If you're a victim of crime ...
Whatever has happened, you don't deserve to be a victim of crime and it is never your fault.
If you've been a victim of crime, you're not alone - crime affects thousands of young people every year. (Did you know ...).
How might you feel?
If you have been hurt, attacked, bullied or had something stolen, you may be feeling ok, or you might feel angry, frightened, shocked, confused, upset or guilty.
Everyone reacts differently. You might feel sick, stressed out, find it hard to eat or sleep, be worried about going out, or find it difficult to concentrate at school. You might want to pretend that it didn't happen.
All these feelings are quite normal. Whatever you are feeling, being a victim of crime is not your fault.
We have an activity on our website called 'How are you feeling?'. You might like to try playing it. Go to the activities.
What can you do?
You can get support to help you feel better about what has happened to you.
If you have been affected by crime, it can be really difficult to talk about it. But it can be really good to talk things over with someone you trust. There are people who can help you.
Who can help you?
Talking to someone you trust can make you feel better. Here are some examples of people you could talk to:
- friends
- someone in your family
- people at school
- people who work with children or young people
- the police.
If you decide you want to tell the police what happened to you, someone from Victim Support can come to the police station with you. We can also help you to talk to other people, like your teachers or parents, if you want.
Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone who does not know you, or who is not going to get upset by what you tell them. It can help to talk to someone who understands how crime affects young people. Find out more about us, or look at our list of other helpful organisations.