What is sex abuse?
- What will happen if I tell Social Services?
- Will they tell my Parents?
- Will I get taken away from home?
- What Will Happen to my Brothers and Sisters?
- If I ‘Tell’ how do I know Social Services
will believe me? - How do I know I will feel better if I tell?
- He/ she said if I tell anyone he/she will hurt other people, what do I do?
- If I tell my teacher will they tell anyone?
- I think my friend is being sexually abused. What should I do?
- Is there any point in telling Social Services and the police if the abuse has stopped?
- If I tell someone will Social Services come to my house even though the abuse has stopped?
- I really wish I had told the police or Social Services because I think he/she could abuse me or someone else again. Do you think I should say something?
- Will the abuser know that it was me who reported them?
- Do Social Services have to tell my parents/carers what happened to me?
- I really need to talk through what happened to me but don’t want my parents to know, what can I do?
- If I rang an agency like ‘Connexions’ and asked to talk it through with them, could they keep it a secret or would they have to tell other people?
What will happen if I tell
Social Services?
Social Services will take anything you say to them about your problems very seriously. The sorts of things that Social Services will do to help you may be different depending on your age and what sort of problems you tell them about.
Usually if you tell someone that you have been harmed in any way, Social Services and the police will want to talk to you. The police are from the Family Protection Unit and are specially trained police officers who are used to talking to young people. They do not wear uniforms and you do not have to go to a police station.
Social Services have to talk to the police but this does not always mean that someone will be arrested. Social Services and the police should tell you what they are going to do and what is likely to happen next.
Recording your interview
The police usually keep track of your story by recording the interview with you on video. The reason they do this is to, hopefully, stop you having to keep repeating what has happened. If they do video you, it is normally done at the Family Protection Unit which is in a different place to the main police station. The room is comfortable, usually with a sofa and chairs and 2 small cameras that you probably won’t notice once you start talking.
The other reason that they might film you while you tell your story is in case there is a decision to take your case to court and punish the person who harmed you. The video will be used to tell people in the court what has happened to you, so that you do not ever have to be in the same courtroom as the person who has harmed you. However you might have to answer more questions if the person who harmed you denies it. You will not have to see them though if this happens. This should all be explained to you before you agree to be involved in a video interview.
You do not have to agree to a video interview but it really helps the police and Social Services if you are able to talk to them about what has happened to you and to give them as much information as possible. This will hopefully help you but also any other children or young people who might be being harmed by the same person or people that you are (or were) being harmed by.
Medical examinations
If you, or someone else, think you may have been hurt, then a social worker will talk to you about having a medical examination. This is not done by your own GP but by Doctors who have been trained specially to work with children and young people. No-one is allowed to give you a medical examination without your permission. However, it can often help to reassure you and give you the opportunity to ask any questions that might be worrying you. The most important thing that they have to try and do is make sure you will be safe. If you are not sure what is happening do not be afraid to ask.