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U18s Support

Our Young Victims project offers support to young people aged 5-17 living in Northern Ireland who are affected by crime. Everyone experiences the impact of crime differently – some people will be more affected and need more support than others. Sometimes you may feel OK immediately afterwards but be affected months or even years later. However you feel, support is available.

Children and Young People’s Rights

If you’ve been a victim of crime you have the right to receive a certain level of service from the criminal justice system.

The Young People’s Version of the victim’s charter explains children and young people’s rights as a victim of crime. Access the Young Person’s Version here:  Victim Charter for Northern Ireland.

This Charter sets out how victims of crime should be treated and what advice, support and practical information they can expect to receive.  It also outlines:

  • How account can be taken of your needs
  • How you should be treated
  • Available support
  • How to complain

A bereaved family member, family member or representative (in certain circumstances), and a parent on behalf of or instead of a child are also covered by this legislation.

Phoenix Youth supports young people aged 8-21 living in the Northern Trust area who are dealing with trauma.

If you are the victim of a serious sexual crime, you may need specialist support from Assist NI.

If you need to go to court as a witness, the NSPCC Young Witness Service will support you. You can find out more about them and how to get in touch here.

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  • How we can help - 12 and Under

    If you are 12 or under, we can only help you with your parent or guardian’s permission.

    This means that they will be with you when you are talking to our staff and volunteers, unless they allow you meet with us alone or with another trusted adult. However, we are here to support YOU. We will listen to what you have to say as we know this is very important. Our staff and volunteers are specially trained to work with children and we will make sure that your voice is heard. We recognise that children have rights as victims of crime and we will make sure that these rights are upheld.

    As a parent, you may be shocked or upset that your child has experienced crime, especially if they did not talk to you about it. We can provide emotional support and practical help to get you through this difficult time.

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  • How We Can Help – 13 and Over

    If you are aged between 13-15 years old, we would like to support you with your parent’s permission and involvement.

    If you feel very strongly that you do not want them to know you are receiving support, we can help you without their permission. However, we will usually send them a letter to let them know that you are getting support. We will not tell them what the issue is.

    If you are 16 or 17 years old, you will be able to receive support from us independently of your parents. However, we would always encourage you to inform and involve them, as they can be a great source of support. The only time we would not support you without your parent’s permission is if our trained staff and volunteers feel you are not able to make decisions and understand what is happening in the same way as others your age.

    How We Can Help – 13 and Over image

  • Reporting a Crime

    It is up to you and your parents or guardians to decide if you want to tell the police about what happened to you.  Victim Support NI can help you even if you do not report the crime to the police.  If you do decide to report the crime, we can help you do this.

    If you report a crime, you may be asked to make a statement to the police. This is where you can tell them what happened, in your own words. You can also tell them what you know about the person who did it to you. An adult you trust should be able to stay with you while you do this. It is important that you tell the police as many details as you can remember. If you don’t know something, or if you can’t remember, that’s OK.

    After giving a statement, you will be given a special number called a crime number. You can use this to check the progress of your case. The police will tell you if there is to be an investigation, whether they have caught the person who committed the crime, and whether there will be a court case.

    If the case goes to court, you might need to give another statement which will be recorded on video. This is called an Achieving Best Evidence interview (ABE). You will be asked again about what happened. It’s not because the police don’t believe what you told them – this interview is designed to allow you to tell them about your experience in your own words. The video might then be used in court so you don’t have to appear in person as a witness. If you go to court, the NSPCC can support you through their Young Witness Service.

  • Coping Strategies

    Everyone experiences crime differently.  We believe it can really help to talk to someone you trust about what’s happened to you.  If you don’t feel comfortable talking to friends or family, our staff and volunteers can help.

    If you feel you’re not coping, there are some simple exercises you can try to help you feel better.  These are called ‘Grounding Techniques’ and are methods of coping with stress or anxiety by ‘grounding’ you in your environment and making you focus on something other than the thing which is causing you stress.

    Some easy things you can do if you feel yourself panicking or losing control are:

    • Senses Countdown:

      Look around the room and identify:

      5 things you can see
      4 things you can touch
      3 things you can hear
      2 things you can smell
      1 thing you can taste

    • List things you know to be true:

      My name is …………
      I live in ……….
      I go to ………….. school
      My eyes are ……….
      My hair is ………….
      Today is …………..
      The month is …………..
      The year is …………..

      (This will help you to re-orient yourself and ground yourself in the moment.)

    • Category lists:

      Think of a category like ‘colours’ or ‘animals’ and list off as many things within that category as you can think of.

    • Stand & Stomp:

      Stand up and feel how your body centres itself and holds itself up.  Imagine a golden thread holding up your head and pull yourself up straight.  Roll your shoulders back and correct your posture.  Be aware of how simply standing still feels.  Concentrate on your breathing, breathing in and out slowly and deeply.  Feel how your feet connect with the ground.  If you need to, stomp your feet one by one, feeling how the impact of your foot on the floor makes you feel.  Breathe in and out slowly.

  • Help and Support

    It is completely normal to experience anxiety, sadness or anger after crime.  If you have tried to manage these feelings on your own, but you’re not feeling any better, or don’t feel that you are coping well, please tell someone.  There is all sorts of help out there and a trusted friend, adult, doctor or Victim Support NI will be able to offer advice and put you in contact with people who are experienced in helping young people get through feelings like this.

    If you are experiencing heightened anxiety or panic attacks, you can read advice from Childline here.

    If you are thinking that you can’t cope and are starting to think that life has no point, please contact:

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