being and safety of young people: by putting listening and trust at the center.

"It is necessary for public administrations to adapt services to the needs of the public. Children and young people are more accustomed to using WhatsApp or chat apps than phone calls. In fact, less than 7% of calls received on the Child Responsibility hotline (116) are from minors. Communicating a situation like this is very difficult, especially for the victims, and it is our obligation to provide these children with the necessary means to break the silence," she emphasizes.

Obro Feel: talking about emotions without filters

Obro Feel is a free and confidential emotional support service for young people aged 14 to 25, created to prevent and detect mental health problems. It works simply: through an online chat, young people can contact volunteers from the Ayuda y Esperanza Foundation, selected and trained in empathetic listening and emotional management, who listen to them, guide them, and, if necessary, refer them to support resources or treatment. The service has become a safe space to talk about emotions, anxiety, stress, or situations of suffering, especially for young people who might not feel comfortable doing so face-to-face or in a medical setting. In its first year alone, Obro Feel has supported almost 900 young people and has established itself as a space where they can openly discuss issues such as depression, self-harm, and relationship difficulties, as well as loneliness, academic pressure, and lack of motivation. Since its launch, approximately 55,000 messages have been exchanged. About 33% of users were under 18 years old, and 61% were between 18 and 35. Regarding gender, girls accounted for 66% of all contacts received. Emergency services were activated in 8 cases.

All OK: protection against violence

Tot OK is another key tool in protecting the well-being of children and young people. It is a digital platform for reporting situations of mistreatment, abuse, or violence that may affect children or adolescents. The service offers direct and confidential contact via web, chat, WhatsApp, or telephone, and is managed by professionals specializing in childhood and adolescence. This tool focuses on reaching young people through the channels that are already part of their daily lives, eliminating barriers and making it easier for anyone—whether a victim or a witness—to report a situation of risk. The website is structured into five sections, according to the age and profile of the user: "Children"; "Adolescents"; "Young Adults"; "Children's Professionals"; and "Citizens," with language adapted to different ages and levels of understanding. In addition to contact methods, Totok.cat includes a resources section, as well as articles related to this topic. The issues addressed by the service include physical and psychological abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, bullying, and cyberbullying. The service is also available for cases in which minors are already being monitored by the Directorate General for Child and Adolescent Care.

The project, promoted by the Department of Social Rights in collaboration with other institutions, has a clear objective: to detect, prevent, and respond to any form of violence against children and adolescents, and to strengthen the protection network and the immediate response.

Listening to Transform

Both Obro Feel and Tot OK exemplify a new way of understanding emotional and social support for young people: more personal, accessible care tailored to their real needs. These services share the same conviction: listening is the first step in caring. When a safe space is provided for talking, silences are broken and bonds of trust are created that can make the difference between feeling alone and feeling supported. With these projects, the Department of Social Rights is committed to a generation that grows up more aware, better informed, and more capable of asking for help, and is promoting a culture of shared care and emotional well-being as a fundamental right.