Tina and Jana, two high school students, are chatting when the phone rings. Jana answers,
'This is Teens Talking to Teens. ' All this is happening in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, at the
Young People's Support Centre. Young people in the city help at a telephone hotline for
teenagers with problems. What's so special about this hotline? Well, the people who answer
the phones are fourteen to eighteen-year-olds. They aren't experts but they try to help. Two teenagers work every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. They don't work at weekends or during holidays.

Most teenagers who phone are high school students with problems. 'We have to have a sense of humour because teenagers sometimes think we'll do their homework for them; says Jana, 'But that's not what the hotline is for. People think teenagers' lives are fun but they often worry about school, problems with parents or even trouble with the police. Teenagers today
complain that their parents don't give them enough freedom. But the biggest problem is school. They worry about teachers, marks and exams, and there is a lot of exam pressure. Also, many kids are unhappy about their appearance. We listen and try to help’.

We're in the media, so everybody knows our phone number; says Tina,'even parents. Parents sometimes call us for support when they are having problems with their teenage daughter or son. They don't know what to do. Kids call us because they find it difficult to talk to their mum or dad. Some kids even want to leave home but we ask them to think about it for a day or two.Kids listen to us because we're kids too’.

The fifty Slovenian teenagers love their work. 'It's really interesting to talk to other teenagers about their problems. I think all the hotline helpers are good at listening, talking and giving advice and support to people in trouble; says Jana.