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Protection from Violence and Abuse

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Being attacked

Rape/Sexual assault

Both men and women can be raped and sexually assaulted. Whether or not to report the offence can be a difficult decision and the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Line can help. They will listen to anything you have to say in confidence. Call 01865 726295.

If you decide to make a report go to the nearest police station. They have a better chance of collecting evidence if you do not wash or change clothes before going. If possible, take someone with you. You will probably be examined by a police surgeon in order to collect evidence for use in court. Even if there is no proof of penetration, the offender can still be charged with either sexual assault or attempted rape.

If you decide not to make a report, it’s wise to see your GP to check for STIs, pregnancy and injuries.

It is normal for victims to have feelings of fear, shame, self-disgust and anger, even though they are not to blame. Specialist police officers, counsellors and specialist organisations are trained to help people work through these feelings and not blame themselves.

Key links: www.childline.org.uk, www.kidscape.org.uk.

Bullying

Bullying can involve name-calling, physical attacks, being ignored or left out, having your possessions messed with, being ridiculed and other forms of harassment. No one has the right to hurt another person. If you are being bullied here’s what to do:

More about Bullying

Phone/Txt/Online bullying

Threatening and abusive text messages or emails are a new form of bullying. To deal with it follow the general guidelines above with these additional tactics:

Key links: www.childline.org.uk, www.kidscape.org.uk, www.bullying.co.uk.

Abuse

There are four main kinds of abuse:

  1. Physical abuse hurts your body by hitting, kicking, punching, burning, tying you up and so on.
  2. Neglect ignores your needs, such as for food, warmth, medical care and emotional well-being.
  3. Sexual abuse is force or pressure to have sex. This can be anything from kissing to touching that makes you feel uncomfortable to full sexual intercourse.
  4. Emotional abuse involves treatment that makes you feel worthless, such as humiliation, constant criticism and withholding love and affection.

Young people from all kinds of homes and all kinds of families are abused, usually by people they know.

They may not tell anyone for fear of being taken into care or getting the abuser into trouble. The fact is that if you want to stay at home, social and health care will try to make it safe for you to do so. The abuser will have to get some help to stop the abuse but he or she will not necessarily be arrested.

If you think that you are being abused tell someone you trust, preferably an adult. If you can’t talk about it, write it down. Social and health care must help if you are being hurt or harmed at home. When you contact them, a social worker will try to find out what help you want and tell you what they can provide.

Childline and NSPCC can help you work out who to tell and put you in touch with helpful organisations. You can ring them free from any phone, even a call box. Whatever you tell them will be kept confidential.

Key Links: www.childline.org.uk, www.there4me.com, www.kidscape.org.uk.

More information websites

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