Worrying about the riots

Rioting across parts of the UK has left many young people feeling scared and worried about their safety.

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Ways to cope

There are lots of reasons you might feel worried about what’s happening, especially if you live somewhere with riots, you’re worried about being targeted, or you know people involved.

You can always talk to our counsellors about anything you’re worried about. We’ve also got advice to help you be and feel safer:

Racism, discrimination and harassment

Violence, harassment, or discrimination is never okay. That includes islamophobia and antisemitism. Someone might be targeted because of their skin colour, facial features, religion, or because of where they’re from. If you’ve been targeted or you feel unsafe, it’s important to get support.

You can speak to the police about what’s happening. The police are there to make sure you’re safe, and will want to support you. Remember, in an emergency you should always call 999.

Get more support with discrimination and hate crime.

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What if I’ve been involved?

The tragic events in Southport have left many people feeling angry, scared, and like they want to do something. It’s natural to have questions after something like this, and many people have used what’s happened as an excuse for violence, rioting, and hatred.

There has been a lot of misinformation about the person responsible for Southport, and this has led to people pushing others to join in with the violence and rioting.

If you’ve been attending protests or riots, or you’ve been involved, there are important things to think about:

Not all of the information you see will be accurate

There has been a lot of misinformation and fake news about the person responsible for Southport, and some people will post things to try and make others angry. It can help to speak to someone outside of the situation before you react to information you’ve seen online.

Rioting and violence are crimes

Violence and rioting are crimes, and you can be arrested for things you’re involved with.

It’s your choice to stop

Even if you’ve been involved in violence before, you can still make the choice to stop.

Childline is here for all young people

If you’ve got doubts or questions about anything you’ve done, you can speak to us about it. We’re here to help you with anything that might be happening and can support you to think about the future.

Talking to Childline is confidential, you can find out more about that here.