Your personal safety
We all want to be safe. Here are some simple precautions you can take whether you are out and about, or using the internet.
If you are concerned about your safety you could talk to your family, friends, Kent Police, your local community warden, or social services.
Don't Do Nothing
Designed by young people, to help young people, the 'Don't Do Nothing' campaign helps you to safely become an active bystander to stop bullying, domestic abuse and knife crime.
By being an active bystander you can make a difference by stepping up and saying that what you're seeing is not OK. Check out the videos and resources created with the help of:
- Maidstone and Malling Alternative Provision
- the Quarterdeck Youth Hub Margate
- elected members of the Kent Youth County Council
- young actors from the Kent School of Performing Arts.
Learn more about the Don't Do Nothing campaign.
Safety Pin
If you need emergency support and your local youth hub isn't open, you can talk to others. Whether you need support with your mental health, domestic abuse or homelessness, there is help out there for you.
Friendships and relationships
Bullying
If you are worried about being bullied, or the behaviour of someone else close to you, there are many people you can talk to, either in person or online.
Find out who you can speak to and what support is available locally and nationally.
Domestic abuse
It is very important that you are in a safe relationship and no one is trying to harm you or make you do things you don't want to do.
Find out more about domestic abuse.
LGBTQ
LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. There are many charities and support groups across the UK if you feel that you are in need of any guidance.
Find out who you can talk to if you need advice.
Relationships
Being a teenager and becoming an adult is an exciting time. It is important you make close and personal relationships with others. Every relationship is different, but it should always be based on honesty and trust.
Find out what support is available to you for future relationships.
Safety in the community
Doorstep crime
Doorstep criminals (also known as rogue traders, cowboy builders, building and gardening scammers) can visit your house without them telling you in advance. This is known as cold calling. They will try to convince you to agree to having work carried out on your house.
Learn how you can stop doorstep criminals and find out how to report them.
Phone scams
Telephone scams (mobile or landline) are the second most common type of scam in the UK, but many more go unreported. Fraudsters often use the names of well-known companies to commit their crime. They may try and say that your computer needs fixing, or question if you have been in an accident lately.
If you have received a text scam, you can report this to Ofcom by forwarding it to '7726' (which spells out SPAM).
Find out more about phone scams and how you can stop phone scams.
Radicalisation or extremism
We all have a responsibility to keep our county and the people in it safe. You can help to reduce the threat from terrorism, radicalisation and extremism by being aware, knowing what to report and reporting it. If you have seen a person acting suspiciously or if you see a vehicle, unattended package or bag which might be an immediate threat, move away and call 999.
If you're concerned about possible terrorist activity or risk of radicalisation and there is no immediate threat find out how to report it.
Online safety
Cyber crime
Using the internet can be a great for communicating with friends, shopping, doing research for school, or playing online games, unfortunately it also means that you may be more vulnerable to online crime.
There are many different types of cyber crime that you could be affected by and understanding the most common crimes and fraud can help you to avoid becoming a victim. To find out how you can keep safe online, visit one of the following websites:
Social media
Social media allows you to share your ideas, thoughts, photographs and memories online to your friends, family and others. Your online profile can be private, where you choose who can view your updates or can be made public. To use a social media app, you can use a computer, tablet or a mobile phone.
Popular social media apps you may have heard of are; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Although social media is a great way to share highlights of your life, you must always be aware and understand the risks when updating your social media profile.
Find out how you and your family can understand the risks using the internet.
Other types of online scams
Find out about the different types of online scams: