Call 0800 1111
Getting help to keep safe
If something’s happened during lockdown and you need help, we’re here for you.
Coping after lockdown
Things have been very different because of coronavirus and lockdown. You might have stopped going to school or clubs, or not seen your friends and family. But the rules are changing, meaning you’ll be able to see people from outside your home and go back to school.
You might be worried about:
- things that have happened to you or other people
- your mental health, or how you’ve been feeling
- going back to school or going out again
- getting support when you’re feeling scared
You might be scared because someone’s hurt you, or they’ve told you they’ll do something bad if you talk about things. But talking to someone else can help you to feel safe, and get you help for you and your family.
Ways to get help
There are lots of places you can get support:
Talk to an adult you trust
It can be hard to talk about feelings or about things that have happened that have made you feel sad, scared or angry. Talking to an adult who you trust is important so you can get help. This might be a teacher or someone who helps you or your family, it could be someone from your family you feel safe with and who does not make you feel scared.
Tell Childline
Childline is a free and confidential service to support children and young people under 19. We’ve got lots of information and advice, and you can talk to a counsellor about anything either online or by calling on 0800 1111.
Meic
Meic is the helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 in Wales. Find out what’s going on in your area or get help with something that’s happening in your life. Talk to Meic online or call 0808 80 23456.
What happens when you contact Childline?
Will people believe me?
It can feel hard to talk about abuse or being hurt when it involves someone you love or who cares about you. Especially if they’ve done things to show that they care about you or support you in other ways.
Lots of children and young people are told they might not be believed if they talk about what’s happened, but this isn’t true.
People like teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers and police officers will always listen to you. If you tell someone like a teacher, they’ll want to help you and they’ve got a duty to help keep you safe.
Things you might be worried about
You might:
- Have been told that you won’t be believed
- Feel like nobody else will care about you
- Think things are your fault or that you’ll be blamed
- Be scared you’ll be hurt or something bad will happen if you tell
- Worry about getting someone in trouble
No matter what you’re worried about, you deserve support to change things.
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What is abuse?
Abuse can be anything another person does that hurts you, or leaves you feeling scared or upset. It can also be when your parent or carer isn’t looking after you. Abuse is never okay and is never your fault.
Sometimes the person who’s abusing you could be someone who loves you. Someone might have spent time making you feel they care about you so they can get you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. This could be someone who is an adult or someone who is closer to your age.
Abuse can happen to children, young people and to adults.
Different types of abuse
It’s not always easy to tell whether something’s abuse or not. But if something’s happened and it’s left you feeling bad, it can always help to talk about it.
Abuse can include:
- Physical abuse – Being physically hurt or injured by someone else
- Sexual abuse – Being forced, pressured or tricked into taking part in something sexual
- Emotional abuse – Being put down, called names ignored or always made to feel bad about yourself
- Neglect – When your basic needs aren’t being met, like clothes that fit, food or a place to live
- Relationship abuse – When someone hurts or is controlling to someone they’re in a relationship with, this is sometimes called domestic abuse
What will happen if I tell someone?
Different professionals (like doctors and teachers) have different rules about keeping something private or confidential. It’s their job to listen to you and help keep you safe, so if you tell them something that worries them, they’ll want to do something to help.
You can ask about confidentiality and what can be kept private before saying anything. It’s also okay to ask about what will happen next. The person you talk to might not always be able to tell you straight away, but they should explain what they’re going to do and ask what you’d like to happen.
If you don’t feel ready to talk, you could help to try talking to Childline about it first. Childline is confidential, so whatever you say stays between you and Childline. We would only need to say or do something if:
- you ask us to
- we believe your life or someone else's life is in danger
- you're being hurt by someone in a position of trust who is able to hurt other children like a teacher, religious leader, sports coach, police officer or doctor
- you tell us that you're seriously hurting another person
- you tell us about another child who's being hurt and is not able to tell someone or understand what is happening to them
- we're told we have to by law, for example for a court case.
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