Information for children and young people
Children and young people can be affected by domestic abuse,
whether they experience it themselves within the household, or as witnesses of
abuse against a parent or guardian. If you are the parent of a child or
children who are affected by domestic abuse against them, please remember that
this is not your fault. We are here to help you to safeguard yourself and your
children, and part of this might involve offering support to your children
directly.
If you would like your children to access support, then there are a number of organisations and resources that can help – please scroll to the bottom of this page for how to contact them.
Of course, young people might also experience abuse in their own intimate relationships with peers. If you are between the ages of 12-18, you might be experiencing abuse if …
- You feel pressure from your partner to do things you don’t want to do or that you are not ready to do;
- Your partner tells you they love you but they express this through jealousy, intensity and control over you;
- You don’t feel like you can openly talk about your relationship issues to your friends or other trusted adults in your life;
- Your partner uses the internet to control or blackmail you-for example threatening to share intimate images or texts with others, or taking control of your social media;
People under the age of 18 are protected under additional legislation in Scotland, known as Child Protection Legislation. This legislation states that although we are happy to work with you confidentially, there are very strict limits to confidentiality and we might need to seek the help of additional professionals to make sure that we can help you to stay safe. You can speak to us anonymously by calling 01698 757667 or by requesting a call back.
Alternatively, please have a look at the resources available below:
Childline
A free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything that you are going through, whether its big or small. For example; you and your body, bullying, abuse, relationships and your home and family life.
You can call 0800 1111 for free (Monday to Friday, 7.30am-3.30am and Saturday to Sunday, 9am-3.30am) or start a 1-2-1 chat with a counsellor (Monday to Friday, 7.30am-10.30pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9am-10.30pm)
Women’s Aid – The Hideout
A space to help children and young people understand domestic abuse, and how to take positive action if it is happening to you.
Women’s Aid – Love Respect
Provide advice about relationships and abuse for young people to empower people to talk about what relationship abuse is and what is health and unhealthy in your own relationship.
YouAlright?
Support and resources for Looked After Children and Young People in Lanarkshire.
Young Minds
Mental Health support for children, young people and their parents and carers.
If you are a young person in need of support, you can text the YoungMinds Crisis Messenger for free 24/7: Simply text YM to 85258. This is a free and confidential text service from the following networks: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.
If you are a parent or carer worried about your child, you can call for free on 0808 802 5544 (9:30am-4pm, Mon-Fri) or use the parents’ webchat and email service using the link available here
