Children and young people

Support is available for children and young people who have been victims of crime. This could be bullying, victims of hate crime or online crime. Reporting crime as a child or young person can be a scary thought especially if they know the offender.

I am a young person who has experienced crime what should I do?

All crime should reported to the Police but this can be a scary thought especially if you know your offender.

If you choose not to report the crime to the Police, it is still important that you talk to someone who can help you cope and recover from the effects of the crime. This person could be your parents, other family members, a teacher or the Victim and Witness Hub.

If you have experienced crime and want to report it to the Police you can contact them on 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergency. A Police Officer will want to speak to you and you may be asked to make a statement. You will be able to have an adult with you when making your statement.

If you really don't want to report the crime to the Police you can report anonymously online through Fearless, the Crimestoppers website for children and young people.

What support is available for young victims of crime?

The Victim and Witness Hub is supported by a specialist children and young people's advocate who supports young victims of crime and their families to access specialist emotional and practical support.

I am a parent/guardian of a young victim of crime how can i support them?

It is important to remember that not all young people will react the same way. There are some tips below for parents or guardians supporting a young person of crime to encourage them to talk:

• Make sure that they know that they can talk to you
• Give them the time and listen to what they say
• Don't judge
• Ask them how you can help
• Don't push them, let them make their own decisions
• Find out about what support is available to help