Child Advocacy Research Articles

Intersectional racial and gender bias in family court

AbstractCustody cases characterized by conflict may involve allegations of abuse or parental alienation, necessitating a thorough examination of the situation for the child’s wellbeing. This case series describes stereotypes and biases faced by three racialized fathers, resulting in problems in the processes and outcomes of the family court system. Occurring at the intersection of race, culture, religion, and gender, social myths about these fathers of South Asian and MENA (Middle Eastern, North African, Arab) descent led to inequities in parental rights and harm to their children. Biases experienced by fathers included racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, which manifested as presumptions that such fathers espoused outdated gender roles, exerted excessive authority in the home, and were unwilling to adapt to mainstream culture—which can bias the decision-making of custody evaluators, child advocates, lawyers, and judges. This paper presents the relevant facts of each case, critical errors made by the court—such as ignoring the voices of the fathers, delayed verdict delivery, inadequate assessment of abuse, and failure to prioritize the children's welfare. This article discusses stigma, abuse, interracial dynamic, and the mental health toll of this process on fathers, despite having respected professions and financial resources. Also addressed is the challenge of differentiating parental alienation from estrangement due to child abuse when children reject a parent. It is hoped that by recognizing and addressing these biases outcomes in parental disputes can be greatly improved.

Sexually transmitted infections in sexually abused children: an audit project to implement PCR tests in a child advocacy center in Türkiye

Background. Sexual abuse in children can sometimes result in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can serve as crucial forensic evidence. Although PCR methods are now accepted as the gold standard for STI screening, they have not yet widely replaced traditional culture methods in Türkiye. This study aims to assess the necessity of implementing PCR-based STI testing at Child Advocacy Centers in Türkiye, where such testing is not routinely available. Methods. Conducted between February and November 2023, this study included children who presented to the Child Advocacy Center of Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital. High-risk victims were identified based on criteria including a history of penetrative sexual abuse and factors such as multiple perpetrators or significant age disparity. Serological tests and genital swabs were collected and analyzed using both bacterial culture methods and a comprehensive STI PCR panel. Results. The study included 20 victims, with a median age of 16 years. STI PCR testing detected pathogens in 19 out of 21 samples, including Chlamydia trachomatis (20%) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (5%). In contrast, culture methods identified no sexually transmitted pathogens. Conclusion. PCR testing demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity for detecting STIs compared to traditional bacterial culture methods, as expected. Implementing PCR-based STI testing in Child Advocacy Centers is an urgent and essential need for providing an accurate diagnosis and robust forensic evidence, enhancing the care and legal protection of sexually abused children.

Between advocacy and commodification on Instagram: A case study of sharenting a child with disabilities

AbstractThis study examines the advocacy for children with disabilities in the context of sharenting practices on social media. The focus is on a case study of a 5‐year‐old British girl with Down syndrome (DS) named AC, whose Instagram account is managed by her mother. The study involved analysing all the content shared on the account, including single images, carousels, and videos (n = 1195), Reels (n = 310), pinned highlights (n = 6), and content tagged by other accounts (n = 74). The Instagram narratives were inductively categorized into three groups: Normalizing DS, Coping with DS, and DS macro‐level advocacy. The sharenting portrayal of AC has contributed to the growth of a supportive community challenging social stereotypes while promoting a more inclusive society. However, the study raises concerns about privacy, commodification, and self‐representation of the child in the context of sharenting advocacy. The mother's efforts to blend advocacy with commodification may compromise AC's privacy in pursuit of public recognition of DS children and financial benefits. While the social media portrayal attempts to offer the child's perspective, this case may not accurately represent self‐advocacy.

Rights Quest: A Game for Child Rights Awareness

The interactive video game "A Way Home!" is a serious game for promoting pro-social change by raising awareness of children's rights, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty. All countries except the United States have ratified this treaty. Through a collaborative effort, faculty and students developed this game using an open-source platform to create an immersive first-person video game experience to disseminate crucial knowledge about children's rights and the need for ratification. Game design guides players through real-world comparative scenarios depicting environments that support or do not support those fundamental rights. Through engaging gameplay and storytelling, iterative development processes facilitated the game's effectiveness in conveying complex concepts, such as the distinction between rights and responsibilities. The significance of children's fundamental rights, such as access to food, a safe, clean home, the right to speech, and freedom of expression, as enshrined in the CRC, are emphasized by juxtaposing different environments and depicting the consequences of choices. Grounded upon the Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers 2010), the first step to adopting cultural change is education. Using gameplay elements, including rewards for positive choices and learner guidance instructions, "A Way Home!" rights quest motivates players to explore and understand the principles of children's rights. The player wins the game when they achieve the goal of being heard in a court of law. By combining education with entertainment, the game aims to inspire empathy and foster understanding, with the ultimate goal of teaching about the need for ratification of the CRC Treaty in the U.S. and empowering players to take action and advocate for children's rights. This paper depicts the methodology involving participants (n=17) from one southeastern university in the States to capture qualitative and quantitative feedback through a perception survey to evaluate the first demo model. Results support advancing data collection for the next version developed using virtual reality (V.R.) headsets to further immerse the learners in the experience.

The unlikely combination: Anderson-Fabry disease and congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II in a pediatric patient.

Anderson-Fabry disease, a rare X-linked lysosomal disorder, and congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) Type II, an autosomal recessive condition, both have distinct inheritance patterns. Their co-occurrence is extremely rare, never been reported before. Therefore, screening is crucial for early management, and families should seek genetic counseling for children showing unusual presentations. Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is a rare condition, characterized by a lysosomal storage disorder affecting lipid storage. It manifests in two forms: classic (early-onset) and nonclassic (late-onset). Conversely, congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) is a rare blood disorder caused by ineffective erythropoiesis, which results in the production of abnormal erythroblasts during the maturation of red blood cells, with CDA type II being the most frequent type. Both disorders have well-understood pathophysiologies, yet they are genetically distinct. AFD is inherited in an X-linked manner, whereas CDA type II follows an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Although both AFD and CDA type II have been reported separately in the literature. The co-existence for both AFD and CDA type II has not been reported. We describe a 10-year-old boy, with both which is believed to be the first documented case.

Investigation of perceived parental attitude in children exposed to sexual abuse: A case-control study.

The enduring impact of children being subjected to sexual abuse is characterized by lasting traumatic effects. This study aims to assess the influence of perceived parental attitudes on the incidence of sexual abuse in children who have experienced such abuse, comparing them with a control group. The research took place at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) of a hospital in northern Turkey and in the pediatric outpatient clinics of the same institution. The study evaluated 101 children who were exposed to sexual abuse and 100 children who were not. Data collection took place between November 2022 and August 2023. The study employed a 'Descriptive Information Form' and the 'Parental Attitude Scale' for both case and control groups. The t-test for independent samples, descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Analysis of scores from the Parental Attitude Scale revealed significantly lower mean scores in acceptance-involvement and strictness-supervision in the case group (p < .05). The mean scores for 'acceptance-involvement' (X¯ = 22.82 ± 6.26, X¯ = 25.71 ± 3.89) were highest in the case and control groups. Neglectful attitude (38.6%) was more prevalent in the case group, while the control group exhibited a higher frequency of democratic attitude (37%). In terms of predictors, acceptance-involvement (OR = 1.091, p = .005) and maternal employment (OR = 4.410, p < .001) were identified as the most significant predictors of exposed to sexual abuse. The study's Cronbach's alpha value for the scale was α = .743. The study's findings on parental attitudes suggest a potential connection between children's exposure to sexual abuse and inadequate parental acceptance, involvement, supervision, and control.

Cognitive, Social, and Emotional-Behavioral Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome.

Although Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome spectrum (BWSp) is not usually associated with intellectual disability, recent evidences calls for further investigation of cognitive development and academic skills in children with BWSp. Moreover, research has documented social difficulties and emotional-behavioral problems associated with BWSp. Nevertheless, a full characterization of socio-emotional development in BWSp is still lacking. In the current study, cognitive and socio-emotional development was assessed in 29 children with BWSp aged 5-18 years, using a test of nonverbal intelligence, a neuropsychological battery covering multiple domains, academic skills tests, and questionnaires evaluating autistic traits and emotional-behavioral problems. As expected, most participants showed adequate performance in cognitive tests. However, the findings also highlighted greater difficulties in language than visuospatial processing, strengths in social perception, as well as slowness in reading and mental calculation. The assessment of emotional-behavioral difficulties indicated a prevalent phenotype characterized by increased anxiety, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and a tendency to control externalizing reactions, but no associations with autistic traits, cognitive outcomes, and the clinical score proposed by the recent Consensus statement. Increased social perception and internalization problems likely result from coping strategies with social and care-related stress. Overall, the findings of this study inform clinical management and genetic counseling for children and adolescents with BWSp.

Mixed-method examination of early maladaptive schemas and coping among children at a child advocacy center.

The present study examined (a) the presence of early maladaptive schemas and coping responses in children who have experienced maltreatment, (b) the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and coping responses, and (c) how qualitative findings compare to previous theoretical structures in quantitative studies. There were 100 participants (Mage = 10.72 years, SD = 3.35; 64 girls, 30 boys, six transgender/nonbinary), with 70% identifying as White. Data were collected in collaboration with a community child advocacy center through forensic interviews in cases of reported child abuse. Early maladaptive schemas were assessed using an adapted version of the Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children. Coping responses were assessed using the COPE Inventory. Information about individual and abuse factors was gathered from case reports. Child advocacy center staff completed the measures based on information obtained during forensic interviews. All assessed early maladaptive schemas were endorsed in this sample; children reported an ability to adapt through the use of socially supported and self-sufficient coping responses. Hierarchical cluster analysis examining word similarity within coded texts demonstrated that subjugation and self-sacrifice were most strongly related. This mixed-method study integrating children's voices contributes a new perspective on early maladaptive schemas and coping responses that can provide education to multidisciplinary teams involved in forensic interviews. However, limits to generalizability must be considered given that the sample was derived from one region in the U.S. Midwest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the Influence of Stigma and Discrimination on the Retention of Pupils Affected By HIV/AIDS in Emarti Zone, Kirindon Division, Transmara District of Kenya

This study examines the impact of stigma and discrimination on the retention of HIV/AIDS students in Kirindon, Emarti Zone, and Transmara District. The findings revealed that culture is the primary contributing factor to stigma. However, some researchers have reported that we can change culture for the better. We can achieve this by first sensitizing the masses about stigma and discrimination. This could be a starting point for a change of attitude. The people who need to change their attitude include the educators, the parents, and their children. Once completed, the remainder of the intervention will proceed seamlessly. Schools should review the HIV/AIDS interventions they’ve adopted and start implementing them, taking into account children’s right to education. Those in charge of counseling must also carefully observe the children who lose interest in learning or begin to withdraw from school. This behavior may be stigmatizing, necessitating the need for related counseling. Schools must intensify their advocacy for children’s rights. For instance, we must intensify communication-based approaches and collaborate with the local community. Peer educators and volunteers should travel from village to village, meeting families and encouraging them not to isolate those who are HIV/AIDS positive and not to misinform their children. Keywords: Discrimination, HIV/ AIDS, Interventions, Stigma, Teachers

Report of a child with Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome due to a novel variant of ASXL3 gene and a literature review

To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic basis of a child with Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome (BRPS). A child with BRPS who had visited Nanjing Children's Hospital on June 26, 2019 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was reviewed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The child was a 6-month-old girl with peculiar facial features, feeding difficulties, malnutrition, global developmental delay, hypotonia, mildly elevated aminotransferase and ulnar deviation. Results of WES showed that she has harbored a c.1533_1534del variant of the ASXL3 gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed that neither of her parents has carried the same variant. No similar case had been retrieved from the HGMD and ClinVar databases. No frequency for this variant among Asian populations was available in the ExAC, 1000 Genomes, and gnomAD databases. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c.1533_1534del variant of the ASXL3 gene was determined to be likely pathogenic (PVS1+PS2+PM2_Supporting). The ASXL3 gene c.1533_1534del variant probably underlay the BRPS in this child. Above finding has provided a reference for the clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling for children with similar disorders.

Factors facilitating and delaying disclosure and reporting of child sexual abuse: insights from forensic interviews

ABSTRACT In light of limited existing knowledge, we aimed to examine the connection between disclosure facilitators and delays in the context of forensic interviews. We examined interview records from 403 children under 18 suspected of sexual abuse at a child advocacy center. The forensic interview records, family interview forms, and psychiatric examination reports in the files were retrospectively examined. Frequency, mean, and chi-square tests were implemented to analyze the data. The reasons for facilitating and delaying the disclosure of abuse were evaluated using a descriptive analysis method. Of the cases, 79.4% were girls, and 74% were in the 12–18 age group. It was determined that the presence of witnesses, evidence, and messages (16.37%) and discomfort with the suspect’s/abuser’s behavior (11.66%) facilitated the disclosure of abuse. On the other hand, reporting of abuse was delayed due to the suspect’s/abuser’s threats (18.85%) and the victim’s fear, embarrassment and avoidance of her/his family (10.66%). The characteristics of abuse and disclosure reasons varied based on age groups and the intimacy level of the suspect. It has been observed that pre-adolescent children may face cognitive obstacles in disclosing abuse.

Alaa Murabit: resolute advocate for women's and children's health

Alaa Murabit: resolute advocate for women's and children's health

'Aisyiyah's Posbakum Strategy in Optimising Legal Aid for Women and Children

This paper focused on the ‘ Aisyiyah Legal Aid Post (Posbakum) under the Regional Leadership of ‘ Aisiyah Central Java, which has been accredited by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights and has provided legal aid services to the poor, including women, children and people with disabilities. The establishment of the ’Aisyiyah Legal Aid Post was a decision of the 46th Congress in Yogyakarta , born out of ’Aisyiyah’s concern for law enforcement and justice in society and as a means of fighting for the rights of people who were violated or faced legal problems, especially women and children. This paper explains the strategies and efforts made by the Legal Aid Post ’Aisyiyah Regional Leader of ’Aisyiyah Central Java, in providing services and legal assistance for victims during and after receiving assistance. In addition, it also explains the strategy for institutional strengthening. Data were obtained through documentation studies and open interviews with informants of Posbakum Regional Leader of ’Aisyiyah Central Java Management. Data analysis was carried out using a qualitative descriptive method with a normative approach. The results showed that the Legal Aid Post ’Aisyiyah Central Java provides services to law seekers in the form of both litigation and non- litigation cases. Litigation cases included victim assistance in case settlement, court proceedings and post-litigation assistance. Meanwhile, non-litigation cases included several activities, like legal consultation, research, and community empowerment. The implementation of advocacy and assistance for women, children and disabled victims of violence aim ed to heal trauma, protect women from violence and neglect, protect the rights of women and their children and provide legal defence and protection. The victim assistance strategy used a collaborative approach involving curative and preventive. The collaborative approach is psychological and religious. After providing assistance in court, Legal Aid Posts (PosBakum) assisted victims through psychological and medical rehabilitation of victims, raising awareness of victims so that their rights can be protected, providing training on life skills for victims so that they have technical skills and expertise both in the community and family environment to earn an income that can be used to support themselves and their families. In an effort to strengthen institutions and implement the programmes carried out, the Legal Aid Post (Posbakum) built synergy between all parties to gain a good perspective from law enforcement officials in order to help women with disabilities who are victims of sexual violence get justice. This synergy was achieved through the Fogus Group Discussions with law enforcement officials, facilitators and the community. Additionally, an audience with the Central Java Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights was offered. A workshop was conducted for accredited legal aid organisations throughout Central Java in providing legal aid with the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. They campaigned for the fulfilment of disabled rights in accessing justice, such as having special legal officers trained to handle disabled issues because they need special knowledge and handling. Moreover, they submitted aspirations to provincial parliaments during recess and provided input for draft regulations and bills. Also, conducting education and training. Lastly, make Memorandum of Understanding with networks for case assistance. Keywords: ’Aisyiyah, Legal Aid Post, Victim Assistance, Women and Children, strategy

Building resilience of street-connected children during COVID-19: turning rights into practices through CINI method.

This article examines the methods and opportunities for SCC's meaningful participation that recognize their agency and are aligned with General Comment No. 21 (GC21) to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on Children in Street Situations (UNCRC, 1989). This article explains the application of CINI's core practice models which explains the child centrality in development practices for "turning rights into practice for children" derived from the Sustainable Development Goals, principles of Human Rights, UNCRC, and General Comment No. 20 (2016). The Institutional knowledge was practiced through child-led action research with street- connected children which resulted in the development of agency among SCC, peer researchers, and child advocates for resilience building within their community during COVID-19. Child in Need Institute (CINI) has been working with SCC since 1989 and has derived a rich body of experience from the interventions. CINI applied participatory approaches to practice, research, decision-making, and policy development; thus, facilitating children in the process of systematically gathering information with their peers, identifying key issues and problems faced by SCC, and securing support from duty bearers that were required for the survival within their situations. Drawing on the approach undertaken and the tools used in the participatory research and advocacy, this article reflects upon the processes and strategies that worked out in facilitating SCC's ability to exercise agency and resilience through evidence generation and advocacy during COVID-19 and the associated lockdown and beyond. Through capacity building on research tools, leadership and communication skills, SCC can build concrete evidence of their vulnerabilities and the gaps that pose as barriers to their access to existing support mechanisms. This evidence helps them to prioritize the solutions that are required to bring changes in their lives and that of their peers, with which they can advocate at different platforms that promote dialogs and negotiations between children and duty-bearers. A participatory research project funded by Wellcome Trust focused on the vulnerabilities faced by street-connected young people and the access to services available to them. It revealed the lack of understanding regarding SCC and their invisibility in data and planning of support services, the gaps in access to healthcare services, the social determinants of health including safety, and their exclusion in platforms for dialogs with duty bearers. They took these issues to local government leaders, service providers, and national and international advocacy platforms; and suggested solutions to local and world leaders to bring changes in their situations. This resulted in a marked increase in the responsiveness of service providers toward SCC during the period of COVID-19, and the increased agency and negotiation skills of peer leaders to support their communities and demand solutions during the period of COVID-19 and associated lockdown.

Dental-nutrition counseling for children with overweight and obesity: Evidence from a pilot study.

Given the relationship between overweight and obesity (OV/OB) and poor oral health in children, paediatric dentists are uniquely positioned to provide educational interventions to children with OV/OB during dental visits. To assess how an educational nutrition intervention delivered by dentists affected dental-nutritional behaviors and body mass index (BMI) percentile in children with OV/OB. Retrospective analysis was performed using data collected on 217 patients with OV/OB aged 6-11 years who received nutritional counseling during dental visits at a Federally Qualified Health Center from September 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, oral health, and BMI percentile. Participants and their guardians were surveyed to measure the frequency of behaviors related to oral health and weight. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were constructed to determine the effect of the intervention on BMI percentile and reported dental-nutritional behaviors. The intervention had no effect on the BMI percentile (p = .35). There were statistically significant reductions in the reported average number of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed daily (p < .001), reported average daily water intake (p < .001), and the reported frequency of brushing teeth (p < .001), the clinical significance of these reductions remains unclear. Further research is needed to establish the efficacy of behavioral interventions at reducing weight and changing health behaviors.

Family Support in Supporting the Development of ABK at SLB Auticare Snec Batusangkar

Teachers at the Batusangkar Autiscare Special School (SLB) have high dedication in educating and guiding autistic children. They face various challenges and obstacles, but still apply various learning strategies and methods that are tailored to the individual needs of each child. The welfare and support of teachers is also an important concern to help them carry out their duties optimally. The dedication and hard work of these teachers has had a significant positive impact on the lives of autistic children. And the families of ABK children at Autiscare SLB have complementary roles in supporting children's learning and development. Teachers are responsible for designing and implementing learning that suits individual children's needs, collaborating with families, and providing a safe and supportive learning environment. Families, on the other hand, play an important role in providing love and support to children, participating in children's education, and being advocates for children.

Rethinking child aggression beyond traditional labels: A ‘shared victimhood’ approach to child-to-child violence in Nigeria

Child-to-child violence is a pervasive problem in schools and communities worldwide. Traditional models for understanding this violence often present a clear dichotomy between aggressive children and passive victims. However, this binary approach has proven largely inadequate in recognizing the power dynamics and potential victimization of both parties involved, resulting in interventions that have little to no success in rehabilitation. Alternatively, this paper proposes a "shared victimhood" approach, arguing that violent behavior may result from a cycle of negative experiences in which both the aggressor and the victim are positioned as products of their environment. In essence, the paper explores the limitations of binary labeling and the potential of the shared victimhood framework. It reviews relevant research on the ecological factors influencing child aggression, highlighting the impact of family background, early childhood experiences, and social learning. Drawing on ecological theory, the paper emphasizes the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies that address the root causes of aggression while fostering empathy and resilience in children. It also recommends that states in Nigeria establish LGA-specific child counseling centers and rehabilitation facilities attached to the health care system that cater exclusively to the needs of abused children. Finally, the paper suggests areas for future research to further develop and refine the shared victimhood perspective.

Using an AI-based avatar for interviewer training at Children's Advocacy Centers: Proof of Concept.

This proof-of- concept study focused on interviewers' behaviors and perceptions when interacting with a dynamic AI child avatar alleging abuse. Professionals (N = 68) took part in a virtual reality (VR) study in which they questioned an avatar presented as a child victim of sexual or physical abuse. Of interest was how interviewers questioned the avatar, how productive the child avatar was in response, and how interviewers perceived the VR interaction. Findings suggested alignment between interviewers' virtual questioning approaches and interviewers' typical questioning behavior in real-world investigative interviews, with a diverse range of questions used to elicit disclosures from the child avatar. The avatar responded to most question types as children typically do, though more nuanced programming of the avatar's productivity in response to complex question types is needed. Participants rated the avatar positively and felt comfortable with the VR experience. Results underscored the potential of AI-based interview training as a scalable, standardized alternative to traditional methods.

Children’s Experiences of Undergoing Forensic Interviews and Forensic Medical Examinations in a Danish Child Advocacy Center

Child abuse is a severe global problem associated with various negative consequences. It is therefore important that the services received at Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) are perceived as positive as possible by children affected by abuse. Preliminary research indicates that CACs are successful in terms of providing coordinated, professional services. However, existing research has primarily focused on service and criminal justice system outputs, rather than documenting the experiences of the target group: i.e., children undergoing the CAC proceedings. The present study seeks to investigate the children’s experiences of the forensic procedures in a CAC. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 children undergoing case proceedings at a Danish CAC. The overall experiences of the children of the forensic interview and forensic medical examination were documented. Additionally, five overall themes were constructed using Thematic Analysis: Localities and surroundings, Relational and communicative work, Ambivalent experiences, Need of information and overview, and Missing out on everyday life. The findings of the current study underline the importance of the physical environment of the CAC, the need of information and overview as well as strong relational and communicative skills among professional as core elements in establishing positive encounters with the CAC. Furthermore, the results indicate how negative experiences of visiting a CAC are not necessarily directly linked to the CAC but may be a result of the children experiencing missing out on well-liked everyday activities. Altogether these results are important to consider when planning future CAC visits to support the well-being of the child.

The association of socioeconomic status with the success of chat-based online counseling for children and youth: A latent change score modeling approach

Children and youth from lower subjective socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at a heightened risk of mental disorders. Online counseling is a valuable tool to reach those less likely to seek professional help, but its success across different SES backgrounds remains unclear. This study explores the association between subjective SES and online counseling outcomes. Children and youth (N = 2139) between 10 and 24 years-of-age received chat-based online counseling and reported on SES, negative feelings before and after the chat, and perceived helpfulness of the chat via an online assessment tool. The results of a latent change score model showed a significant association between SES and negative feelings before chatting, indicating that lower SES predicted more negative feelings (r = −0.26, p < .001). Further, SES was indirectly associated with the change in negative feelings from before to after counseling, mediated by the extent of negative feelings before the chat (β = 0.07, 95%CFI = [0.05–0.10]). Current findings extend research on online counseling programs in the context of SES. Despite higher counseling needs among low SES individuals, they do not benefit proportionally from existing online services in this sample. Future research should investigate barriers to help-seeking and implement specialized counselor training programs.