Almost 1,000 children received counselling for sexual abuse in Northern Ireland last year.
According to Childline, the number of distressed young people ringing the service with claims of abuse was the highest since the service was set up 10 years ago.
A total of 952 children phoned counsellors last year, compared to 587 three years ago.
Paddy Shannon, assistant director of Childline Northern Ireland, said the figures showed young victims of sexual abuse were becoming more prepared to come forward.
‘Every day, Childline receives dozens of harrowing calls about sexual abuse from children, some of whom are very young indeed,’ he said.
‘Children phone to talk in confidence about suffering different kinds of sexual abuse, the vast majority of the abusers being people they know, either within their families, or the wider family circle.
‘They dare not speak about it, or ask for help, for fear of the consequences.
‘Many of them have been threatened or intimidated into silence.’
Childline in Northern Ireland is run by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
‘We believe calls have gone up partly because of awareness campaigns targeted at children like the NSPCC “Don't Hide It' campaign,” added Mr Shannon.
