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Young people
If you're a victim
Being a victim of crime can be distressing and upsetting. The police and other organisations are there to let you know how you can recover from the experience.
How the police can help
The police are often the first people to help you if you're a victim of crime. They're used to helping people who are understandably scared and upset by the experience.
If the crime has just happened, they'll need to take a statement from you. The statement records exactly what happened in detail and will help the police to catch the offender.
They may also want to collect some evidence to help with their investigation. This may include fingerprints, photographs or some of your clothing. The police understand that this may be a distressing experience, so they'll be as sensitive as possible.
Dealing with distress
It's normal to feel more jumpy or on guard after experiencing a crime. It's important to remember that it's not your fault if something has happened to you and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
It's usually better to share your feelings with others than keep it bottled up inside, so you may want to talk about your fears and worries with your family or your close friends.
Your feelings after a crime has been committed may vary depending on the nature of the crime, so you may want confidential advice from someone who's been specially trained to help victims of a certain type of crime.
Victim Support
If you're upset, worried or scared after being involved in an incident, you may want to contact Victim Support - an Independent National Charity that helps victims and witnesses of crime. Just call them on 0845 30 30 900. They have trained volunteers and you can talk to them in confidence.
They'll be able to give you information, advice and support on coping with the incident. If the police have contacted you after the event and want more help with an investigation, Victim Support will also be able to explain the various processes the police will have to follow.
Victim Support can also let you know what will happen if you have to go to court as a witness and the sorts of things you should expect.
Compensation
You may be entitled to claim compensation if you've been a victim of a violent crime or if your belongings have been stolen or damaged. For example, if you work you may have to take time off to give a statement at a police station or replace your bike if it's been stolen.
The police should let you know whether you may be eligible when you give your statement but if they don't, make sure that you mention it. If you do want compensation, you'll need to write down the amount of wages you think you've lost or keep the receipts showing the cost of the goods you've had to replace.
There a number of ways of claiming compensation. Which one you use will depend on whether anyone has been convicted of the crime.
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