Victim support and safeguarding
How to read the stories

Victim support and safeguarding

How can people keep safe in relationships?

One of the best ways to help people keep safe in relationships is to help them to build up their confidence and self-esteem. One way of doing this is through taking part in drama and role play. This is also a really good way for people to focus on thinking about how people relate to one another and to work out the difference between unhealthy and healthy relationships. Role play can offer people the opportunity to try out different ways of responding to different situations. This can be like a rehearsal so that it becomes easier to be assertive in real relationships.

Creating opportunities to talk about relationships and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ways of treating one another are also really helpful. This can be done either in a small group or one to one.

The police can also call on Victim Support to visit you to listen to your worries and fears. Victim Support provides information, practical help and emotional support to people who have experienced a crime, and to their families and friends. After a crime has been committed, a Victim Support volunteer can visit the victim at home to offer support and someone to talk to in confidence about

All criminal courts in England and Wales now have a Witness Service, managed by Victim Support. Trained personnel help victims, witnesses and their families and friends at court by showing them round the court before the hearing, supporting them on the day, giving information about court procedures, and arranging further help after court. Where an intermediary is appointed, the Witness Service can assist the intermediary by explaining court procedures. The intermediary can assist the Witness Service to communicate with the witness.

Not every bad thing that happens to you can be proved in court. Sometimes the only person who knows what really happened is the person who hurt you and they don’t want to tell the truth.

After the court is over there can be many different feelings. People can feel frightened, bad, sad, disappointed. Some feel bad if the person who hurt them goes to prison. Others feel bad because their abuser is still free. Courts are about truth and that often makes people think of little things they did wrong a long time ago even when they are in court as the victim. But for many, the most important thing is that they have a voice and are believed and listened to. Having a police officer, an intermediary, Victim Support and a judge all listen to you shows how powerful your voice can be.

Some ideas for keeping safe

If your pocket does not have a zip, somebody can steal your money or your mobile phone.
If your bag is open, it’s easy for somebody to take things.
If you put your bag down and walk away, someone may steal it.
If you go down an alley on your own, nobody will be able to see if you are in danger.
If you accept a lift from a stranger, no one will know where you are. It is safer to say “no” – even if the stranger is friendly, and even if it is raining.
If anyone attacks you, even someone you know, don’t fight back. Do try to get away and report it.
If someone snatches your bag, let it go and find someone to tell.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is the term used to denote the measures used by local and national authorities, working in partnership with other services and the community, to protect children and adults at risk from harm and abuse. In the UK the law says that every organisation that works directly with children or with adults at risk must have a policy saying what should happen if someone reports abuse.

If someone reports abuse to you, this will mean that you need to take steps to make sure that the person is safe now and in the future. Depending on your job this might mean that you tell your line manager about the situation or you report it straight to the local authority social services department and/or to the police if there has been a crime.

There will be guidance in your organisation’s policy about confidentiality and what to write down if someone talks to you about abuse.

Make sure that you know your organisation’s safeguarding policy well. If you are not sure what to do, or you are a private individual, contact the local authority social services department for help.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
• Who do you think that is?
• What is happening?
• How is he or she feeling?
• Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.