If someone you know a young person who has been affected by crime, there are ways you can support them.
How crime can affect young people
Crime can affect young people in many ways. It doesn’t matter if a crime has happened directly to that person, or to someone else. People are all affected differently.
Children and young people can react differently to adults after crime.
They might not understand what’s happened and they might struggle to understand how they’re feeling. They might also blame themselves, even though it’s never their fault.
You might notice changes in a young person affected by crime.
They might seem or feel
- angry;
- confused;
- upset;
- anxious;
- stressed;
- overwhelmed;
- scared;
- panicked; or
- clingy
Physically, they might:
- feel unwell;
- have trouble sleeping;
- eat too much, or too little;
- pull away from other people;
- find it hard to be left alone;
- become argumentative;
- not want to leave the house, or feel unsafe in certain places;
- wet the bed; or
- behave like they did when they were younger.
There is no right or wrong way for them to feel.
Young people might also:
- worry about upsetting people who love them;
- not want to get anyone in trouble, or worry they’ll be in trouble;
- think what they've experienced or witnessed is normal;
- not realise they've experienced a crime, or not properly understand what’s happened;
- not know what to do, or who to trust;
- feel ashamed or embarrassed;
- feel, or have been, threatened by the person who committed the crime; or
- think nobody will believe them.
How you can help a young person affected by crime
It’s common for young people to feel they can’t speak to a parent or carer.
To help them explore their feelings, let them know there are other trusted adults they can talk to, such as:
- a teacher
- a doctor
- a counsellor or family support worker
- a friend’s parent or carer
- a faith or community group leader
- a youth worker
- a coach or activity leader
- a Support Worker from the Victim & Witness Service
How to get help from the London Victim & Witness Service
Our Young Londoners’ Victim Service supports all young people affected by crime in London.
You don’t need to be their parent or guardian to get in touch with us, and a crime doesn’t need to have been reported. We may not have to involve their parents, if they don’t want us to.
How does support work?
Our support offers young people a safe space to share their feelings and talk about how the crime is affecting them, with a trained Support Worker.
Our Support Workers will:
- work at a pace that suits the person they’re supporting;
- let them choose where they get support: at home, at school or somewhere else they feel safe;
- help them make their own decisions;
- never judge them or tell them what to do;
- work with them to agree a support plan;
- support them to express themselves and stand up for their rights; and
- introduce them to specialist support services, if needed.
How to get support
If a young person is under 13, we need a parent or carer’s permission to speak with them.
To get support from us, either you, or they, can:
- Call us: 0808 168 9291;
- Start a live chat; or
- Fill in our online form.
You can contact us too, if you’d like advice on supporting a young person.
Learn more about how we can support you.
View our frequently asked questionsContact us
There are three ways you can contact us directly.
0808 168 9291
00:00 – 00:00, Mon – Sun.
