More than 5,500 conversations with children and young people were conducted during 2025 via the “Blue Phone”, and fear, anxiety, but also violence in the family are just some of the reasons why the phone of this counseling line run by the “New Generation” from Banja Luka rang so many times.
According to Maja Kovačević, counselor at “Blue Phone”, on the other end of that line were most often children and young people between the ages of 13 and 19.
62 reports of violence
“By the way, this is the category of children and young people who turn to us to talk, that is, when they need help and support,” she says for “Nezavisne novine”.
As in previous years, mental health was the most common reason young people approached.
“The most common topics were fear, anxiety, depression, suicide, self-harm. In addition, we were contacted about violence and abuse, primarily domestic violence. During the previous year, we sent 62 reports of suspected violence to the competent institutions,” she said for Independent newspaper.
Two psychologists are currently employed as counselors at the “Blue Phone”, and they are available to everyone every working day from 9 am to 5 pm via the free phone number 080 05 03 05.
A large number of missed calls
“Our statistics show that every month we have a large number of missed calls, on average between 200 and 300. Also, the period from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. is when the largest number of calls occurs during the week, as well as on Saturdays. Due to the availability of the line itself and for children to have a place to turn to for help and support, it would be very important if the working hours were extended and if children and young people had more opportunities to turn to for help and support,” she points out.
The special importance of the “Blue Phone” is also visible in the fact that it is the only counseling line in Bosnia and Herzegovina that children and young people can turn to regardless of the difficulties they face.
“We are here for them to talk about the problems and difficulties they are facing. We are here to listen to them, to provide support and try to find a solution with them,” says Kovačević.
In addition to calling, anyone who has a problem and needs to contact the “Blue Telephone” team can do so through electronic counseling, i.e. by correspondence via chat on the page plavitelefon.ba, e-mail or social networks Facebook and Instagram.
