The impact of being involved in a crime can be far reaching.
Without the right support, crime can cause lifelong damage to its victims. The mental, emotional and physical impacts of crime shape our behaviours, anxieties and attitudes to life. If you’ve ever been a victim of crime, you’ll know just how deeply it can affect a person, and in some cases, even stop you living the life you dreamed of.
Young victims of crime are a growing area of concern in our community. Victims are unable to process their experience and living in fear, dealing with anger, loss and depression as a result.
Family Welfare is always looking for new ways to support families in the Borough of Wigan. When the opportunity arose to create a new programme to support young victims of crime, our team grasped the opportunity.
Counselling for young victims of crime
Funded and in partnership with Wigan Local Authority using Home Office Funding, counselling for young victims of crime started delivery in early 2022. We receive referrals from the Police and CAMHS as well as self-referrals from victims of crime and their families.
The programme is led by Chellie Minney, one of our counsellors who’s experienced in developing support for victims of crime. Her objective is to help young people heal from the effects of crime they’ve been a part of, and ultimately find closure from their trauma.
When might someone need counselling?
Crime can affect victims directly or indirectly. Both types of victim are likely to suffer some degree of trauma and anxiety linked to the crime.
Direct victims of crime (who have witnessed or had a crime committed against them) can suffer mentally, emotionally, physically and financially depending on the nature of the crime. Examples include bullying, harassment, sexual crime, in-family fighting, and escalated disagreements between families or other groups of people.
In indirect cases, the victim may have not been part of the crime but is still impacted by the aftermath, e.g. by losing a friend or loved one, or been affected by the actions of people they know who are involved in crime.
Common feelings young people might present with include:
• Suppressed anger
• Dealing with loss and/or a bereavement
• Depression and withdrawal from social situations
• Anxiety, especially if the perpetrator has not been caught
• Fear for personal safety and reluctance to leave the house or go to school/college
• Fear for the safety of friends and family
• Difficulty processing the memory of a crime
However someone has been impacted by a crime, they should never have to live with these sorts of feelings. Counselling is a safe, neutral and confidential space to share memories of crime and work through the feelings and impacts the experience has left.
Who is eligible for counselling?
We can currently offer counselling support to up to 20 young people aged between 5 and 18 who have been directly or indirectly impacted by crime. Each individual can have up to 8 free sessions with a qualified counsellor. There are spaces available on the programme. Contact us on 01942 867888 to talk to a member of our team.
Our counsellors put the victim at heart of the process, and build the therapy around the person and their preferences. We use the five core techniques of counselling and other creative ideas to build trust and help young people discuss what’s happened to them. We agree on language they’re comfortable with and maintain the victim’s dignity at all times.
If the victim needs further support, their counsellor will signpost other specialist services from partner organisations. The counselling model is designed to help the victim to process their feelings and find the strength to move on with their life.
Where do counselling sessions take place?
This is a personal choice as we flex our service to suit the individual. We can offer counselling by telephone, online, in school, at our offices, or in community venues such as a local library or Start Well Family Centre. It’s all about helping the person feel at ease.
Living with the impacts of crime can prevent young people from achieving their dreams and lead to problems in adult life. Our counselling programme is still in its infancy and so far the signs of success are positive. In the future, we hope to extend the programme to link in with other local crime support organisations such as Witness Support and Victim Support.
If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of crime and is open to counselling to help them process their feelings, please get in touch confidentially on 01942 867888.