harmonised numbers for services.pdf

European Commission

Special Eurobarometer 367

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Harmonised numbers for services of social value -116

REPORT

Fieldwork: April - May 2011

Publication: October 2011

This survey has been requested by the Directorate-General Information Society and Media and co-ordinated by Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM Research and Speechwriting Unit). http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.

Special Eurobarometer 367

Harmonised numbers for services of social value -116

Conducted by TNS Opinion & Social at the request of Directorate-General Information Society and Media

Survey co-ordinated by Directorate-General

Communication

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Special EUROBAROMETER 367 Harmonised numbers for services of social value-116

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 7

1. USEFULNESS OF EUROPEAN NUMBERS FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE .. 8

1.1 Usefulness of European numbers for services of social value..................... 8 1.1.1. A free Europe-wide single number for hotlines for missing children ................ 10 1.1.2. A free Europe-wide single number for child helplines ................................... 13 1.1.3. A free Europe-wide single number for helplines for victims of crime ............... 16 1.1.4. A free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines................. 19 1.1.5. A free Europe-wide single number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines ........................................................................................................ 22

1.2 Disabled access to hotlines and helplines ................................................ 25

2. INFORMATION ABOUT HOTLINES AND HELPLINES FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE.................................................................................................. 28

2.1 Adequacy of information about hotlines and helplines of social value...... 28

2.2 Knowledge of the European initiative to establish hotlines and helplines of social value ...................................................................................................... 31

2.2.1 Awareness of the European initiative.......................................................... 31 2.2.2 Sources of information for the European initiative ........................................ 34 2.2.3 Calling the services of social value in the European Union Member States........ 40

2.3 Knowledge of organisations or service providers operating 116 hotlines or helplines........................................................................................................... 44

3. AWARENESS OF THE HOTLINES AND HELPLINES FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE............................................................................................................... 52

3.1 Hotlines for missing children (116000).................................................... 52

3.2 Child helplines (116111).......................................................................... 56

3.3 Helplines for victims of crime (116006) ................................................... 59

3.4 Emotional support helplines (116123) ..................................................... 60

4. HOW MANY EU CITIZENS HAVE NEEDED TO CALL HOTLINES OR HELPLINES FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE ..................................................................... 63

CONCLUSION.................................................................................................... 67 ANNEXES Technical specifications Questionnaire Tables

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INTRODUCTION

As the European Union steadily becomes more integrated and barriers between Member States continue to be dismantled, more and more EU citizens are spending time in Member States other than their home country, whether as tourists, students or workers. Recognising this ongoing change in European society, the European Commission adopted a decision1 in 2007 requiring Member States to reserve all six-digit telephone numbers starting with 116 for services of social value. As with the pan-European emergency services number, 112, which was established in 2003, the purpose of the 116 numbers is to give EU citizens a common set of free phone telephone numbers that they can use when in need or distress no matter where they happen to be within the EU2. The 116 numbers designated so far are: 116 000, the missing children hotline; 116 006, the helpline for victims of crime; 116 111, the childrens helpline; 116 117, for non-emergency medical on-call services; and 116 123, the emotional support helpline. The selected services tie in with wider EU objectives aimed at improving the wellbeing of European citizens, such as the European strategy for childrens rights in the case of 116 111. These numbers are at various stages of introduction, with some functioning in a majority of the 27 EU Member States, and others not yet up and running in any Member States, or in just a few. As of January 2011, 17 countries were operating the 116 111 number, while 116 000 was functional in 15 Member States. However, 116 123 was functional in only eight Member States, with 116 006 working in just two countries and 116 117 not yet implemented anywhere. As the first survey of the awareness and usefulness of harmonised numbers of services of social value (116), this Eurobarometer study may be used as the baseline for future trend analysis.

The data gathered here should help the European Commissions Directorate General for Information Society and Media (DG INFSO) to form an impression of the effectiveness of the project to make these numbers widely known across the EU, as well as to identify those Member States which have been less successful so far in publicising the numbers. It should be noted that the national governments primary role is to assign the numbers to appropriate service providers.

1 2007/116/EC: Commission Decision of 15 February 2007 on reserving the national numbering range beginning with 116 for harmonised numbers for harmonised services of social value, OJ L 49, 17.2.2007, p. 3033 2 Further information on the introduction of pan-European numbers and services can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/current/pan_european/index_en.htm.

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In the course of this Eurobarometer survey, at the request of Directorate General for the Information Society and Media (DG INFSO), 26,825 European citizens aged 15 and above were interviewed about the 116 initiative and related issues by the TNS Opinion & Social network between 13 April and 8 May 2011 in all 27 European Union Member States3. The methodology used is that of surveys as carried out by the Directorate General for Communication (Research and Political Analysis Unit)4. A technical note on the methodology for interviews conducted by the institutes within the TNS Opinion & Social network is annexed to this report. This note indicates the interview methods and the confidence intervals5. The study will provide detailed analysis of the way in which the usefulness of the various 116 services is perceived across the EU. It will assess whether people feel they have sufficient information about the helplines and hotlines available to them, and examine how well-informed EU citizens are about those services and the organisations that deliver them. It will also explore the extent to which people know which numbers to call in the event of a problem, and gauge how many Europeans have called hotlines and helplines in the past. The survey also provides demographic analysis to help understand how some sections of European society view hotlines and helplines differently from others. The statistical breakdowns include: male/female; age range; the impact of education levels; household composition; mobile phone users versus landline users; and a range of other socio-economic factors.

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The Eurobarometer web site can be consulted at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the respondents throughout the continent who gave their time to take part in this survey.

Without their active participation, this survey would quite simply not have been possible.

3 Further information on the methodology used can be found in the technical note which specifies the interview methods as well as the confidence intervals 4 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm 5 The results tables are included in the annex. It should be noted that the total of the percentages in the tables of this report may exceed 100% when the respondent can give several answers to the same question.

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In this report, the countries are referred to by their official abbreviation:

ABREVIATIONS

EU27 European Union 27 Member States DK Dont know BE Belgium BG Bulgaria CZ Czech Republic DK Denmark DE Germany EE Estonia EL Greece ES Spain FR France IE Ireland IT Italy CY Republic of Cyprus LT Lithuania LV Latvia LU Luxembourg HU Hungary MT Malta NL The Netherlands AT Austria PL Poland PT Portugal RO Romania SI Slovenia SK Slovakia FI Finland SE Sweden UK United Kingdom

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A large majority of Europeans believe that harmonised free numbers for services of social value in the European Union are useful

A clear majority of EU citizens think that all five of the services provided via 116 hotlines and helplines are very useful.

Emotional support helplines and non-emergency medical on-call service helplines receive strong support even if they did not reach the level of support that helplines and hotlines that help children or victims of crime receive.

Over half of EU residents think their country needs to work harder to help citizens with a disability take advantage of services of social value.

But a majority also feel rather ill-informed about these hotlines and helplines.

Three quarters of respondents think they have insufficient information about the kinds of hotlines and helplines that are available.

13% of people have heard about the 116 initiative, the majority via television.

Less than half of the respondents familiar with the 116 initiative realise that they can use the 116 numbers outside their home country.

Few Europeans are aware of the different harmonised numbers for services of social value that they can call in case of emergency.

While in some Member States a majority of respondents are familiar with the 116 services available, elsewhere very few people have heard about the services that are already operational.

A third of respondents say they would call the 112 pan-European emergency number when in need of the services provided by 116 hotlines and helplines.

A large proportion of European citizens simply do not know which number to call should various difficulties arise.

This may also be explained by the fact that only 14% of Europeans have so far had occasion to call these emergency numbers personally.

14% of Europeans have used a hotline or helpline in the past. Helplines for medical on-call services in non-emergency situations are used

the most, even though they did not reach the level of support that other helplines and hotlines receive.

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1. USEFULNESS OF EUROPEAN NUMBERS FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE

1.1 Usefulness of European numbers for services of social value

- A majority of Europeans think that all five types of 116 services are very useful, although approval of a free Europe-wide number for emotional support and non-emergency medical services is somewhat lower than for those relating

to children and to crime - A clear majority of European respondents think that a free Europe-wide number for child helplines is a useful service6. Over two-thirds of respondents (68%) consider it to be very useful, while 23% see it as fairly useful. Just 5% think that it is not very useful, with 2% finding it not at all useful.

Across the European Union, a significant majority of people also think that a free Europe-wide number for hotlines for missing children is a useful service. Two-thirds of respondents (67%) think it is very useful, while a further 24% describe it as fairly useful. Just 5% consider a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines to be not very useful, with 2% viewing it as not at all useful.

6 QD7: For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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There is a similarly strong belief that a free Europe-wide number for helplines for victims of crime is a useful service of social value. Almost two-thirds of respondents (65%) see it as very useful, with 26% describing it as fairly useful. Just 5% think such number is not very useful, while a further 2% say that it is not at all useful. The belief that a free Europe-wide number for emotional support helplines is useful is not quite as strong as for the services discussed so far. Support is still considerable, however, as 54% of respondents say that a free Europe-wide number for emotional support helplines is very useful and 32% describe it as fairly useful. Only 8% see it as not very useful, while 3% say it is not at all useful. A free Europe-wide number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is seen in much the same light as a number for emotional support helplines, with support for these services strong across the European Union, but not quite as strong as for the first three services. More than half of respondents (55%) say this kind of helpline is very useful, while 30% of people say it is fairly useful. Only 9% see it as not very useful, with 3% not finding it to be at all useful.

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1.1.1. A free Europe-wide single number for hotlines for missing children

Overall, 91% of people in the European Union think that a free Europe-wide single number for hotlines for missing children is a useful service7 (either very useful or fairly useful), with just 7% saying that it is not useful (either not at all useful or not very useful).

At individual country level, at least 95% of respondents regard a single number for missing children hotlines as useful in 12 Member States, with overwhelming support in Cyprus (100%), Bulgaria (99%) and Greece (99%). Yet the idea that this number is useful is less unanimous elsewhere in the European Union, notably in Denmark and the UK, where only 73% and 80% of people respectively regard it as useful. In 5 Member States, over 8 respondents out of 10 say that it is very useful (from 82% in Luxembourg to 90% in Cyprus). At the other end of the scale, fewer than half of respondents in Denmark say that it is very useful (45%).

7 QD7.1 For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for hotlines for missing children. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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The socio-demographic data suggest that women are slightly more inclined than men to regard a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines as useful, with 70% of female respondents considering it to be very useful, as opposed to 64% of male respondents. Overall, 92% of women view it as useful, more than the 89% of men who think the same. Respondents age has no apparent impact on their assessment of how useful this service is, though level of education appears to have a small effect. Only 88% of people who finished their education aged 20 or over think that a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines is useful, compared with 91-92% of those who left education aged 16-19 or at 15 or under.

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People living alone emerge as somewhat less likely to consider a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines to be useful. Only 64% of people living on their own see this service as very useful, compared with 68-69% of those living in households of two or more. Respondents occupations have a more noticeable impact on their opinion of a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines. While 74% of unemployed people and 72% of housepersons see this service as very useful, only 61% of managers and 65% of students and retired people say the same. Overall, 94% of unemployed respondents say it is useful, as opposed to 86% of managers. While mobile phone ownership has no real impact on how useful individuals believe these types of services to be, people who had heard of the 116 initiative were more likely to believe that a free Europe-wide number for missing children hotlines was useful. Overall, 96% of people who had heard of the 116 initiative thought that this service was useful, compared with 90% of those who had not heard of it.

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1.1.2. A free Europe-wide single number for child helplines

Overall, 91% of people in the EU think that a free Europe-wide single number for child helplines is a useful service8, with just 7% saying that it is not useful.

At individual country level, over 95% of respondents think that a single number for child helplines is useful in 11 Member States, with Cyprus (100%) and Greece (99%) again recording the strongest approval. Sizeable minorities of people in other Member States do not consider it a useful service, with only 76% of respondents in the Netherlands, 78% in Denmark and 81% in the UK describing it as useful. Looking at the results in more detail, one can see further differences between individual countries. In Cyprus (92%), Greece (88%), Bulgaria (86%) and Sweden (82%), more than 8 out of 10 respondents say that a free Europe-wide number for child helplines is very useful. But this is far from the case in the Netherlands (48%) and in Denmark (51%).

8 QD7.3 For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for child helplines. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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The socio-demographic data suggest that women are slightly more likely than men to regard a free Europe-wide number for child helplines as useful, with 70% of female respondents considering it to be very useful, compared with 65% of male respondents. Overall, 92% of women view it as useful, as do 90% of men. Variations relating to age are negligible, although the respondents level of education has a minor impact. 89% of people who finished their education aged 20 or above regard this service as useful, compared with 91-93% of those who finished their education at 15 or under or at 16-19. 92% of people in households of three or more find it useful, compared with 89-90% of those in households of one or two.

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Respondents occupations have a fairly significant influence on their view of the usefulness of this number. While 74% of house persons and 72% of unemployed people regard this service as very useful, only 64% of managers and 65% of self-employed respondents say the same. Overall, 94% of unemployed respondents say it is useful, as opposed to 88% of managers. Mobile phone ownership has little discernible impact on how individuals regard this type of service. However, people who have called child helplines in the past are somewhat less likely to see a Europe-wide number as useful: only 86% of these people say it is useful, as opposed to 91% of respondents who have not called a child helpline before. Only 46% of people who have called one before say a Europe-wide is very useful, which contrasts sharply with the 68% of those who have not called them.

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1.1.3. A free Europe-wide single number for helplines for victims of crime

As with the results for missing children hotlines and child helplines, 91% of people in Europe think that a free Europe-wide single number for helplines for victims of crime is a useful service9, with just 7% saying that it is not useful.

At least 95% of respondents in eight Member States think that a single number for helplines for victims of crime is useful (either very useful or fairly useful). Cyprus (100%), Bulgaria (99%) and Greece (99%) are again the most appreciative of these services. As before, belief in the usefulness of this kind of helpline is weakest in Denmark (78%), the Netherlands (79%) and the UK (83%). Over 8 out of 10 respondents say that this number is very useful in Cyprus (90%), Greece (86%) and Bulgaria (85%). At the other end of the spectrum, less than 60% of respondents in the UK (57%), in the Netherlands (50%) and in Denmark (49%) say the same.

9 QD7.2 For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for helplines for victims of crime. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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The socio-demographic data again reveal that women are very slightly more likely than men to regard a free Europe-wide number for helplines for victims of crime as useful, with 68% of female respondents finding it very useful, and 63% of male respondents saying the same. Age and education-related variations are minimal. In terms of occupation, managers are again the least likely to consider this service to be useful. Only 61% of managers think it is very useful, as opposed to 71% of house persons and 70% of unemployed people. Overall, 93% of manual workers and unemployed respondents say it is useful, compared with with 87% of managers.

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People who had heard of the 116 initiative were more likely to see a free Europe-wide number for helplines for victims of crime as useful. 75% of this group said it was very useful, compared with 64% of those who had not heard of the 116 numbers previously. Overall, 95% of those who had already heard of the 116 initiative said this service was useful, as opposed to 91% of people who had not.

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1.1.4. A free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines

Overall, 86% of people in the European Union think that a free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines is a useful service10, with 11% saying that it is not useful (i.e. either not at all useful or not very useful). This suggests that European citizens believe that this type of service is not quite as important as the services discussed so far.

Over 95% of respondents think that a single number for emotional support helplines is useful in only two Member States (Cyprus and Greece); more than 90% of people think it is useful in 10 Member States. Appreciation of this type of service is weakest in the Netherlands, where only 59% of people view it as useful, and in Romania (74%). Looking at the results in more detail, two countries stand out by the high proportion of respondents who say that a free Europe-wide single number is very useful: Cyprus (90%) and Greece (85%). This contrasts considerably with the Netherlands, where only 22% of respondents say the same.

10 QD7.5 For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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The socio-demographic data show that women are slightly more disposed than men to regard a free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines as useful, with 57% of women finding it very useful, as opposed to 51% of men. Overall, 87% of women view it as useful, as do 84% of men. The respondents age has no apparent impact, though level of education does have some effect. Only 50% of people who finished their education aged 20 or over think that a single European number for emotional support helplines is very useful, compared with 55-56% of those who left education aged 16-19 or at 15 or under. Overall, 83% of those whose education ended at age 20 or over think this service is useful, compared with 87% for the other two groups.

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The respondents occupation again has an impact, with only 50% of managers saying that a single European number for emotional support helplines is very useful, compared with 63% of house persons. Overall, 89% of house persons think it is useful, as opposed to 82% of managers. People who had heard of the 116 initiative were more inclined to think that a free Europe-wide single number for emotional support helplines was useful. Overall, 91% of people who had heard of the 116 initiative thought that this service was useful, compared with 85% of people who had not previously heard of it.

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1.1.5. A free Europe-wide single number for non-emergency medical on-

call service helplines

Overall, 85% of people in the European Union think that a free Europe-wide single number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is a useful service11, with 12% saying that it is not useful. As with emotional support services, this indicates a slightly lower level of public support for this type of service than for hotlines and helplines relating to children and crime.

Over 95% of respondents say that a free Europe-wide single number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is useful in only four Member States (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Slovakia); at least 90% of people think it is useful in 13 countries. Yet only 51% of respondents in the Netherlands think that this kind of helpline is useful, as do just 71% in Denmark and 77% in Belgium. In Cyprus, more than 9 respondents out of 10 say that it is very useful. At the other end of the scale, just 39% of respondents in Denmark and 21% in the Netherlands regard it as very useful.

11 QD7.4 For each of the following hotlines and helplines for services of social value, please tell me if you find them very useful, fairly useful, not very useful or not at all useful. A free Europe-wide single number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines. Possible answers: very useful; fairly useful; not very useful; not at all useful; dont know.

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The results for all five types of hotline reveal a clear pattern in terms of which countries tend to support these services most enthusiastically, and which are the most indifferent. In all cases, people in Cyprus show the most support, followed by those in Greece; respondents in Bulgaria show the second/third highest level of support on all but one of the five questions. At the other end of the scale, people in Denmark and the Netherlands exhibit the lowest and second lowest levels of support for helplines for services of social value in most cases; the UK is in the bottom three on four of the five questions. According to the socio-demographic data women are slightly more likely than men to think that a free Europe-wide number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is useful, with 58% of women viewing it as very useful, as opposed to 53% of men. However, similar numbers of men and women (85-86%) think it is useful.

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Only 51% of people who finished their education aged 20 or over think that a free Europe-wide number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is very useful, compared with 55-56% of those who left education aged 16-19 or at 15 or under. Overall, 83% of those who finished at 20 or over think this service is useful, compared with 87% for the other two groups. People who live in larger households are somewhat more inclined to think that this service is useful. 57% of people in households of three people or more think that a free Europe-wide number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines is very useful, compared with 52% of people who live alone. Overall, 86-87% of respondents in households of three people or more think it is useful, compared with 83% of people who live alone. Respondents occupation once again makes a difference to their outlook, with only 50% of managers regarding this type of support helpline as very useful, as opposed to 63% of house persons. Overall, 89% of house persons think it is useful, compared with 80% of managers. People who had heard of the 116 initiative were more likely to think that a free Europe-wide number for non-emergency medical on-call service helplines was useful. Overall, 90% of people who knew about the 116 numbers thought that this service was useful, compared with 84% of people who had not known about it previously.

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1.2 Disabled access to hotlines and helplines

- There is a widespread sense across the EU that more needs to be done to help users with a disability gain access to helplines for services of social value -

Relatively few EU respondents agree that enough is being done to help users with a disability to access hotlines and helplines12. Only 8% of people totally agree that enough is being done, with 21% tending to agree that their country is doing enough. However, more people (29%) tend to disagree that enough is being done to help citizens with a disability, while 22% totally disagree that their country is doing enough. Many respondents (20%) say they do not know whether enough is being done in their country to help citizens with a disability to access these types of services.

12 QD8.2 Please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.... Enough is being done in (OUR COUNTRY) to make it easier for disabled users to contact these hotlines and helplines, such as by providing adapted phones or providing access to SMS services. Possible answers: totally agree; tend to agree; tend to disagree; totally disagree; dont know.

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Agreement that enough is being done to help citizens with a disability is strongest in Belgium, where 45% agree (totally agree or tend to agree), and in Austria (45%). Austria is one of three countries where more respondents agree than disagree with this statement (+ 8 points, 45% vs. 37%). The others are Belgium and Luxembourg, where there is a difference of only 1 point (45% vs. 44%, and 37% vs. 36% respectively). In all other 22 Member States, a relative or absolute majority think that not enough is being done to help users with a disability to access social services. Disagreement is strongest in Latvia (68% vs. 22%, +46), Bulgaria (67% vs. 20%, +47) and Romania (66% vs. 19%, +47). The difference between disagreement and agreement is the highest in Cyprus, at +51 (63% vs. 12%). In the Netherlands, nearly half the respondents say that they dont know (46%).

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Socio-demographic variations are only slight on this question, with gender and age having little impact on the respondents point of view. However, the respondents level of education does have some effect: only 25% of people who finished their education aged 20 or over agree that their country is doing enough to help citizens with a disability to use helplines, but this rises to 29% and 31% among people who finished their education aged 16-19 or at 15 or under respectively. Respondents who had heard of the 116 initiative were much more likely to agree that their country was doing enough to help people with a disability. Among this group 44% say their country is doing enough, compared with just 27% of those who had not heard about the 116 numbers. Similarly, 41% of people who had called helplines for services of social value said their country is doing what it should to help citizens with a disability, as opposed to 27% of people who had not used this kind of helpline. A substantial proportion of respondents (78%) who think that people in their country are adequately informed on these issues think that people with a disability receive sufficient support, but this falls dramatically to 16% among those who do not think people are adequately informed in their country.

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2. INFORMATION ABOUT HOTLINES AND HELPLINES FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE

Having ascertained in Chapter 1 how useful EU citizens consider the various 116 services to be, Chapter 2 addresses the question of how much people know about the 116 initiative. EU respondents were first asked whether they feel adequately informed about the 116 hotlines and helplines, before being asked to explain how much they know about the 116 numbers and where they found out about them. They were then asked to say which organisations or service providers operate the 116 numbers in their country. 2.1 Adequacy of information about hotlines and helplines of social value

- Few EU citizens think that enough information is available about hotlines and helplines of social value -

Most people in the EU do not think that citizens of their country are adequately informed about the existence of hotlines and helplines of social value13. Only 6% of respondents totally agree that people in their country are adequately informed, while 15% tend to agree. One-third of respondents (33%) tend to disagree that people in their country receive adequate information about these helplines, and even more (42%) totally disagree.

13 QD8.1 Please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements... In (OUR COUNTRY), people are adequately informed about the existence of such hotlines and helplines. Possible answers: totally agree; tend to agree; tend to disagree; totally disagree; dont know.

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At individual country level, rather few respondents agree that people are sufficiently well-informed about these hotlines and helplines. More than a quarter of respondents agree that there is enough information in just eight Member States, led by Italy (33%), Austria (31%) and Belgium (30%). Disagreement is most widespread in the Netherlands (91%) and Denmark (90%).

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The socio-demographic data tend to show only small variations, with gender and age having no clear impact. However, respondents with a higher level of education are less likely to agree that people in their country receive sufficient information. Only 18% of those who finished their education aged 20 or over agree, compared with 22-23% of people who finished their education aged 16-19 or at 15 or under respectively. 22% of respondents who live alone say that people are adequately informed about the existence of such hotlines, as do 21% of those living in household of 4 people or more and 24% of those of living in household of 3 people. Respondents who use the Internet every day appear to be less likely to agree that people have enough information at their disposal. Only 19% of respondents in this group agree, compared with 24% of those who use the Internet sometimes or never. Individuals who had heard of the 116 initiative were much more likely to agree that enough information was available in their country. 36% of respondents in this group agreed, compared with 19% of people who were not aware of the 116 initiative. Similarly, 33% of people who had used helplines of social value in the past thought enough information was available in their country, as opposed to 19% of respondents who had not used this kind of helpline.

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2.2 Knowledge of the European initiative to establish hotlines and helplines

of social value

2.2.1 Awareness of the European initiative

- Only 13% of European citizens have heard of the 116 numbers - Relatively few people in the EU have currently heard of the 116 initiative14. Only 13% of respondents said that they are aware of the project, while 82% said they had not heard of it, and 5% said they did not know.

14 QD2: In 2007, the European Commission launched an initiative that requires the Member States of the EU to implement free of charge telephone hotlines and helplines for services of social value. These free telephone services have a six-digit number range starting with 116 and are the following: 116 000 is a hotline for missing children; 116 006 is a helpline for victims of crime; 116 111 is a child helpline; 116 123 is an emotional support helpline; 116 117 is a helpline for medical on-call service in non-emergency situations. Have you ever heard of this initiative? Possible answers: yes; no; dont know.

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Over 20% of respondents said they knew about the 116 initiative in seven Member States, led by Luxembourg (29%) and Bulgaria (24%). It is interesting to note an apparent paradox for the results in Luxembourg, where there are no 116 services operating so far. This may be due to fact that people in Luxembourg have access to French, Belgium or German media. France and Belgium are countries where more than 20% of the respondents are aware of the 116 initiative. In other countries, a very low proportion of people said they had heard about the 116 helplines, least of all in Denmark (4%) and the UK (5%).

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While respondents gender has no impact on their awareness, younger respondents were less likely to have heard about the 116 initiative. While 86% of 15-24 year-olds said they had never heard of it, only 81-82% of respondents in the three older age groups said the same. The fact of having children does not affect their awareness. People who position themselves low on the social scale are more likely to say they are unaware of the 116 helplines. Of people in this group, 85% said they had not heard of this initiative, compared with 82% of those self-positioned in the middle of the scale and 80% of those who position themselves at the top. However, respondents who had previously used these types of helpline were more likely to say that they knew about the 116 initiative. 17% of this group said they knew about the 116 numbers, as opposed to 12% who had not needed to call a helpline.

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2.2.2 Sources of information for the European initiative

- Most people who know about the 116 helplines found out about them via television -

Television is by far the commonest medium through which EU citizens receive information about helplines and hotlines for services of social value15; 62% of the respondents who said they had heard about the 116 initiative said that they had found out about it through television. Relatively few respondents said they had heard about the 116 numbers through other media, although 21% say they had found information by reading newspapers and 18% had got their information on the Internet. Only 16% of people had heard about the 116 initiative by listening to the radio, while 14% had learned about it through discussions with relatives, friends or colleagues. A small number of respondents had got their information by reading books, brochures and leaflets (8%). Relatively few people had found out about the 116 hotlines and helplines by seeing displays on public transport (5%), in school or at university (5%), or in a police station (3%), while 4% of people had received information from their telecoms operator. It is nevertheless worth noting that 11% of those who had heard about this initiative had seen at least one public display.

15 QD3: Where did you see or hear information regarding such free of charge hotlines and helplines?. Possible answers: television; radio; newspapers; the Internet; books, brochures, information leaflets; on public displays in public transports; on public displays in a school/ university; on public displays in a police station; through your telecommunications operator (payphones, directories, bills); through discussions with relatives, friends or colleagues; other; dont know; public displays only; at least one 'public display '.

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Television is the most common answer to this question in all but two EU Member States: Austria, where newspapers are the most commonly cited source of information; and Finland, where more people had heard about 116 hotlines and helplines through discussions with relatives, friends or colleagues. In other EU countries, a very high proportion of respondents say they had received their information by watching TV, especially in Bulgaria (86%), France (82%) and Romania (82%). Only 25% of people in Finland cited television as their information source, as did 35% in Austria and Ireland. Although the proportion of respondents in Austria who had obtained their information from TV was far below the EU average, the number was well above the average for most other media, especially newspapers and books, brochures and literature, suggesting that information about services of social value tends to be distributed more through these media, and less through TV advertising, in that country. The opposite is the case in Bulgaria, where most people had obtained their information through TV, with the result that below-average numbers of respondents in Bulgaria said they had found their information from any of the other sources. More than a quarter of respondents had obtained their information about the 116 initiative from newspapers in 10 Member States, with newspapers proving a particularly popular information source in Luxembourg (46%) and Austria (43%). Elsewhere newspapers are not a significant information source, least of all in Bulgaria (7%) and Ireland (9%). In eight Member States at least a quarter of respondents who were aware of the 116 numbers said they had heard about them via the Internet, with proportionally more people getting their information this way in Slovakia (33%), Italy (30%) and Slovenia (30%) than elsewhere in the EU. However, relatively few respondents had found information about 116 numbers online in Portugal (6%) and Denmark (7%). At least 20% of respondents said they got their information about 116 from the radio in nine Member States, led by Luxembourg (27%) and Malta (27%). Fewer than 10% of respondents cited the radio as their information source in four Member States: Greece (6%), Bulgaria, Portugal and the UK (all 8%). In eight Member States at least one in five respondents said they had obtained their information about the 116 helplines by talking to friends, family and colleagues. Respondents in Slovakia (30%) and Finland (28%) were most likely to have used this this source of information, though fewer than 10% of people mentioned this source in nine EU countries. In 12 EU countries more than 10% of respondents had obtained their information about 116 numbers from books, brochures or leaflets, with an exceptionally high proportion in Austria (22%).

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In general, relatively few EU citizens had found out about the 116 initiative through public displays. However, if all three types of public display are taken together, at least 10% of respondents had received information from some form of public display in 15 Member States. The positive response in the Czech Republic, where 30% of respondents had learned about 116 helplines through public displays, and Austria, where 27% said the same, perhaps points to specific advertising campaigns in those countries. Very few respondents reported hearing about 116 helplines through their telecoms operator, although Slovakia (19%) and Austria (11%) are exceptions.

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The socio-demographic data suggest that female respondents are slightly more likely to obtain their information on this subject through television (64%, as opposed to 60% of men), and by talking to friends, relations and colleagues (15%, as opposed to 12% of men). However, men are more likely to get their information from the radio (18%, as opposed to 14% for women), newspapers (23%, as opposed to 19% for women), and the Internet (21%, as opposed to 15% for women). Respondents aged 55 or more are the most likely to hear about the 116 services by watching television: 66% of people in the 55+ age group cite this source of information, compared with 59-61% of the respondents aged under 55. Respondents who are 24 years old or more are also more liable to get their information from the radio (16-18% of respondents aged over 24, compared with 10% of 15-24 year-olds) and from newspapers (23-24% of people in the 40-54 and 55+ age groups, compared with 17% of 25-39 year-olds and 14% of 15-24 year-olds). However, younger people are more likely to get their information from the Internet, with 24% of 15-24 year-olds and 27% of 25-39 year-olds using this source, as opposed to just 18% of 40-54 year-olds and 8% of over-55s. There is a striking correlation between respondents level of education and the ways that they are likely to obtain information. People who left school aged 15 or under are the most likely to rely on TV for their information: 70% of people in this group say they got their information about 116 services from television, compared with 65% of people in the 16-19 category, and 55% of those who left education aged 20 or over. Conversely, people who stayed in education for longer are far more likely to get their information online. 25% of those who finished their education aged 20 or over say they obtained their information about 116 numbers from the Internet, compared with 16% in the 16-19 group and just 4% in the 15-and-under bracket. Respondents household size has some impact on the results. Interestingly, respondents living in a household of 3 persons are less likely than the others to mention TV as a source of information about the 116 initiative: 56%, compared with around 63-64% in the other categories. Interestingly, the Internet is a more likely source of information on the 116 initiative for respondents living with children than for respondents living alone or with one other individual. 23% of the respondents living in a household of 3 persons and 21% of the respondents living in a household of 4 persons or more obtained information about the initiative from the Internet. Respondents who only use a mobile phone are more likely to use certain information sources than people who only use a landline, or who use both a mobile and a landline. 24% of those who only use a mobile say they obtained their information about the 116 initiative from the Internet, compared with 17% who use both a landline and a mobile, and 5% who use a landline only. However, only 55% of people who only use a mobile say they rely on TV for their information, as opposed to 63% who use both a landline and a mobile and 76% who use a landline only.

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2.2.3 Calling the services of social value in the European Union Member

States

- A slight majority of people who are familiar with the 116 numbers do not

realise that they can use them in other EU countries- This question seeks to clarify whether people who know about the 116 numbers are also aware that they are available in other Member States16. A slight majority in this group are unaware that 116 is a pan-European initiative: 45% of those who know about the 116 numbers are also aware that they are available in other EU countries, but over half (51%) say they did not know they could call these numbers outside their own country.

16 QD4: Did you know that these numbers were available in other Member States of the EU? Possible answers: yes; no; dont know.

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In 13 Member States, a majority absolute or relative of respondents who said they knew about the 116 initiative also said that they knew the numbers could be used in other countries. Awareness is greatest in Bulgaria (69%), Luxembourg (65%) and Ireland (64%). Elsewhere, respondents are much more likely to say they are unaware that these are pan-European numbers, especially in Sweden (78%) and Finland (75%). It is interesting to note that those who had heard of this initiative in the NMS12 countries are more likely than those in the EU15 countries to know that these numbers are available in other Member States: 51% vs. 43%.

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While no significant gender variation emerges from the socio-demographic data, younger respondents appear the least likely to know that 116 helplines are available outside their own country. Only 35% of 15-24 year-olds say they know that these numbers work in other EU Member States, compared with 52% of those in the 25-39 age group. Respondents with a higher level of education are more likely to know that the 116 initiative is pan-European. While 51% of those who left formal education aged 20 or over know that they can use the 116 numbers abroad, only 45% of people in the 16-19 category and 40% in the 15-and-under bracket say the same. Household size does not have a real impact on the results. Respondents living in a 2-person household are slightly more likely to be aware that these numbers are available in other EU Member States. Respondents occupations greatly affect their awareness of the availability of 116 helplines in other EU countries. While 60% of managers say they know they can use these numbers throughout the EU, only 37% of house persons and 42% of retired people are aware of this. Individuals who only use a mobile phone are more likely to know they can use 116 numbers abroad than respondents who only use a landline or who use both a mobile and a landline. Among those who only use a mobile, 50% say they are aware that the 116 initiative is pan-European, whereas only 45% of people who use both a landline and a mobile and 34% who only use a landline know this. Finally, it is worth noting that respondents who obtained this information from the Internet are much more likely than others to be aware that these numbers can be used in other Member States (62% vs. 42%). Learning this information from public displays has also an impact: 56% of those who heard about the initiative from public displays know that these numbers work in other EU Member States, compared with 44% of people who did not receive their information in this way. It is also interesting to observe that television, which is by far the main source of information for this initiative, does not appear to provide accurate knowledge of these services. A majority of respondents who had obtained their information from television were unaware that these numbers can be used in other Member States (52%).

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2.3 Knowledge of organisations or service providers operating 116 hotlines

or helplines

- While members of the public are familiar with specific 116 services in some EU countries, awareness of 116 services is very low in other Member States -

Respondents in Member States where more than one 116 service is available were asked which of the service providers operating in their country to their knowledge delivered 116 services. People in Member States with only one 116 helpline in operation were asked whether they knew that the relevant service provider operated a 116 helpline17. Cyprus and Luxembourg, which do not operate any 116 services, are not included in the following analysis. In Austria, respondents were asked whether they were aware that the organisation sterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF)18, which operates a 116123 emotional support helpline, operated a 116 helpline in their country. In response, 12% said they ORF provided this service, while 88% said they did not know. Among those who said they knew about the 116 initiative, only 51% said they knew that ORF offered a 116 service. In chapter 1, we saw that 90% of respondents in Austria said they felt that emotional support helplines were useful, which was slightly above the EU average (86%). Yet it is clear that many of the people who said they thought this kind of service was useful did not do so on the basis of their knowledge of the ORF service available to them. Respondents in Belgium were asked whether they were aware that the organisation Child Focus19, which operates a 116000 hotline for missing children, operated a helpline in their country. In response, 39% said they knew Child Focus provided this service, while 61% said they did not know. Among those people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 77% said they knew that Child Focus offered a 116 service. In chapter 1, we observed that a very high proportion of respondents in Belgium (96%) regarded missing children hotlines as useful, and this is reflected in the reasonably high proportion of people who recognise the Child Focus service. In Bulgaria, respondents were asked whether they were aware that the State Agency for Child Protection20, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline, operated such a service in their country. In response, 17% said they knew that the State Agency for Child Protection provided this service, while 83% said they were unaware of this. Among individuals who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 55% said they knew about the childrens helpline.

17 QD5a was posed to citizens of Member States with two or three helplines in operation: Which of the following organisations or service providers do you think operate 116 hotlines or helplines in (OUR COUNTRY)? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) QD5b was posed to citizens of Member States with only one 116 helpline in operation. Did you know that [NATIONAL 116 HOTLINE] is an organisation/service provider that operates 116 hotlines or helplines in (OUR COUNTRY)? Possible answers: yes; no; dont know. 18 www.rtr.at/de/tk/socialN 19 www.bipt.be 20 www.crc.bg/section.php?id=536&lang=bg

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In chapter 1 we saw that people in Bulgaria consistently responded very positively when asked whether they thought 116 numbers were useful, with 98% saying they thought childrens helplines were useful. Yet very few people in Bulgaria know about the service operating in their country, suggesting that it has not been well publicised so far. Citizens in Czech Republic were asked whether they knew that the Safety Line Association - Sdruzen Linka Bezpec21, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline, ran such a service in their country. In response, just 8% of people said they knew about this service, while 92% said they had never heard of it. Among those people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, just 41% said they knew that the Safety Line Association - Sdruzen Linka Bezpec offered a 116 helpline. In chapter 1 we saw that as many as 98% of respondents in this country believe that this kind of service is useful, but only a small minority of these people appear to know that they have a 116111 service at their disposal. In Denmark, which has two 116 service providers, just 12% of respondents said they thought that the Thora Centre, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, delivered some kind of helpline; but 55% said they were aware that Brns Vilkr, which provides a 116111 childrens helpline, delivered such a service22. 65% of respondents had heard of at least one of these organisations. In chapter 1 Denmark consistently ranked lowest among the 27 Member States in terms of how useful people felt 116 services to be. 73% of people in Denmark said they thought missing children hotlines were useful, while 78% though childrens helplines were useful. Wider awareness in Denmark of the Brns Vilkr 116111 service compared with the little-known Thora Centre missing children hotline suggests that awareness of these services makes people more likely to regard them as useful. In Germany, which has three 116 service providers23, 37% of respondents said they were aware of the service provided by Weisser Ring, which runs a 116006 helpline for victims of crime. Just 12% said they knew about the service delivered by Nummer gegen Kummer, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline. 20% said they knew of the service provided by Katholische Bundes-arbeitsgemeinschaft fr Ehe-, Familien- und Lebensberatung, TelefonSeelsorge und Offene Tr, which offers a 116123 emotional support helpline. 46% of respondents had heard of at least one of these organisations. Germany is one of only two EU countries to have a 116006 service up and running, and in chapter 1 we saw that a relatively high 94% of people there thought such a service was useful. People in Estonia were asked whether they knew that the Ministry of Social Affairs24, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline and a 116111 child helpline, ran a 116 service in their country. In response, only 6% of people said they had heard about this service, while 94% said they had never heard of it. Among those individuals who said

21 www.ctu.eu/main.php?pageid=311&PHPSESSID=82c5f77a429dc003fd7ba2ba802c19c3 22 www.itst.dk/nummerforhold-og-domaener/nummerforhold/nummerlister-1 23www.bundesnetzagentur.de/cln_1931/DE/Sachgebiete/Telekommunikation/RegulierungTelekommunikation/Nummernverwaltung/116xyz/HDSWZugeteilteNrn_Basepage.html. 24 www.tja.ee/index.php?id=13109

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they knew about the 116 initiative, just 36% said they knew that the Ministry of Social Affairs offered a 116 hotline. In chapter 1, people in Estonia were ranked among the lowest in the EU in terms of how useful they considered missing children hotlines (87% thought they were useful), and this result probably reflects the fact that not many people in Estonia know that there is a hotline operating in their country. In Greece, which has three 116 service providers25, 75% of respondents said they were aware of the service provided by the organisation The Smile of the Child, which runs a 116000 missing children hotline. 24% said they knew about the service delivered by EPUPE, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline. 30% said they knew of the service provided by Grammi Zois, which runs a 116123 emotional support helpline. 77% of respondents had heard of at least one of these organisations. Respondents in Greece, as demonstrated in chapter 1, are among the most enthusiastic about 116 services in Europe, with close to 100% of respondents regarding them as useful, and this attitude was probably fostered by the high level of public awareness of the services that are in operation there. In Finland, respondents were asked whether they knew that the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare26, which runs a 116111 childrens helpline, operated this kind of service in their country. In response, 24% of people said they were aware of this service, while 76% said they were unaware of this. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 65% said they knew about this particular helpline. In chapter 1 we observed that 96% of respondents in Finland thought child helplines were useful, but only about a quarter of those people know about the service that is up and running in their country. Respondents in France were asked whether they knew that INAVEM Fdration Nationale d'Aide aux Victimes and Fondation pour lenfance (FPE)27, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, ran this kind of service in their country. In response, only 4% of people said they had heard about this service, while 96% said they had never heard of it. Among those individuals who said they knew about the 116 initiative, only 12% said they knew that this organisation offered a 116 hotline. In chapter 1 we saw that 95% of people in France thought this kind of hotline was useful, and so the extremely low level of recognition for the FPE service suggests that very little has been done to publicise this service so far. It is interesting to note that France was one of the countries with the highest awareness of the 116 initiative (22%) and it is one of the countries with the lowest awareness of the service providers for the 116000 helpline.

25www.eett.gr 26www.ficora.fi/index/palvelut/palvelutaiheittain/numerointi/numerotyypitjaalueet/palvelunumerot/116palvelunumerot.html 27 www.arcep.fr/index.php?id=8146; www.arcep.fr/index.php?id=8146#c15526

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In Hungary, respondents were asked whether they were aware that the organisation Kk Vonal28, which runs a 116000 missing children hotline and also a 116111 childrens helpline, operated this kind of helpline for services of social value in their country. In response, just 12% of respondents said they were familiar with either of these services, while 88% said they were unfamiliar with them. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 49% said they knew about the Kk Vonal services. In chapter 1 we observed that 97% thought missing children hotlines were useful, but this high result was clearly not based on recognition of the services available. In Ireland, which offers two 116 services, 26% of respondents said they thought that the Crime Victims Helpline, which operates a 116006 helpline for victims of crime, delivered a helpline for services of social value in their country; and 24% said they were aware that Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which provides a 116111 childrens helpline, delivered this kind of service29. 33% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations. Ireland is one of only two EU countries with a helpline for victims of crime, and in chapter 1 we saw that 90% of people thought this kind of service was useful. People in Italy were asked whether they were aware that Telefono Azzurro30, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, ran this kind of service in their country. In response, 28% of people said they were familiar with this service, while 72% said they had never heard of it. Among those individuals who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 68% said they knew that Telefono Azzurro offered a 116 hotline. In chapter 1 we saw that 90% of people in Italy thought missing children hotlines were useful In Latvia, respondents were asked whether they were aware that The State Inspectorate for Protection of Childrens Rights31, which runs a 116111 childrens helpline, operated this type of service in their country. In response, just 15% of people said they were familiar with this service, while 85% said they had not heard about it. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 43% said they knew about this particular helpline. We saw in chapter 1 that 91% of people in Latvia thought childrens helplines were useful, but this was evidently not based on recognition of their own domestic helpline. In Lithuania, which provides two 116 services, 25% of respondents said they knew that the Ministry of Social Security and Labours State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline called Child Line, delivered this type of helpline in their country; and 41% said they were aware that the Lithuanian Association of Telephone Emergency Services, which runs a 116123 emotional support helpline, delivered this kind of service32. 56% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations. In chapter 1 we saw that a relatively high proportion of people (89%) in Lithuania thought emotional support helplines were useful, a result that may be 28http://webold.nhh.hu/aga/rovid/rovidParamsAction.do 29 www.comreg.ie/licensing_and_services/eu_harmonised_shortcodes.552.491.html 30 www.agcom.it 31www.vestnesis.lv/index.php?menu=doc&id=208809 32 www.rrt.lt/index.php?-364064224

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linked to the fairly high number of people who know about the 116123 service that is operating there. In Malta, which delivers two 116 services, 36% of respondents said they believed that the Malta Police Force, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, delivered an helpline for services of social value in their country; while 42% said they were aware that Agenzija Appogg, which provides a 116123 emotional support helpline, delivered this kind of service33. 64% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations. We saw in chapter 1 that a high proportion of people in Malta (93%) thought emotional support helplines were useful, and this may be a reflection of the high proportion of people who are familiar with the Agenzija Appogg service. Respondents in the Netherlands were asked whether they were aware that Stichting De Ombudsman (Centrum Internationale Kinderontvoering)34, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, ran this type of service in their country. In response, only 5% of people said they had heard of this service, while 95% said they had not heard of it. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, however, 45% said they knew about this particular hotline. The Netherlands consistently ranked as one of the lowest countries in chapter 1 in terms of how useful people regarded 116 helplines, and this is probably a reflection of the fact that very few people have heard of the one 116 service in operation there. In Poland, which has three 116 service providers35, 27% of people said they were aware that ITAKA (Centrum Poszukiwa Ludzi Zaginionych), which runs a 116000 missing children hotline, delivered this kind of service in their country. 12% said they knew about the service delivered by the Nobody's Children Foundation, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline. And just 5% said they were aware of the service provided by the Institute of Psychological Health (Instytut Psychologii Zdrowia Polskiego Towarzystwa Psychologicznego), which runs a 116123 emotional support helpline. Only 36% of respondents had heard of at least one of these organisations. In chapter 1, Poland tended not to rank very highly in terms of how useful people regarded 116 helplines, and it is therefore unsurprising to find that not many people are familiar with the services on offer there. In Portugal, which offers two 116 services, 21% of respondents said they believed that Crianas Desaparecidas, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, delivered a helpline for service of social value in their country; but 34% said they were aware that SOS Criana Linha de Apoio Criana, which provides a 116111 childrens helpline, delivered this kind of service36. 49% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations. In chapter 1 we observed that 96% of people in Portugal thought childrens helplines were useful, despite the fact that only one respondent in three knows about the helpline available in their country. 33www.mca.org.mt/infocentre/openarticle.asp?WsAppId=590&id=1258&pin=podfk5465g4v6e5r4g6 34www.opta.nl 35www.uke.gov.pl/uke/index.jsp?place=Lead24&news_cat_id=277&news_id=3791&layout=9&page=text 36www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=534695&languageId=1; www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=279035

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In Romania, which offers two 116 services, just 10% of respondents said they believed that Focus-Romania (the Romanian Center for Missing and Sexually Exploited children), which operates a 116000 missing children hotline, delivered a helpline for services of social value in their country; but 19% said they were aware that Asociaia Telefonul Copiluluis Child Helpline, which provides a 116111 childrens helpline, delivered this kind of service37. 25% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations. In Slovakia, 24% of people said they were aware that Slovensk vbor UNICEF38, which operates a 116000 missing children hotline as well as a 116111 childrens helpline, ran 116 services in their country. We saw in chapter 1 that 95% of people in Slovakia thought that childrens helplines were useful, even though far fewer people are familiar with the helplines that are actually available to them. In Slovenia, respondents were asked whether they were aware that Zveza Slovenskih Drutev Svetovalcev Za Telefonsko Pomo V Stiski (STS)39, which runs a 116123 emotional support helpline, operated this type of service in their country. In response, just 8% of people said they were familiar with this service, while 92% had never heard of it. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, 34% said they knew about this particular helpline. Strong support for the idea of an emotional helpline was recorded in chapter 1, with 90% of respondents saying this kind of service was useful, even though the vast majority of them did not know about the STS service. In Spain, respondents were asked whether they knew that Fundacin ANAR40, which runs a 116000 missing children hotline, operated such a service in their country. In response, only 4% of people said they were aware of this service, while 96% said they were unaware of this. Among people who said they knew about the 116 initiative, just 29% said they knew about the Fundacin ANAR hotline. In chapter 1 we saw that most respondents in Spain (95%) thought a 116000 service would be useful, despite the extremely low level of awareness of the hotline that is available in their country. In Sweden, where two 116 services are available41, 76% of respondents said they were aware that BRIS, which runs a 116111 childrens helpline, offered this kind of service in their country. 38% of people said they were aware that Svenska Kyrkan, which operates a 116123 emotional support helpline, ran this type of service, even though the service was only launched in February 2011. 81% of respondents had heard of at least one of the two organisations, not far short of the 93% of people who said that they thought childrens helplines were useful.

37www.anrcti.ro/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=1507 38www.teleoff.gov.sk 39www.apek.si/sl/stevilski_prostor_register; www.apek.si/en/number_blocks_register 40www.mityc.es/telecomunicaciones/es-ES/Servicios/Numeracion/armonizados/Paginas/rango116.aspx 41 www.pts.se/upload/Ovrigt/Tele/Nummerfragor/bilaga-2b.pdf

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In the UK, which has three 116 service providers42, 29% of people said they were aware that Missing People, which runs a 116000 missing children hotline, operated a 116 service in their country. 33% said they knew about the service delivered by the NSPCC, which operates a 116111 childrens helpline called Child Line. And 31% said they were aware of the service provided by the Samaritans, which runs a 116123 emotional support helpline. 55% of respondents had heard of at least one of these organisations. The support recorded in chapter 1 for 116 helplines was consistently lower than in most other EU countries, despite the fact that a 55% level of recognition for at least one 116 service is relatively very high. The graphic below summarises the level of awareness of at least one organisation/service provider that operates 116 hotlines or helplines in a given country. As there were several organisation/service providers in some countries43, the chart uses the figures for the proportion of respondents who mentioned at least one of these. The level of awareness of organisations/services varies considerably from one country to another. In Sweden, Greece, Denmark, Malta, Lithuania and the UK more than half the respondents have heard of at least one provider. However, except in Greece, fewer than 20% of the respondents in these countries had heard of the 116 initiative. At the other end of the scale, a very low awareness of national organisations/services that operate 116 services was recorded in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, Czech Republic and Slovenia (less than 10%).

42http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/numbering/guidance-tele-no/116-euro-numbers 43 Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom

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3. AWARENESS OF THE HOTLINES AND HELPLINES FOR SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE

In Chapter 2 respondents were asked if they felt adequately informed about the existence of hotlines and helplines available to them, and whether they were familiar with the providers of those services operating in their country. This section of the survey will test respondents awareness of 116 services from a different angle by asking them which number they would call if they needed one of these services: for example, in the event that a child in their family went missing, and so on. In each Member State people were only asked questions relating to helplines that are already up and running in their country. For example, respondents were only asked which number they would call in the event of becoming a victim of crime in Germany and Ireland, as these are the only EU Member States that operate 116006 services at present. 3.1 Hotlines for missing children (116000) - While only 1% of respondents say they would call 116000 if a child were to go

missing, one in three would call 112 -

Among respondents in the 15 EU Member States where a 116000 missing children hotline is currently available, over a third (36%) say they do not know which number they would call if a child they knew went missing44. A third (33%) say they would call 112, the pan-European emergency services number, while 26% say they would call another number. 5% of people say they would call 116, and just 1% say they would call 116000. A further 1% say they would try a different 116 number.

44 QD1a Can you tell me what telephone number you would call to receive help in the event that a child in your family or a child you know had gone missing in (OUR COUNTRY)? (DO NOT SHOW CARD DO NOT READ OUT MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE). Possible answers: 116; 116000; 112; other number; other 116; dont know.

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Recognition of 116 is particularly high in Belgium, where 22% of people say they would call 116, 4% say they would call 116000 and another 2% say they would call a 116-related number. This outcome reflects the fact that a relatively high number of respondents in Belgium (39%), as we saw in chapter 2, said that they knew of the Child Focus 116000 service operating in their country. Familiarity is also relatively high in Italy, where 12% say they would call 116, 6% say they would call 116000 and 1% would try a different 116 number. In chapter 2 we saw that a relatively large proportion of people in Italy (28%) said that they were aware of the 116000 hotline provided by Telefono Azzurro in their country. In only three Member States Belgium, Italy and Slovakia do more than 10% of respondents say they would call some kind of 116 number to address the problem of a missing child.

N = 15157

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Awareness of the 112 emergency number is generally quite high, with over a third of respondents saying they would call this number in 10 of the 15 countries under consideration here. Recognition was strongest in Romania, where 83% said they would call 112, and in the Netherlands (76%). In both of these countries awareness of the available 116000 hotlines was shown in chapter 2 to be very low. But elsewhere, awareness of 112 is extremely low, notably in Greece (2%) and the UK (4%), suggesting that little has been done to publicise the pan-European service in those countries. In the UK, 59% of people say they would call another number presumably the national emergency services number while in Greece 58% of people say they did not know who they would call in the event of a child going missing. The socio-demographic data suggest that respondents aged 55 or more are the least likely to call either 112 or 116 numbers to deal with the problem of a missing child. Only 5% of people in the 55+ age group say they would call one of the 116 numbers, compared with 6-9% for the three younger age groups; and only 27% of over-55s say they would ring 112, compared with 33% of 40-54 year-olds and 37% of 15-24 and 25-39 year-olds. Respondents in households of three or more people are more likely to think of calling 112 or 116. While 9% of people in households of three or more say they would call one of the 116 numbers, only 5-6% of people in one or two-person households say the same. 35-36% of people in households of three or more say they would call 112 if a child were to go missing, compared with 32% of people in a two-person household and 27% of respondents who live alone. People who only use a mobile phone are much more likely to call both 112 and 116. 44% of people who only use a mobile say they would ring 112, and 8% say they would call one of the 116 numbers. But only 24% of people who only use a landline would call 112, with 4% saying they would call one of the 116 numbers. Among people who said they had heard of the 116 initiative, 21% say they would call 116 in the event of a child going missing (compared with just 3% of people who had not previously heard of it), while 8% said they would call 116000 (only 1% of people who had not previously heard of the 116 initiative would do the same). Finally, it is interesting to observe that those who obtained information about the initiative on the Internet or from public displays are much more likely than other respondents to be aware of the 116 number. 46% of the respondents who received the information from public displays say they would call 116 in the event that a child were missing (compared with just 6% of those who did not). 48% of those who obtained their information from the Internet say that they would call 116 whereas only 23% of those who did not find this information on the Internet would do so. Those who learned about the initiative on television are far less likely to be aware of 116: only 14% say that they would call a 116 number. Public displays and the Internet seem to be much more effective information sources than television.

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N = 15157

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3.2 Child helplines (116111)

- At least 10% of respondents would advise a distressed child to call a 116 number in only three Member States. Just 1% would suggest 116111 -

Among respondents in the 17 EU Member States where a 116111 childrens helpline is currently in operation, more than a third (37%) say they do not know which number they would advise a child to call if he or she were in difficulties45. A third (34%) say they would recommend calling 112, while 27% say they would recommend another number. Just 3% of people say they would tell a child to call 116, with 1% saying they would recommend calling 116111.

In only three Member States Bulgaria (11%), the Czech Republic (13%) and Slovakia (13%) do more than 10% of respondents say they would tell a child to call some kind of 116 number This is despite the fact that recognition of the available 116111 service providers is not especially high in those countries, especially in the Czech Republic, where only 8% of people said (see chapter 2) that they were familiar with the Telefonica O2 service operating in their country. Many respondents once again favour the 112 emergency number, with over a third of respondents saying they would advise children to call this number in 12 of the 17 countries under consideration here. Recognition was again strongest in Romania, where 75% said they would advise a child to call 112, and also in Lithuania (69%). Yet in both of these countries awareness of the available 116111 services was shown in chapter 2 to be at a reasonable level (25% in Lithuania, 19% in Romania). In some Member States, very few people recommend 112, especially in Greece (2%) and the UK (4%). In the UK, 54% of people say they would recommend another, presumably national, service number, while in Greece most people (69%) say they do not know which telephone number they would advise a distressed child to call.

45 QD1c: Can you tell me what telephone number you would advise a child to call in the event that he or she encountered difficulties and required assistance or consultation in (OUR COUNTRY)? (DO NOT SHOW CARD DO NOT READ OUT MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE)). Possible answers: 116; 116111; 112; other number; other 116; dont know.

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N = 18130

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harmonised numbers for services.pdf

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