Media Advisory - Kids Help Phone invited to comment during the Supreme Court hearing involving the right to anonymity and confidentiality of children seeking legal assistance

TORONTO, May 10, 2012 /CNW/ - Kids Help Phone will present arguments before the Supreme Court of Canada, providing context on the critical role confidentiality and anonymity play for young people when seeking help for cyberbullying.

Alisa Simon, Kids Help Phone Vice-President of Counselling Services and Programs, says "Cyberbullying is a serious issue for young people in Canada and the effects can be devastating. Unfortunately the majority of young people believe they have little recourse when it comes to cyberbullying. At Kids Help Phone we know that for our kids, teens and young adults to look for the support they need, we need to provide a safe environment where they will not fear being exposed to further potential physical, emotional or social threats".

WHO	Alisa Simon, Kids Help Phone Vice-President of Counselling Services and Programs
WHEN	May 10, 2012 - 10am. Spokespeople are available for comment throughout the day
WHAT	Kids Help Phone comment on the need to protect young people's anonymity and confidentiality
WHERE	Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa
WHY	Young people tell Kids Help Phone that without a guarantee of privacy, they would not reach out to report being victimized by cyberbullying or other forms of violence.  If we want young people to alert adults when they are victims of cyberbullying, it is critical that they feel safe.

This month, Kids Help Phone is releasing its 2012 report "Cyberbullying: Reality Check". The report is an update to its 2007 report "Cyberbullying: Our Kids' New Reality", and identifies some of the trends in online behaviour that the professional youth counselling service users are navigating. To read the report, please visit http://org.kidshelpphone.ca/en/media-centre/publications

About Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is Canada's leading online and phone counselling service for youth. It's free, it's anonymous and confidential, and it's available any time of the day or night, 365 days a year in English and in French.  Professional counsellors support the mental health and well-being of young people, ages five to 20, by providing one-on-one counselling, information and resources.  As a community-based national charity, Kids Help Phone receives no core government funding and relies on community and corporate support to fund its essential and vital service.

To set up an interview about Kids Help Phone' Supreme Court intervention on the need to protect young people's anonymity and confidentiality, please contact:

Pascale Guillotte, Director of Communications
416-581-8974 / 1-800-268-3062 ext. 8974
[email protected]