Childline show, suggested to the BBC that they create "Childwatch", a programme about child abuse that was screened on 30 October 1986 on BBC1, the aim being to try to detect children at risk before their lives were in danger. Viewers were asked if they would take part in the survey in an edition of "That's Life!". A helpline was opened after the programme so that any child currently suffering abuse could call for help. Rantzen, together with her BBC producers Sarah Caplin and Ritchie Cogan, therefore suggested they should create a helpline specifically for children in danger or distress, to
Childline South Africa thousands of young people making use of it to seek help. Chat rooms were staffed by trained counselors based at the Childline national office in Durban, and were operational Monday to Saturday, from 2pm to 6pm. Conversations between children and counsellors were strictly confidential and were conducted on a one-on-one basis, which allowed children to seek assistance on topics they would have ordinarily found difficult to discuss. Children who required face-to-face services may have been referred to their closest regional office for further counselling. Google is partnered with Childline in promoting online safety for children through its online child safety