Afterwards

The earlier lessons in this course were about lowering the odds and about the moment itself. This one is about the hour, the day and the weeks after something has happened to you: a theft, a break-in, an assault, a con, or a frightening night where nothing was taken but something was lost all the same. A few decisions come up then, when you're least ready for them: which number to call, if any; whether to report, and what that gets you; where to find support if you don't; what happens if you were the one who used force; and what is worth changing next week. This lesson takes each as the official pages and services answer it, country by country, and then sets the course project.

Two things before the detail. First, this lesson does not press anyone to report. Lesson 2 showed how much crime never reaches the police in either country, and whether to report is the victim's decision. The lesson sets out what each choice leads to, so the decision is an informed one. Second, nothing here is about what anyone should have done before. The crime was the offender's choice. Everything below is about what is open to you now.

Which number, if any

First Aid and CPR lesson 2 taught the emergency call itself: location first, and stay on the line until the call handler tells you to go. This lesson does not teach it again. What it adds is the choice of number, and what to do when speaking would put you at risk.

In the UK, GOV.UK's page on contacting the police draws the line in two sentences: "Call 999 if you are reporting a crime that is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger." And: "Report crimes online or by calling 101 if they are not an emergency."¹ The same page says 101 can also be used to give the police information or ask a question, and that "Calls to 999, 101 or 0800 numbers are free." GOV.UK's page links people in Scotland to a postcode search for their local policing team.¹ The page sets out nothing separate for Northern Ireland.

In the US, 911 is the emergency number, and the Office for Victims of Crime, part of the US Department of Justice, says it plainly to victims: "If at any time you feel that you are in immediate danger, we strongly urge you to call your local police department's emergency number (911)."¹⁰ What the US does not have is a single non-emergency number, and the official 911 site, 911.gov, doesn't give one. What it does say, about calling for help in another town, is that local law enforcement's 10-digit numbers "can be found on the local law enforcement agency’s websites".³ So the non-emergency number is your own police department's, and finding it before you need it is this course's step from that (sensible, untested, in this course's labels). The exercise at the end asks you to look yours up.

When you can't speak

The box at the top of every lesson gives the short version. Here is the fuller one.

In the UK, on a mobile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has a Silent Solution page, which explains: "A recorded message will instruct callers who can't talk to press 55 to be put through to police. Staying silent and not pressing 55 will lead to the call being terminated."² Its guide adds: "Pressing 55 does not allow police to track your location."² So a silent call alone brings nobody, and pressing 55 does not tell them where you are. The guide says "It is always best to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering", and the IOPC's poster asks you to answer the operator's questions "by coughing or tapping the handset if you can".² The cough or tap answers questions; the 55 is what gets the call put through. From a landline the 55 step is not used; as lesson 1 explained, a call where the operator hears only background noise is put through to the police. The guide does not say whether the scheme works the same way in Scotland and Northern Ireland.²

In the US, you can text 911 where that's available. 911.gov says "it is always best to call 911 if you can, and text if you can't", and if a text can't be delivered, "you should receive an immediate bounce-back message".³ In the data 911.gov gives, from 2021, more than half of the US's 911 call centres could take texts, "with a lot of variation among states."³ That is why a text is the fallback and a call the default.

Lesson 9 added one thing, and it holds here too. First Aid and CPR lesson 2 put the phone on speaker to free your hands for CPR. When the person causing the danger is still nearby, a call they can't hear is the safer one. That is this course's reading (sensible, untested, in its labels).

Fraud is a different route

A con goes to the money first. Take Five, the UK banking industry's anti-fraud campaign, puts the bank first: "Contact your bank immediately if you think you've been scammed and tell the Police at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040."¹⁴ That is practitioner opinion, in this course's labels, though Personal Finance Fundamentals lesson 10 gave the reason for the speed: the chance of getting money back, if there is one, is largest in the first hours. Lesson 5 gave the routes: Report Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 101 for Scotland, as Report Fraud's own site says; and ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, whose site says "We can't resolve your individual report, but we use reports to investigate and bring cases against fraud, scams, and bad business practices."¹⁴

Reporting, support and compensation

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Start with the size of the choice. Lesson 2 gave the figures. In the US survey for 2024, "Approximately 48% of violent victimizations were reported to police in 2024", and 30% of property victimisations.⁴ In England and Wales, "only an estimated 36% of CSEW headline crime incidents (excluding fraud and computer misuse) were reported to the police in the CSEW YE March 2026" (the year ending March 2026), CSEW headline crime being the main set of crimes the Crime Survey for England and Wales counts.⁵ So most of those crimes never reached the police. This course does not treat that as a failing. Each was a decision, with consequences on both sides that are worth knowing.

Support does not depend on a report

England and Wales. The Victims' Code is the government's code that "sets out the services and a minimum standard for these services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations (referred to as service providers) in England and Wales." On support it is direct: "Services that support victims are there to help you cope and, as far as possible, recover after a crime. Access to support is free, even if the crime hasn’t been reported to the police." And: "If you choose not to report the crime to the police, you still have the Right to access support services at any time."⁷ The largest such service, Victim Support, says of itself that it offers free confidential support 24 hours a day, "regardless of whether they have reported the crime to the police or when it occurred." It is independent of the police, and its help and support page says of them: "we won’t contact them about you unless we feel someone is at risk."⁶

Scotland. Victim Support Scotland describes its support as "non-judgmental and confidential support to anyone who has been affected by crime", and its Get support page says: "If you have not reported the crime but want to discuss your options, we can do this with you. We can also help you report the crime if that’s what you decide."¹² So it will support someone who hasn't reported, and talk through whether to.

Northern Ireland. Victim Support NI: "We offer a free and confidential service, whether or not the crime has been reported, regardless of how long ago the crime took place."¹³

The US. VictimConnect, a hotline funded by an Office for Victims of Crime grant, describes itself as "a 24-hours a day 7 days a week, anonymous and confidential hotline where victims and survivors of crime can receive support, information and referral options", by call, text or chat. It has one condition, in its own words: "We can only talk, text, or chat with you if you are currently physically safe."¹¹ The Office for Victims of Crime also keeps a searchable Directory of Crime Victim Services.¹⁰

What reporting adds

England and Wales. The Victims' Code lists twelve rights. Three show what a report sets in motion. When you report, you have the right to written confirmation, which "will include the basic details of the offence, a crime reference number and the contact details of the police officer dealing with your case." (A crime reference number is the number the police file your report under.) You have the right to be referred to a support service, within 2 working days. And you have the right to be told about compensation.⁷ The Code also covers something that matters to anyone whose home is not safe: "Where the police consider there may be a risk of harm to you from sending the written confirmation, for example in domestic abuse cases, they must provide confirmation in a way that does not potentially risk your safety."⁷

England, Wales and Scotland: criminal injuries compensation. This is the clearest case of something that depends on a report. GOV.UK's compensation page says the crime must be both "reported to the police" and "a violent crime", and "The crime must be reported to the police before you apply."⁸ The rest, as the page puts it: "You usually have to claim within 2 years of the crime", and "It does not cost anything to apply". Injury payments run "between £1,000 and £250,000". You do not have to wait for the investigation or a court case to finish, and the Victims' Code adds that a claim "is not dependent on the conviction of an offender."⁷⁸ And a person hurt "taking a 'justified and exceptional' risk trying to stop a crime" may also be able to claim, which is where lesson 9's bystander comes in.⁸

Northern Ireland has its own scheme. nidirect, the Northern Ireland government's public site, gives a two-year limit, though late applications may still be accepted where it "wasn’t reasonable" to apply sooner, and a minimum award of £1,000. When an application arrives, "a request will be made for a police report about the incident." Among the reasons it lists for reducing or refusing an award are "your failure to co-operate with the police, or with Compensation Services" and "your delay in informing the police, or other organisation, or person of the incident".⁹ The page does not say the crime must have been reported to the police, and this course read no more of Northern Ireland's rules than that page. Victim Support NI, which the page says gives free help with applying, is the place to ask.

The US. Every state runs its own programme. The Office for Victims of Crime's state page says that "All states receive Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds from OVC to help support crime victim assistance and compensation programs", and that "You may be eligible for crime victim compensation benefits, including reimbursement for medical services, mental health counseling, lost wages, and other costs incurred as a result of the crime."¹⁰ The page links each state's programme. This course read no state's own rules, so it cannot tell you whether yours requires a police report, or by when. Look that up on your state's page before assuming either way.

What a report doesn't get you matters as much. No page this course read promises an arrest, a charge or your property back. Lesson 2 gave the reasons the US bulletin lists for not reporting: fear of reprisal, not wanting to get the offender in trouble, believing the police couldn't or wouldn't help, and thinking it too personal or too trivial. None of those is a mistake, and each weighs against what the table below shows a report adds.

Why the two work differently

Why would support be free of any condition and compensation not? The pages give the rules, not the policy behind them, so what follows is what they show and no more. The Victims' Code says support is there "to help you cope and, as far as possible, recover", which needs nothing from the police. Compensation is a decision about paying money, and GOV.UK says a claim is assessed on, among other things, "information from the police, including the evidence you gave them" and "your criminal record".⁸ Northern Ireland's scheme begins by asking the police for a report.⁹

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Victims' Code's rights are for England and Wales; this course read no equivalent code for Scotland, Northern Ireland or any US state.

Nkechi's bag

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The first case is worked through in full. Nkechi is walking along a shopping street in Rotherham, in England, on a Saturday afternoon, when a man on a bike pulls her bag off her shoulder and rides away. She is not hurt. In the bag were her purse, with two bank cards, and her house keys. Her driving licence, with her address on it, was in the purse.

First, safety. Is anyone in danger now, or is the crime still happening? The man has gone and she's unhurt, so on GOV.UK's rule this is not a 999 call.¹ If he had still been there, or she had been hurt, it would be.

Second, the bank. The cards can be used. Take Five's "Contact your bank immediately" was written about scams, and using it for stolen cards is this course's step (sensible, untested, in its labels).¹⁴ The number to use is one she already had, which on this course's reading means the number on her bank's app or its website, since the card itself is gone.

Third, a report, if she decides to make one. 101 or online, since it is not an emergency.¹ If she does, the Victims' Code gives her a crime reference number and a referral to support.⁷ She was not injured, so criminal injuries compensation does not come into it: this is a case where reporting gets her the Code's rights but not compensation.⁸

Support, either way. Victim Support's line is open to her whether or not she reports.⁶ If what happened stays with her, that is what it's for, and the section "Support for how you feel" says where the earlier courses take this up.

Now try the next step yourself.

The same question works after any crime: what did this one show someone? Close that opening first. That order is this course's, from Pease, and it carries lesson 3's label: sensible, untested.

If you were the one who used force

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lesson 13, "The law on using force", set out the questions a court asks. This section is about what comes before any court.

In England and Wales. The Crown Prosecution Service and National Police Chiefs' Council's leaflet for householders says "the police have a duty to investigate incidents involving a death or injury", and that they "may need to conduct a forensic examination and/or obtain your account of events".¹⁶ The same paragraph says that "In some cases, for instance where the facts are very clear, or where less serious injuries are involved, the investigation will be concluded very quickly, without any need for arrest", and that the forensic examination and the account belong to "more complicated cases, such as where a death or serious injury occurs".¹⁶ It was written about intruders at home, the subject of lesson 14, "The home and property", and applying it to the street is this course's step. If someone is arrested, GOV.UK's page on arrest says: "If you’re arrested, you’ll usually be taken to a police station, held in custody in a cell and then questioned." In custody you have the right to "get free legal advice", to "tell someone where you are", and to "have medical help if you're feeling ill".¹⁷ When they question you, the police must explain your right not to answer by reading you the caution: "You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."¹⁷ The page adds: "You have the right to free legal advice (legal aid) if you’re questioned at a police station", and "Once you’ve asked for legal advice, the police cannot question you until you’ve got it", though with some exceptions it names.¹⁷

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says "The law on being arrested is different in Scotland, different in Northern Ireland".¹⁷ This course read neither, so it states no rights for either.

In the US, the one source this course read on questioning is about a Supreme Court rule. The Library of Congress's Constitution Annotated summarises Miranda v. Arizona (1966): statements from a custodial interrogation "are inadmissible at trial unless the individual subject to interrogation was informed of his or her right to remain silent, that any statements could be used against the subject in subsequent proceedings, and of his or her right to an attorney." It adds that "the Court has created exceptions to the Miranda warnings over the years".²⁰ A custodial interrogation is, roughly, questioning someone the police are holding. This course read that one essay, not the ones on when a person counts as in custody or on the exceptions, so it says nothing about either. Florida goes further on self-defence. Its statute makes a person whose force it permits "immune from criminal prosecution and civil action", where prosecution "includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting"; but it also says police "may use standard procedures for investigating", and may arrest if there's "probable cause that the force that was used or threatened was unlawful."¹⁸ Probable cause is the statute's term; roughly, it means good enough grounds, though this course read no definition of it. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that "In at least 23 states, self-defense laws protect people from being sued in civil court if they act in self-defense."¹⁹

Everywhere, the one piece of advice this course gives is to get a lawyer's advice (sensible, untested, in this course's labels). It stops there on purpose. What to say to police, and when, is legal advice that depends on where you are and what happened. If you search for it, much of what comes up is defence lawyers' marketing, which is one more reason to ask a lawyer rather than a search engine.

Anil outside the bus station

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The case asks what happens next and what his rights are, not whether he acted lawfully, which a page cannot know.

Late on a weekday evening, Anil is waiting outside the bus station in Walsall, in England. A man he has never met accuses him of staring, grabs his coat and swings at him. Anil has the station wall behind him and the man's grip on his coat, so he cannot step away. He punches the man once. The man falls, cuts his head on the kerb, and gets up bleeding. Someone has called 999, and police arrive. The man tells them Anil attacked him.

What will probably happen. Someone is injured, so on the leaflet's account the police will investigate, and how far it goes depends, in the leaflet's words, on whether "the facts are very clear" or the case is one of the "more complicated" ones.¹⁶ An arrest is possible. Neither is a finding that Anil did anything wrong; on this course's reading, an investigation is how the questions from lesson 13 get asked.

His rights, if he's arrested. Free legal advice, telling someone where he is, medical help if he needs it, and the caution, read to him in full when he's questioned.¹⁷ Once he asks for legal advice, the police cannot question him until he has had it, with the exceptions GOV.UK names.¹⁷

What the course will say about what he tells them. Get a lawyer's advice, which the arrest page says is free at the police station. Nothing more. What he should say depends on facts, on the law, and on how the evidence looks, and a lawyer who knows all three is the person to ask.

He was attacked too. Anil is also the victim of an assault. Victim Support says "Anyone affected by crime in England or Wales can contact us for free, confidential support", and that holds whatever he decides about reporting the other man.⁶ If he was hurt and claims compensation, the claim is assessed partly on the police's information, as every claim is.⁸

Support for how you feel

How people feel after a crime, or after having had to use force, is the subject of two earlier courses, and this lesson points to them instead of teaching it twice.

Mental Fitness lesson 7, "Resilience, a ratio and a mindset", set out what the long-term studies show about how people fare after a potentially traumatic event: most stay roughly steady, and some struggle and then recover. That lesson adds that being on the harder of those paths says nothing about anyone's character. First Aid and CPR lesson 16, "After the emergency, and staying ready", lists the support lines in each country and your own doctor, and it is clear that support lines are not emergency numbers.

The victims' services above are there for this too. The Victims' Code's own words for what they're for are "to help you cope and, as far as possible, recover after a crime".⁷

After a sexual assault

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Everything earlier in this lesson applies, and three things are specific. Each is a choice, and none depends on another.

Medical care is First Aid and CPR's subject, not this course's. In England and Wales the Victims' Code names one route that does not depend on reporting: you can refer yourself to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre. "These centres have specially trained professionals who can give you both physical and mental health support if you have experienced rape or sexual assault, regardless of whether you choose to report the crime to the police or not."⁷

If you do report in England and Wales, the Code gives a victim of sexual violence, gender-based violence or domestic abuse the right to ask for an interviewing officer of a gender of their choice, which the police must meet unless it would make the proceedings unfair.⁷

Specialist support is in the box above, by nation. Lesson 11, "Sexual assault: the freeze, resistance and the law", said where responsibility lies: with the person who did it, whatever anyone did or did not do at the time.

The course project

The project, "Your household safety plan", is listed with the final test on the course page, and its brief has the details and the rubric. It pulls the course into six parts you keep for yourself: a card of numbers, a home audit, two plans for getting about, a handful of decisions made in advance, three short written cases, and a decision about a class. The first part of this lesson's exercise is its first part, so doing the exercise starts the project.

One rule runs through all of it, and it is the course's rule from lesson 7: keep it private. Nothing is submitted anywhere with your name or address on it. If you live with someone who frightens you, skip any part that could be found, and keep nothing on a phone or computer they can get at; the helplines in "Domestic abuse and stalking" can help you plan by phone, on this course's reading from a device they cannot reach.

What people get wrong

This is general information, not legal advice. The law differs by state, and between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"If you don't report, you can't get help." Each UK victims' service this course read says otherwise, and in England and Wales so does the government's code: "Access to support is free, even if the crime hasn’t been reported to the police."⁶⁷¹²¹³

"Reporting makes no difference." It depends on what you want. In England, Wales and Scotland, criminal injuries compensation requires it; Northern Ireland's scheme asks the police for a report and can reduce or refuse an award for a delay in telling them; in England and Wales a report brings the Victims' Code's rights.⁷⁸⁹ What it doesn't promise is at the end of "What reporting adds".

"If it was self-defence, there won't be an investigation." The police in England and Wales have a duty to investigate death or injury, though a clear case can be concluded quickly (the section above), and even Florida's immunity statute leaves room for an investigation.¹⁶¹⁸

"You have to answer every question." Not in England and Wales: the caution begins "You do not have to say anything", and goes straight on to say that silence may harm your defence if you later rely on something you didn't mention.¹⁷ Both halves are the caution. Which one matters in a given case is a lawyer's question.

"A silent 999 call brings the police." Not from a mobile, unless you press 55 when the message asks (the section "When you can't speak"), and pressing 55 does not give your location.²

"It's over now." The research on repeats says the risk is highest soon after, for the reason Pease gives, which is why the week after is the time to close what the crime revealed.¹⁵

Practice

Connections

Back. Lesson 2 gave the reporting figures this lesson starts from, and lesson 3 and lesson 5 gave Pease's reason for acting in the weeks after. Lesson 7, "Domestic abuse and stalking", has the lines this lesson's card draws on. Lesson 9's bystander meets compensation here, and lesson 13, "The law on using force", set out the questions a court asks after force; this lesson covers what comes before that. First Aid and CPR lesson 2 taught the call, and its lesson 16 and Mental Fitness lesson 7 cover how people feel afterwards.

Forward. Introduction to Law, later on the Core, takes criminal law and procedure further. Emergency Preparedness covers disasters and emergencies beyond crime.

Go deeper

• The Victims' Code, for England and Wales. This course searched it and read the sections on rights 2 to 5 in full. Its twelve rights are set out one by one, in plain language, with what to do if one is not met.
• GOV.UK, "Claim compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime". Read in full for this course. Who can claim, for what, and how a claim is assessed, for England, Wales and Scotland.
• The Office for Victims of Crime's state page. Read in full for this course, though no state's own page was. Its map leads to your state's compensation and assistance programmes.
• Ken Pease, Repeat Victimisation: Taking Stock, Home Office, 1998. This course read the summary and section 2. The short case for acting soon after a crime, and why.

Sources

1. GOV.UK, "Contact the police". Read: in full (content API); re-read, 25 September 2026.
2. Independent Office for Police Conduct, Silent Solution page, its guide and its poster, England and Wales. Read: all three in full, 25 September 2026.
3. 911.gov, "Frequently Asked Questions", last updated 03/08/2023. Read: via browser.
4. Bureau of Justice Statistics, S. N. Tapp and E. J. Coen, Criminal Victimization, 2024, NCJ 310547, September 2025. Read: in full.
5. Office for National Statistics, Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2026, 23 July 2026. Read: in full.
6. Victim Support, Get help, About us, Help and support and Supportline pages, England and Wales. Read: in full; re-read, 25 September 2026.
7. Ministry of Justice, Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code), GOV.UK, updated 29 January 2025. Read: searched, and the sections on rights 2 to 5 read in full, 25 September 2026.
8. GOV.UK, "Claim compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime", England, Wales and Scotland. Read: in full (content API), 25 September 2026.
9. nidirect, "Claiming compensation for criminal injuries", Northern Ireland. Read: in full, 25 September 2026.
10. Office for Victims of Crime, "Help for Victims" and "Victim Assistance and Compensation in Your State". Read: both in full, 25 September 2026.
11. VictimConnect Resource Center, home page. Read: in full; re-read, 25 September 2026.
12. Victim Support Scotland, home page and "Get support". Read: both in full, 25 September 2026.
13. Victim Support NI, contact page and home page. Read: in full; re-read, 25 September 2026.
14. Take Five to Stop Fraud (UK Finance), read from Internet Archive capture 20260902060025; Report Fraud, reportfraud.police.uk, read in a browser; and the Federal Trade Commission's ReportFraud.ftc.gov, read in a browser. Read: Take Five in full from the capture; the Report Fraud and FTC pages, 25 September 2026.
15. Ken Pease, Repeat Victimisation: Taking Stock, Home Office Crime Detection and Prevention Series Paper 90, 1998. Read: the summary and section 2.
16. Crown Prosecution Service and National Police Chiefs' Council, Householders and the use of force against intruders, England and Wales, "Revised 2018". Read: in full.
17. GOV.UK, "Being arrested: your rights", England and Wales, updated 23 January 2025. Read: in full (content API); re-read, 25 September 2026.
18. Florida Statutes, chapter 776, §776.032, the 2026 Florida Statutes. Read: in full; §776.032 re-read on the live page, 25 September 2026.
19. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Self-Defense and 'Stand Your Ground'", updated September 23, 2025. Read: in full.
20. Library of Congress, Constitution Annotated, Amdt5.4.7.3, "Miranda and Its Aftermath". Read: that essay in full, in a browser, 25 September 2026; the essays on custody, on the requirements and on the exceptions were not read.
21. Support lines in the content note, each read on its service's own page on 25 September 2026: Rape Crisis England & Wales, Victim Support, Live Fear Free, Rape Crisis Scotland, Victim Support Scotland, the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline, Rape Crisis Northern Ireland, Victim Support NI, RAINN (in a browser) and VictimConnect. Read: each page in full, re-read 25 September 2026.