Help line could be a valuable service

For all of an adult’s best intentions, sometimes the words “You can tell me anything” will never ring true to a child.

Whether it’s a boy being pushed around at the bus stop, a teenage girl pressured to be promiscuous with her boyfriend or a young man struggling with a substance-abuse problem, there are some cases when an age gap seems insurmountable. Peer pressure is a palpable force in a youth’s emotional life, so putting themselves in situations where they risk being called a “rat,” a “snitch,” or facing other embarrassments, seems unbearable.

That’s why 2nd Floor, a new youth help line controlled by 180, Turning Lives Around, has the potential to become a great help to Monmouth County youngsters. Calls to the new help line are toll-free, confidential and — most important — anonymous. Trained professionals will staff the 2nd Floor help desk from 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

At a recent press conference, 2nd Floor Advisory Council Chairman Philip Murphy noted that the help line is not intended to take the place of parents, teachers or religious figures who are the pillars of youngsters’ support systems.

But all too often, it’s those same people who are part of the problem. When that’s the case, youths have few secure places to turn, and an outlet like 2nd Floor can be invaluable.

The numbers from 2nd Floor’s pilot stage show there’s a demand for the service, enough so that the program was expanded throughout the county. In its first year of service to the Matawan-Aberdeen, Keansburg, Keyport, Hazlet and Red Bank school districts, the line fielded more than 1,000 calls for youths seeking assistance.

To our young readers: Growing up is a tougher road than ever, full of unfair societal pressures — to be cool, to be thin as pop stars, to experience things you’re not ready for.

If all of this becomes too much, and you need someone to vent to, we encourage you to use this service. 2nd Floor can be accessed at (888) 222-2228 or www.2ndfloor.org.