Childline: Where to turn if you are worried about a situation

At the NSPCC and Childline we believe it is vital that all young people are able to speak out about anything that may be worrying or upsetting them.

If you are concerned by someone else’s behaviour towards you, it’s important to talk to a trusted adult about it.

This could be one or both of your parents, a carer, older sibling, family member above the age of 18, a teacher or you can always talk to Childline.

Read more: Childline helped me when my mental health deteriorated 

However, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel immediately threatened or in danger it’s vital that you call the police on 999 and report what has happened.

Speaking to someone you trust

Speaking to an adult that you trust and sharing what has happened will help you feel less alone with this worry and that adult will be able to support you with your emotions and help you deal with this situation moving forward.

Keeping your worries bottled up can instead leave you feeling more upset so it’s essential that you get the support you need so the situation can be addressed and you can try and move on from what has happened.

Sharing experiences

Some young people also find it helpful to share their experiences with people of their own age who can also relate. You can do this via Childline’s message boards where you can chat with other young people who have been in similar situations and have felt the feelings that you are experiencing. Knowing you are not the only young person who has been in a situation of this kind and that they were able to get the help and support they needed can be really reassuring.

If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed about what has happened you can also visit Childline’s Calm Zone where you can find breathing exercises, games and activities which can help you let go of stress.

How to get help

To get in touch with Childline and speak to one of our trained counsellors confidentially you can call 0800 1111 or you can get in touch via a 121 chat on the Childline website which is childline.org.uk.

No matter what your worry is, our counsellors are here to support you.