Support for Under 18s
Many children and young people have been hurt by crime and the effects can often lead to negative feelings and people struggling to cope with the impact of what they have experienced.
- Has something happened which you need to talk about?
- Do you feel unsafe or worry about someone else being unsafe?
- Do you worry about something that has happened to you?
- Do you worry about something that has happened to someone else?
- Is it affecting your feelings, mood and/or behaviour?
Have you:
- Been sexually abused or assaulted
- Witnessed or been a victim of domestic abuse
- Been mugged or physically assaulted
- Been abused by cybercrime
- Or been a victim of any other crime
If you answered yes to any of the above and you live in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire or Milton Keynes then we have a support service that can help you.
Your experience and how you respond are individual to you but you may be feeling shocked, scared and angry. The impact of the crime could be having an effect on your life, you may find it hard to talk about or even struggle to leave the house.
These are completely natural reactions. It is important you know you have the right to feel safe and that you are not alone. If the feelings above sound familiar and you would like some support you can contact our Children and Young People’s Service. They will:
- Meet you where you feel most comfortable; at home, school or a community centre
- Listen to you, and help you think about what you might want to do next
- Give you space to talk about what happened and what you're going through
- Help you think about keeping safe
- Give you information about reporting a crime and what might happen if you do report
- Give you information about who else might be able to help you
Our Children and Young People’s Service is delivered by SAFE! The service offers a wide variety of support options including story-telling, play therapy, restorative approaches, therapeutic listening and group activities in addition to comprehensive digital support. It is up to you how much or how little support you want and you are free to stop support whenever you like.
SAFE! has temporarily closed new referrals into the Young Victims Service. For more information and to find out how to access support in the interim, please visit the SAFE! website.
Safe Stories
SAFE! has developed a website, Safe Stories which looks at the problems faced by young people online such as cyber abuse, sexting, revenge porn, consent and healthy relationships. It's accompanied with advice and guidance designed to keep young people safe and promote positive and respectful relationships.
Fearless
Fearless is a service for young people run by Crimestoppers. It provides information and advice about crime which may affect young people and allows them to pass on information about crime 100% anonymously via its website.