Personal safety tips:

• Trust your gut instincts. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe and you don’t want to be alone with them, act on your instincts. Move away and tell an adult. Remember, no one has the right to make you do something you don’t want to do.
• Let your friends or family know where you’re going to be and when to expect you back.
• Always be aware of your surroundings and have a clear idea of the route you are travelling. Try not to drown out street sounds by listening to music on your iPod through headphones.
• It is always safer to be near other people when you are travelling. If you are on a bus sit near the driver or sit near other passengers on the train.
• If you are walking alone stick to brightly-lit busy areas. That way, if you need any help there will be people around.
• Looking and acting confident will discourage people from thinking you are a soft target. Stand tall, look straight ahead and look like you know where you are going.
• Don’t be flash with your valuables. You may want to show off your new mobile phone to your mates but don’t be too obvious in places that you are unsure of.
• Don’t keep all your valuables in one place. For example, keep your phone and money in different pockets and your keys in your coat, so if someone steals your coat you can still call for help.
• If you are a wheelchair user, don’t keep your bag on the back of your chair as someone could come up behind you and steal it. Try keeping it at your side and remember to spread your valuables around your body.
• If you do get into trouble and need assistance, shout “fire” rather than “help” – it often gets more attention.
• If someone does try to steal something from you, it could be better to let them take it. Remember, it is not worth getting injured over possessions.
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  Confrontation and fighting back is not always the answer. Your attacker could be bigger than you or there may be more than one. It is often best to try to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. Try shouting loudly to attract attention and run away if you can.
• If you can’t run away, you can use reasonable force in self-defence. It is illegal to carry a weapon but you are allowed to protect yourself with something you are carrying anyway, like a key or a can.
  

Remember, if you are a victim of crime it is not your fault. And you are not alone. Report the incident to the police immediately.

Violence in the home

It’s not just strangers who can be violent, often the people being violent or lashing out are family members. Violence in the home is known as domestic violence and it accounts for over 1/3 of all crime reported in Northern Ireland. That’s over 46 incidents reported a day! So there is no reason to feel ashamed or nervous about getting help.

Domestic violence affects the whole family, not just the person being hurt. It is not always physical – pushing, punching or kicking – domestic violence can include:

• Sexual abuse – unwanted sexual contact, which includes another person being forced to perform sexual acts against their will.
• Emotional or verbal abuse – making people feel worthless or threatening them.
• Controlling behaviour – stopping someone from seeing their friends or family for no reason, or not letting them have a job or money of their own.

No matter what form it takes, domestic violence is not right and you don’t have to put up with it. Keeping quiet about it isn’t going to make things any better and there are loads of people who can help you.

The Police Service has officers with specialist training who have helped thousands of people deal with domestic violence and can support you. They know what you are going through and can help.

Remember, the only person who can stop the violence is the person who is doing it. Fighting violence with violence will only make the situation worse.

But there are lots of different things you can do:

• If you are not the victim, try to get the person who is being hurt to seek help.
• Only help whoever is being hurt if it means you are not placing yourself in danger.
• Keep yourself safe. Find a safe place – like a bedroom – where you can stay until the violence is over.
• Talk to someone you like and trust, such as a teacher, a friend or another family member. Tell them exactly what is happening at home. They can help you.
• Call ChildLine or the NSPCC. They deal with these things all the time and will listen to you. They can help you find solutions to your problems.Call the police on 999.

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