Developmental and gender differences in anonymous support-seeking: analysis of data from a community help line for children.

Calls to a community help line for children were analyzed for developmental and gender trends in support-seeking during middle childhood. Results indicated that between the ages of 10 and 11 the nature of help-seeking by callers changed, with a shift toward more informational support-seeking and concern regarding interpersonal problems. This shift was particularly dramatic for girls. Gender differences in the type of support sought (informational vs. instrumental) were slight. Parallels with other studies of stress and coping in children are drawn.