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Immediate support and safety
If a child or young person has experienced a sexual offence, the first priority is their safety and wellbeing. If they are in immediate danger, call 999 straight away.
Where there is no immediate emergency, it can still help to move to a safe place and reach out to a trusted adult. This may be a parent, carer, teacher, school safeguarding lead, youth worker, or another safe person.
What to do first
Children and young people do not have to report straight away, but preserving evidence can be important. If possible, they should avoid washing, changing clothes, brushing teeth, or deleting messages before getting advice.
They can also write down what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. Keeping texts, photos, screenshots, social media posts, or call logs may help later.
Talking to police in the UK
Anyone can report a sexual offence to the police, including a child or young person. They can make a report by calling 101, visiting a police station, or contacting police online in some areas.
Police should take the report seriously and explain what will happen next in a way the child can understand. In cases involving children, officers may work with specially trained safeguarding teams.
Specialist support services
Children and young people can get help from specialist sexual violence services. These organisations can offer emotional support, advice about reporting, and help with safety planning.
Rape Crisis England & Wales supports women and girls, while The Survivors Trust includes many services for all genders. Childline offers free, confidential support for under-19s on 0800 1111 and online.
Medical and emotional support
If the offence happened recently, a child may need medical care, emergency contraception, STI testing, or a forensic examination. A Sexual Assault Referral Centre, often called a SARC, can provide support and medical help in a private setting.
Children and young people may also need counselling or trauma support. A GP, school nurse, CAMHS, or a specialist charity can help arrange the right support.
Support at school and through safeguarding
Schools, colleges, and local authorities have safeguarding duties and should respond appropriately if a child discloses abuse or assault. A designated safeguarding lead can help with safety at school and referrals to other services.
If the alleged offender is another pupil, staff should put protective measures in place. This may include timetable changes, separate spaces, or supervised contact, depending on the situation.
Legal protection and rights
Children and young people can ask for updates and support throughout the reporting process. They may be able to give evidence by video link or with special measures in court.
They do not have to face this alone. A trusted adult, an independent sexual violence adviser, or a specialist charity can help them understand their options and make decisions at their own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK usually means immediate help, safeguarding, emotional support, and practical guidance when a child or young person tells someone about a sexual offence or reports it to the police in the UK.
Support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK is generally available to children and young people who have experienced or reported sexual abuse or another sexual offence, and to their parents or carers where appropriate.
The first steps in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK are usually to make the child safe, listen calmly, avoid pressing for details, contact the police or children's services if needed, and arrange specialist support as soon as possible.
To report support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK to the police, you can call 999 in an emergency, 101 for non-emergency reporting, or contact a local police safeguarding team. A child can also tell a trusted adult, who can help make the report.
When a child discloses support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, stay calm, believe them, thank them for telling you, avoid asking leading questions, and explain that you may need to share information to keep them safe.
Medical help may be needed as part of support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK if there are injuries, pain, pregnancy concerns, or risk of sexually transmitted infections. A sexual assault referral centre or A&E can help.
A sexual assault referral centre in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK is a specialist service that can provide medical care, forensic examinations, and support after sexual assault, often without needing to involve the police immediately.
In support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, confidentiality depends on age, safety, and risk. Professionals may keep information private where possible, but they must share it if a child is at risk of harm or needs protection.
Emotional support in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK can include counselling, trauma-informed therapy, helplines, advocacy, and support from children’s services or specialist sexual violence organisations.
Support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK can be short term or ongoing depending on the child’s needs, the investigation, and the impact of the offence. Some services offer support for months or longer.
After the police are told about support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, they may arrange a safeguarding response, take a statement, refer to specialist services, and decide whether further investigation or evidence gathering is needed.
Yes, support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK can include help from the school or college, such as a safeguarding lead, adjustments to attendance or timetables, and extra emotional support to help the child stay safe and learn.
It is very common in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK for the person involved to be known to the child. This is still serious and should be reported and supported in the same safeguarding-focused way.
Signs a child may need support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK can include sudden fear, withdrawal, sleep problems, mood changes, unexplained injuries, sexualised behaviour, or a direct disclosure of abuse or assault.
A parent can help with support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK by listening without judgement, making sure the child is safe, contacting specialist services, following safeguarding advice, and reassuring the child that they are believed and not to blame.
If a child is not ready to talk in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, do not pressure them. Let them know they can talk when they feel ready, keep them safe, and seek advice from a safeguarding professional.
Yes, much of the support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK is free through the NHS, police, local authority safeguarding services, and specialist charities or advocacy organisations.
In support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, avoid blaming the child, asking repeated detailed questions, confronting the alleged offender yourself, promising secrecy, or delaying urgent safeguarding and medical help.
For urgent help with support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK, call 999 if there is immediate danger, contact the police on 101 for non-emergencies, speak to children's social care, or go to A&E or a sexual assault referral centre.
What happens next in support for children and young people reporting a sexual offence first steps UK depends on the child’s needs, but usually includes a safeguarding assessment, possible police investigation, referral to specialist support, and ongoing emotional and practical help.
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