Brighton & Hove welcomes students and young people from all over the world to the city to learn a variety of subjects and experience what the city has to offer. In many cases young people come to Brighton & Hove to learn English as a second language, and so when they first arrive their level of English may not be very good. Their experience of the UK may be limited and as such they are vulnerable to crime and may not know what to do, who to turn to or where they can go for help and support. They may feel alone and cut off from family and friends, but there is always someone they can turn to.

This page gives advice and information to foreign students to help know what they can do to keep themselves safe while in the city. As such it is important that students living or visiting the city are aware of their rights, what they should do about any crime they may experience and who they can go to for help and support.

Safety advice for foreign students

• Knowing who to turn to for help and where to get support is important for young people in the city. Students from abroad should always speak to a member of staff at your school or college or someone you trust about any concerns you may have. They will be able to support you and help you access advice and information.
• Alternatively there are several services in the city where any young person can go to for help and advice. These include the Youth Advice Centre, Young People’s Centre and the Partnership Community Safety Team. See the ‘Map of Services’ on this website for more information.
• If you are the victim of any crime then you should always report it to the Police. Nothing need to happen unless you want them to take it further, but it is important that the Police are told about any crime, especially if you know the person who did it, as this will help protect other people from such crimes. See the ‘Reporting Crime’ game or ‘What to do about crime’ page for more information.

There are no absolute answers in life and each situation you come across can be different. Therefore, the important thing is that you always try to practise safe options and assess the risks with anything you do.

• Remember to plan ahead
• Trust your instincts
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Take a safety plan in case things go wrong
• Always let people know where you are
• There is always someone you can turn to for help

Other pages on this website contain advice and information about a variety of crime and safety issues and will tell you more about them and where you can get help and support in the city. For example, see the ‘Map of Services’, ‘Theft’, ‘Robbery’, ‘Assault’, ‘Rape & Sexual Assault’ or ‘Alcohol & Drugs’ pages.

Racism & Hate Crimes

If you are ever racially abused or harassed you can access specialist support from the Partnership Community Safety Team Front Line Service in the city. They can help you through the reporting process and provide you with advice, information and support.

See the ‘Hate Crimes’ page on this website for more advice and information which can help.

Links

www.sussex.police.uk/

Website for Sussex Police which gives you information about the Police, what they are doing in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex, how to report crime and make complaints.

www.safeinthecity.net/

Brighton & Hove's Community Safety Team website, which tells you about the crime and disorder priorities set by the council and police in the city. This gives you information about what the council and police are planning to do to improve the safety of people in the city.

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/

The City Council website can also provide more advice and information about crime and disorder in the city and provide links to other services and websites which can help.

www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

Crimestoppers is a UK-wide independent charity working to stop crime. On this website you can find out different things about crime in the UK, including how it can be stopped and solved. Here you can also report crime confidentially and anonymous.

www.worriedneed2talk.org.uk

Website created by the NSPCC which offers a range of advice and support to young people about a variety of issues.

www.pmsafetycard.co.uk

The Personal and Mobile Safety website is dedicated to giving security and safety advice to protect people when out and about, provide security for mobile phones and give advice about keeping safe.

Or contact your school or college.