Child protection: Parents have been urged to ask organisations in which their children are involved, about their child protection policies, following publication of the Ferns Report on child sex abuse last week.
Several groups, including the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Rape Crisis Centre, have reported a significant increase in calls in recent days.
Irene McIntosh, child protection officer with Catholic Youth Care, urged parents to check what safeguards organisations have in place for children. She said yesterday that she was surprised that in the past three years only two parents had called.
"Children have found a voice, the media have found a voice, now parents need to find a voice and look for and expect accountability," she said.
Her organisation has a policy that no adult is allowed to be alone with a child or sleep in the same room as a child.
"If a child does disclose anything, parents should never ever do nothing," said Ms McIntosh "Even if you don't feel you can report the abuse yourself, you should seek out someone else who will."
Catholic Youth Care has 271 groups affiliated in the Dublin Diocese and 24,500 children use its services every year.
Barnardos has noticed an increase in calls from worried parents to its helplines. It has also called for mandatory reporting in the light of the Ferns report.
Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said: "Professionals who interact with children would welcome the introduction of mandatory reporting since it equips them with a clear course of action that puts children first."
The ISPCC has reported a "huge increase" in calls since the Ferns report.
"Children should learn that it is okay to say no to an adult if they are uncomfortable," according to Caroline O'Sullivan.
She said parents had to help children to learn that their bodies belong to them and that no one should ask a child to keep a kiss, a hug or a touch secret.
Calls to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre helpline have increased by 38 per cent and 71 per cent in the past two weeks, compared to this time last year.
Calls have come from all over the State, many from older people, according to Breda Allen who advises parents to cultivate a relationship with their child so they feel they can disclose.
"Where they suspect something is wrong," she said, "it is better to make a fuss and be wrong, than do nothing. For parents of younger children from six to eight our advice is to tell children to always stay close to their friends."
Alan Corbett, national clinical director of Children at Risk in Ireland, said generally it took a few days for the phone helplines to heat up.
"It takes time to pluck up the courage to phone. The main thing is not to panic. Where a parent has concerns, it is usually due to a change in a child's behaviour, which may be due to a number of factors. It is important to work out why the behaviour has changed, to listen and talk it through.
"Most abuse happens within the family and these can be the most difficult cases as the perpetrator may be a parent or step parent," he said.
There may be a complex triangle at play and a mother may face the horrendous struggle between the child and the other person they love, he added.
"If we have a name, we automatically hand it over but it can be difficult when a parent won't give the name over."
He stressed the importance of the stay-safe programmes in schools but was critical of the fact that it had not been introduced in every school in Ireland.