Janet’s four year-old son, Michael, became distressed after he witnessed his mother being burgled. He started having nightmares and became withdrawn at nursery. He had a recurrent anxiety that ‘bad men’would break into his room. Because Michael was a child - and not the victim of the offence - nobody offered him emotional help. Janet was amazed at the way her son had been overlooked, and felt she had been left to cope alone with her son’s distress. Victim Support shares Janet’s concerns. As the national charity for victims of crime,we know that the effects of crime on children and young people’s mental health can be serious – and all too often, they can be overlooked. About half of all children attending school - and 70 per cent of children excluded from school - are, at some stage, affected by crime. This is almost twice the rate of victimisation for the general population . Victim Support has also found that young people are more likely to be repeatedly victimised than adults and we know children are indirectly affected when a family member becomes a victim. Like adults, the majority of children experience some sort of adverse reaction to crime. Common feelings are shock, anger, upset,worry, fear, lost confidence and guilt. For a smaller number their psychological reaction goes deeper, and develops into a longer-term mental health problem. As part of its commitment to helping young victims and witnesses of crime, Victim Support is developing its services for young people. "Victim Support has always worked with young victims," says Peter Dunn,who heads Victim Support’s research and development department, "but until recently, this was through parents and carers. That approach wasn’t always satisfactory and we’re now developing our own service so that young people can access it in their own right. To ensure a consistent and effective service for young victims we have produced a range of guidance, a new child protection policy and a young people’s support pack. In addition to this service,which can take place in the home or at our branches, some branches are offering outreach services, for example, in schools." Victim Support believes that its service can help young people through the distressing experience of crime. But Victim Support also believes that the contribution of healthcare providers is vital if young people’s health needs are to be addressed effectively. Latest figures show that one in four children aged between 10 and 11 experience bullying ‘every day’ or ‘often’ . Bullying may be well documented but can still be easily overlooked or ignored when it happens. "Very often, the experiences of children who are bullied are dismissed as ‘rites of passage’," explains Dunn, "but we know that, for many people, bullying can be a shattering experience, and some commit suicide as a result". Coping with bullying is a big topic for young people. As with adult victims of crime, young victims of bullying have a right to protection and to practical and emotional support to help them cope. Most schools have anti-bullying policies, and Victim Support believes that it’s vital that these are actively implemented. Supporting young victims of bullying should be a priority for education providers, and ideally, if other service providers become aware that a child is being bullied they should help or refer on. Supporting these children plays a crucial role in promoting social inclusion, since research has identified that the experience of being bullied is a major cause of truancy . Indirect exposure to crime can also impede young people’s development and trigger poor mental health. In 2002, Parliament acknowledged the serious impact that witnessing violence can have on children’s health by amending the Children Act 1989 to include witnessing violence within the Act’s definition of harm. However, the negative effects of experiencing – or witnessing – violence can be reduced if children are helped through the trauma. Factors that promote good mental health in these circumstances include independent advocacy, support and being cared for by adults who are able to meet the child’s needs and who themselves have help and advice at hand. Yet the importance of helping children through the trauma of crime has not yet been fully addressed. Many mental health services focus on offending – either to reduce offending or to support offenders. What is overlooked is the link between youth offending and victimisation. Being a victim of crime at 12 is one of the most powerful indicators of offending at 15; likewise, offending at the age of 12 brings a strong possibility of victimisation at 15. It’s vital that we plan services to take account of this close link, and that all mental health services build in a basic awareness of the experience of victimisation. Every Child Matters mentioned the mental health needs of ‘children in the criminal justice system’ – meaning children who have offended, or who are at risk of offending, rather than those who have been victims of crime. Government and professionals need to acknowledge that the same people are often affected by both experiences. |
