Young victims of crime: support

If you've been a victim or witness of crime, you might feel worried, angry, or alone. Everyone is affected by crime in their own way, and different crimes can affect people differently too.

You can get support to cope, whether you decide to tell the police what happened or not.

Get in touch with someone

You might be told that you should not tell anyone about what's happening, but you should talk to someone whenever you're not sure.

If you're under 12

Get in touch with Childline on 0800 1111. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will listen to you and help you work out what to do next. You can also chat online.

If you're over 12

You can still call Childline. You can also call Victim Support Scotland on 0800 160 1985. They can talk to you about any worries you have and how they can help.

If you're under 16

If your mum has been hurt by your dad or her partner, Cedar may be able to help. Find contact details for your local Cedar project.

After you've called

You can carry on getting support, such as:

• help with how you're feeling
• support with anything you might need to do, such as talking to the police or going to court

To get an idea of the help you can get take a look at the Victim Support Scotland website.

Your rights

As a victim of crime, you have rights. The Victims' Code for Scotland sets out these rights and who to contact for help and advice.

Other support

If you're an adult and you're worried about a child, there are a number of lines you can call for help:

• NSPCC Scotland has a helpline on 0808 800 5000 – you can also make a report anonymously online if you're worried about a child

• ParentLine Scotland can give advice on 08000 28 22 33 if you're looking after or caring for a child

• Cedar offers support to parents and children who have been victims of domestic abuse

Find out about call charges.