Find local support

There are 17 local Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland. All of them offer free and confidential support and information. Although not every area has a centre, you can contact any of them for help and advice. Some centres offer outreach which means they can travel to other towns and villages in an area.

All centres are independent and their services vary. You can phone, write or email, and in some places you can access support in other ways too, like Skype or instant messaging.

Support can be one-off – or it can take place over a longer period, depending on your needs and what the centre is able to offer.

Rape Crisis Centres will give you time to talk. They will listen to what you say and give you information, for example about your options, about the law, health and medical issues.

All centres have Advocacy Workers who can help talk you talk things through if you’re thinking about reporting. They can also support you during the justice process – for example they can accompany you to clinics or the police station, or be in court with you for emotional support during a trial. Find out more about advocacy support here.

Some centres have services especially for young people; some also offer group support, workshops and therapies such as aromatherapy and relaxation techniques.

If you’re looking for other kinds of help and information, ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) has details on a wide range of agencies and organisations all over Scotland.