You are not alone.
Whatever happened to you, and however long ago, you deserve support. Find someone to talk to, and understand your options, in plain English and at your own pace. You decide what, if anything, you do next.
Need Help?
In danger? Call 999 for emergencies. Can’t speak? How to make a silent 999 call.
For professionals
Membership, directories and training for solicitors, medical experts, therapists and training providers who work with survivors of abuse. The aim is better, safer support for survivors.
Coming to Abuse Injury GroupOpen now, and coming next
- Open now: solicitor membership and our Legal Directory. Apply to join
- Membership for solicitors, medical experts, training providers, and therapists and support professionals
- Membership for medical experts, training providers, and therapists and support professionals
- Directories: legal, expert and training
- Directories: expert and training
- Training: webinars, courses and events
- News and blog for professionals
All of this is being designed and is not open yet.
Everything except solicitor membership is still being designed.
Welcome. We’re glad you found us.
This is a place for survivors and victims of abuse, and for the people who care about them. Take your time: read as much or as little as you like, in any order. You don’t have to tell us anything, and you don’t have to decide anything today.
How We Support Those in Need
Abuse can affect every part of a person’s life, and the lives of the people who care about them. Here is how we can help you find support.
Browse Your Options
Specialist Support Services
Abuse affects everyone differently, and the right support can help. Our Support Directory lists helplines and organisations you can contact directly.
Support Directory
Criminal Injuries Compensation
If you were harmed by a violent crime, you may be able to claim from a government scheme. One scheme covers England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has its own. Our guide explains who can apply and how.
Compensation
Civil Claims & Getting Legal Advice
Some survivors claim compensation from the person or organisation responsible. Our guide explains how civil claims work and how to get legal advice.
Civil claims guide
Reporting & the Criminal Process
Whether to report is your choice. Our guide explains reporting to the police, getting help without reporting, and your rights as a victim.
Reporting
Emotional Support & Understanding
Living with the effects of abuse can feel isolating. Our Support Directory lists organisations offering someone to talk to.
Support & UnderstandingWhere would you like to start?
Understanding abuse
The different kinds of abuse, how abuse can affect you, and support for each. Whatever happened, it was not your fault.
Start here →Understand your options
Criminal injuries compensation, civil claims, redress schemes and the criminal process, explained simply. More guides are coming soon.
See the guides →Support Directory
Helplines and organisations you can contact directly, using their own details.
Open the Support Directory →Also: therapy and counselling · money, benefits and housing · if someone you know has been abused · people you might meet · all resources
Organisations in our Support Directory
From national helplines to specialist local services, every organisation we list is checked on its own website, and you contact it directly.
NAPAC
The Survivors Trust
Rape Crisis England & Wales
Rape Crisis Scotland
Nexus NI
Safeline
SurvivorsUK
Mankind UK
Victim Support (England and Wales)- Future Pathways / In Care Survivors Alliance
Wellbeing Scotland- WAVE Trauma Centre (historical institutional abuse)
MACSAS- HAVOCA
Trust House- NSPCC
Marie Collins Foundation
Survivors Voices
One in Four- Children First (Scotland)
Victim Support Scotland
Victim Support NI- Women’s Aid Federation of England
Scottish Women’s Aid- Welsh Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid Federation NI
Refuge
Men’s Advice Line (run by Respect)
Surviving Economic Abuse
Galop
Karma Nirvana- Southall Black Sisters
- Solace Women’s Aid
ManKind Initiative- Hestia
Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA)- Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service
Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Hourglass- Age UK, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI
Care Rights UK
Respond- Hope for Justice
Unseen- The Salvation Army (modern slavery support)
- Revenge Porn Helpline (run by SWGfL)
Rape Crisis NI
Salute Her UK- Childline (run by the NSPCC)
We Stand (formerly Mosac)- Samaritans
- Mind
- See all 78 organisations →
For professionals
Do you work with survivors of abuse?
Training for solicitors, medical experts and other professionals is coming to Abuse Injury Group: webinars, courses and events.
Latest from Insights
Plain-English news and articles about support, the law and your options, checked before we publish them.
Our promise to you
Information, not pressure
We explain your options. You decide what, if anything, you do next.
We never ask for your story
We give information, not legal or medical advice, and we cannot take on your case.
Checked facts
Every fact is checked at its source, and we show when we last checked it. How we check facts
Contact Us
We’re an information service, so we can’t give support ourselves. If you need help now, you can:
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In danger? Call 999 for emergencies. Can’t speak? How to make a silent 999 call.
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Need to talk? Samaritans 116 123 · free from any phone, any time
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Find support Helplines and organisations you can contact directly, in our Support Directory.
Our directories
Legal Directory
Solicitors who act for survivors of abuse. Survivors contact each firm directly, using the firm’s own details.
Open the Legal Directory → Open the Legal Directory →Expert Directory
Medical experts who report in abuse claims, listed whoever instructs them. Being designed: no one is listed yet.
Open the Expert Directory →Training Directory
Webinars, courses and events for people who work with survivors. Being designed: nothing is listed yet.
Open the Training Directory →Membership
Solicitor membership
For law firms and solicitors who act for survivors of abuse. It will include a listing in our Legal Directory, our training, and “Verified” on your listing once we have checked and accepted your firm.
For law firms and solicitors who act for survivors of abuse. It includes a listing in our Legal Directory, where people contact your firm directly. We check every firm by hand before it is listed, so every listing shows “Verified firm”. Our training is still being designed.
Expert membership
For medical experts who report in abuse claims. It will include a listing in our Expert Directory, our training and the badge. It is being designed to respect an expert’s duty to the court.
Training provider membership
For organisations and people who run training for those who work with survivors of abuse. It will include course listings in our Training Directory, and the badge.
Therapist and support professional membership
For counsellors, therapists and others whose paid work is supporting survivors of abuse. It will include our training and the badge. Where these members are listed is still being decided.
How we will work with professionals
- Survivors contact members directly, using the member’s own details. We never ask for a survivor’s story and never pass one on.
- We do not promise anyone referrals, enquiries or cases.
- “Verified” means we checked a member by hand and accepted them. It is not a quality rating.
Solicitors and law firms: read our common questions for solicitors.
Upcoming training, news and blog
Training, news and articles for professionals who work with survivors of abuse. Nothing is scheduled yet: this is where it will appear.
Act for survivors of abuse? See what a Legal Directory listing will show and how the checks work.Act for survivors of abuse? Apply to join our Legal Directory. We check every application by hand.
Read the questions for solicitors Apply to join