Support for young victims and witnesses of crime

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I remember feeling scared. I didn't think this would happen to me.

Maybe I was in shock. I felt alone. I just wanted to forget about it.

We find that people's lives can be impacted in many ways once they've been harmed through violence. It can be anything from physical or psychological harm, to harm caused through witnessing a violent act.

People might downplay what’s happened and try to live on with the psychological impacts. But what we find is that the earlier someone seeks support, the sooner they're able to move forward.

I didn't feel like myself afterwards. I tried to tell myself that it was no big deal.

I lost interest in football. I found it difficult to concentrate on study and I started to snap more at my parents and friends.

What makes our scheme so effective is that we can tailor our financial assistance to suit each person. We can pay for counselling or medical treatment, dental work, physiotherapy or even loss of income. And in certain circumstances, things like tutoring if someone’s missed school because of the act of violence against them.

I felt like I couldn’t talk about it to my friends but I knew that I had to do something.

Making the call was difficult but the lady I spoke to took the time to explain how they could help me and also put me in touch with a free counselling service.

The offender doesn’t necessarily need to be arrested for someone to access financial assistance. And we can connect people to other services to help them report the act of violence to police, a doctor or a counsellor. We can also provide information about the court process and help organise court support if it's needed.

I felt too nervous to ask for help and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a relief to talk to someone. I don’t think I could have gotten through this without their help.

I’m really glad I made that call—I feel like I’m starting to get my life back again.

The highlight of my day? I think when I get to pick up the phone and tell someone their application for assistance has been approved. To hear that relief in their voice.

We understand that financial assistance is only one part of recovery, but it's a pretty significant step in the right direction.

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When to ask for help

It can be hard to decide if you have been a victim or not. To help you work it out, these behaviours can be considered to be acts of violence:

• any type of physical assault such as being kicked, punched, held down, held by the head or neck, hit by something or choked
• any type of sexual abuse
• threatening you with force or weapons
• stalking, kidnapping and deprivation of liberty
• domestic and family violence or partner violence (see below)
• dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm
• murder or manslaughter (we can help close family members of the person who has died)

If any of these things happen to you anywhere in Queensland, you should ask for help.

Learn more about the different types of crime.

Domestic and family violence

Domestic and family violence impacts many families in Australia, but sometimes others in your family are not ready to get help.

If domestic and family violence is affecting your family, you should ask for help.

Partner violence

You might be experiencing violence yourself. When you start a relationship with someone it can be hard to work out what is okay and what is not. To help you work it out, read our lists of harmful behaviours.

If any of these things are happening in your relationship you should ask for help.

Support services

No matter what has happened, we encourage you to talk to someone about it. There are lots of support services who you can talk to—it’s up to you to choose the option you are most comfortable with.

Youth helplines

You can call:

• Kids Helpline (up to 25 years)
• Beyond Blue
• Headspace

Queensland Police

You can ask police at your local station for advice and help, even if you do not want to make a formal report.

If you prefer, you can ask to talk to an officer who is the same gender as you.

If you are a victim of domestic violence or a sexual assault, you have the option to report the offence online.

• Report domestic violence online
• If you’re over 18, you can formally report a sexual assault online
• Any victim of a sexual assault can make an informal report using the ARO (Alternative Report Option) for Sexual Assault Form.

Specialist support

You can talk to a doctor or practice nurse by making an appointment at any medical centre.

You can also talk to a psychologist or social worker about what has happened.

Government agencies

The government offers support and advice through:

• Child Safety
• Legal Aid Queensland (a free legal advice service)
• Victim Assist Queensland.

Financial assistance

If you have been a victim of violence, you may need help to recover and get your life back on track. We may be able to help you pay for:

• replacing any clothes that were damaged
• medical or counselling costs
• the cost of changing schools (if the violence is happening at school)
• loss of earnings if you are working and need to take time off.

Find out more about our financial assistance scheme.

Going to court

If you or someone else reports the violent act to police, the matter may end up in court. You may be asked to give evidence in court about what you saw, heard or experienced.

You have rights about how you are treated when in court. These include:

• you must be treated with dignity, respect and compassion
• measures must be taken to limit your distress or trauma
• you must be protected from intimidation during cross-examination
• the proceedings should be resolved in a timely manner.

Queensland courts can use pre-recorded evidence and resources when young people give evidence.

Young people who are summonsed to appear as witnesses may need support. Protect All Children Today (PACT) is a non-government organisation that offers this support.

Community visitors

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) employs community visitors to help children and young people that are:

• in care
• re-entering care
• transitioning out of care.

OPG is independent from other government and non-government agencies who make sure that your concerns and views are listened to.

Community visitors are interested in your safety and well-being and can help give you a voice when:

• you feel unsafe
• someone harms or threatens you
• you don’t like decisions that are being made that impact on your life
• you would like to talk about things that are happening in your life.

Community visitors can visit you wherever you are living, including a foster home, residential care facility, a detention centre or a mental health facility.

If you would like to contact a community visitor, you can:

• phone 1800 661 533—these calls are free if you call from a landline but there may be a cost if you use a mobile phone
• send an SMS to 0418 740 186
• email childvisitor@publicguardian.qld.gov.au
• complete the OPG quick message form.