Welcome to proaktiv!

About proaktiv

510,000 crimes are reported in Berlin every year. But only 10% of victims use support services. This shows that victims need more ways to access the support system!

Experiencing a crime up close can change your life dramatically. Victims often have a lot of questions. Crime can also undermine their feeling of safety and security and cause feelings of fear and anger. Many victims also experience sleeplessness, nightmares and anxiety. Until now, most victims have been left to cope on their own. But proaktiv shows there is a different way!

Proaktiv helps people who have experienced or witnessed crime or violence to access support services in Berlin. Our motto: Fast help – powerful effect!

Victims of crime are not left to fend for themselves in their hour of need but are offered regular counselling. Working with the Berlin police and a network of 25 counselling centres, proaktiv is the first initiative in Germany to establish a proactive approach to victim support as standard practice.

We have successfully implemented this cross-offence proactive approach in one district of Berlin in a pilot project. In the future, we will implement proaktiv throughout Berlin. The project is run by Opferhilfe Berlin e.V. and funded by the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection.

How proaktiv works

Proaktiv is an innovative project that quickly and easily connects victims with support services. True to the principle of ‚offering help instead of seeking help‘, we do the following:

We offer victims support as soon as they report the crime to the police. If they agree, we, the proaktiv – service centre, identify a suitable counselling service from the proaktiv network. This centre then contacts the victim within three days. In this way, victims avoid the complicated process of searching for help themselves.

This ensures that everyone receives prompt, individual and free support in dealing with the possible psychological, health, legal or economic consequences of crime.

Would you like help?

If you need help and don’t know which counselling service is right for you, simply drop us an enquiry using our online form. A counselling service will contact you within a few days to offer support.

If you prefer to seek support on your own, you can find useful information at hilfe-in-berlin.de – the portal for victims of crime. This website provides information about what you can do after you have been the victim of a crime and the various types of support available:

Contact

If you need help after a crime, please complete our online form, so that we can find a suitable counselling centre for you. Thank you very much!

For all other enquiries, please contact info@proaktiv-berlin.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

General questions about proaktiv

What does „proaktiv“ mean?

‘Proaktiv’ or ‚proactive‘ in English means that victims of crime get help quickly and easily. They are not left to face things alone. Seeking support once you have been the victim of a crime can be stressful and finding the right support services can take time. Fast help is essential to prevent the onset of chronic stress.

Proaktiv eliminates the time-consuming search and provides immediate help. The proaktiv – service centre identifies the most appropriate counselling centre for each victim. This centre then contacts the person within a few days and offers support.

What does proaktiv aim to achieve?

Hand in hand, we want to make proactive victim protection the standard so that people can shape their lives in a self-determined way even after experiencing a crime and regain their confidence and sense of security – for a mutually supportive and caring society.

In particular, we want to reach people who have difficulty or find it impossible to access the support system. We want to mitigate the effects of the crime they have experienced by providing rapid, needs-based support.

In this way, we improve victim support as a whole.

Who can get help from proaktiv?

Proaktiv helps all victims and witnesses of crime and their relatives. The service is available for all crimes, regardless of the victim’s age or gender.

Is the proaktiv support service available throughout Berlin?

The project is currently being rolled out by Police Districts 2, 4 and 5 and sections of the State Office of Criminal Investigations. This covers the districts of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Neukölln, Spandau, Moabit and Mitte. If you report a crime in one of these areas, you can fill in the proaktiv form on the spot. The officers will then send the form to us. You don’t need to do anything else.

By 2025, the police will be offering proactive support if you report a crime in any of the districts of Berlin.

If you would like counselling, you can also complete the proaktiv form on our website or call us on 030 863 2809 15. It does not matter where you live or where the crime happened.

How do I contact the proaktiv – service centre?

If you would like a referral to an appropriate counselling centre, please complete the proaktiv form or call 030 863 2809 15.

Professionals who are interested in the project or have general questions about proactive victim protection can contact us at info@proaktiv-berlin.org or by phone on 030 863 2809 12. We are always happy to connect and to exchange ideas!

Questions about the support services

How can proaktiv help me?

Experiencing crime can change your life and raises many questions. You don’t have to face them alone. Specialist counselling centres can answer your questions, support you and discuss the next steps with you. We will find the right counselling centre for you. The counselling centre will contact you shortly, so you don’t have to go searching for support on your own.

Does the support service cost anything?

No, the support is completely free.

What topics do the counselling sessions cover?

The counselling you receive is based on what you need at the time. For example, it could be information about criminal proceedings or financial support. You can plan the next steps with the counsellor. It can also be helpful just to have someone to listen to you. Talking can help you deal with your fears and regain confidence and give you a feeling of security.

How does a counselling session work?

The counselling you receive is based on what you need. For example, you may want to discuss possible next steps with the counsellor. If you wish, you can receive detailed information about the criminal proceedings or other support options. Or you can also just talk about your experience. This can really help to take the weight off your shoulders.

After an initial phone call, the counsellor will offer you a follow-up counselling session if necessary. This can be over the phone or in person at the counselling centre. Some counselling centres also offer sessions in your home or in a public place. Please discuss this with the counselling centre that contacts you.

Depending on your needs, you can make one or more follow-up appointments. A counselling session usually lasts up to 50 minutes.

Can I get counselling if my German is not so good?

Yes, please indicate your preferred language on the proaktiv form. The counselling centres will try to provide counselling in your choice of language.

Is the counselling confidential?

Yes, counsellors are subject to strict confidentiality.

Can I get counselling anonymously?

Yes, you can receive counselling anonymously if you wish. Simply enter a pseudonym in the ‚First name‘ and ‚Surname‘ fields on the proaktiv form. Counselling sessions are always confidential.

Can I access support if I don’t live in Berlin?

Since most of the counselling centres in the proaktiv network are located in Berlin, you can access support from proaktiv if you want counselling in Berlin. Where you live does not matter.

One of the counselling centres in the proaktiv network, Opferhilfe Land Brandenburg e.V., has centres in Brandenburg. If it is more convenient for you to receive counselling there, please state this in the description field on the proaktiv form.

To find support anywhere in Germany, you can use the portal www.hilfe-info.de.

Do I have to report a crime to the police if I want to get help from proaktiv?

No. You can get support without reporting a crime to the police. Simply complete the proaktiv form on our website or call us on 030 863 2809 15. We will not share your details with the police.

Which counselling centre will contact me? How is the appropriate counselling centre selected?

Which counselling centres work with proaktiv?

You can view the counselling centres we work with here. The network consists of a variety of different counselling centres with expertise in various areas.

There are counselling centres that provide advice on all crimes, and there are some for specific crimes, genders or age groups. Other areas of focus include anti-Semitic, racist, far-right, homophobic, transphobic, digital and sexual violence.

Can I contact one of the counselling centres directly?

Of course, feel free to contact one of the counselling centres on your own.

hilfe-in-berlin.de – the portal for victims of crime – also provides useful information about what you can do after you have been the victim of a crime and the support that is available.

Discover useful information at hilfe-in-berlin.de!

What qualifications do the counsellors have?

The counsellors have a wide range of professional qualifications in psychology, social work, social education and more. Some counsellors also have special qualifications, such as in trauma-informed counselling.

Furthermore, all the counselling centres in the proaktiv network commit to quality standards. These standards are based, for instance, on the „Quality standards for the professional support of crime victims, their relatives and witnesses“ published by the „Arbeitskreis der Opferhilfen in Deutschland e.V.“ an association of victim support organisations in Germany.

Can I visit the proaktiv – service centre in person for counselling?

No, unfortunately not, the proaktiv – service centre does not offer counselling directly neither in person nor by telephone. However, we can help you find an appropriate counselling centre for your needs. If you would like us to do so, please complete the proaktiv form or call us on 030 863 2809 15. A counselling centre will then contact you shortly. If you wish, you can make an appointment for a face-to-face counselling session.
If you have already completed a proaktiv form at the police station, you don’t need to do anything else. A counselling centre will contact you in a few days.

Questions about the proaktiv form and privacy

What do I do with the proaktiv form given to me by the police? Where can I hand it in?

If the police have given you a proaktiv form to take home, please complete and then sign it and send it to us at Postfach 210318, 10503 Berlin.
You can also complete the proaktiv form online. Or you can call us on 030 863 2809 15 to ask for counselling.

I have completed and submitted the proaktiv form. What happens now?

The staff at the proaktiv – service centre will use the information you provide on the proaktiv form (e.g. type and circumstances of the crime, age, gender) to identify the appropriate counselling centre for you. This counselling centre will contact you within a few days to discuss all your concerns and questions.

If we need more information to refer you to a counselling centre, a member of staff from the proaktiv – service centre will contact you. The purpose of this is to obtain additional information so that we can select the right counselling centre for your needs.

What happens to the information I provide on the proaktiv form?

We will keep your information confidential and only use it for its intended purpose, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Only the essential data required to contact you will be forwardedto the specialist counselling centre selected for you in encrypted form. Your information will then be deleted in due course.

Will my information be passed to the police?

No, we do not share your information with the police. The proaktiv form does not form part of a police investigation file. Nor does it form part of a criminal complaint. The proaktiv – service centre only shares your information with an appropriate counselling centre that will contact you by telephone within a few days.

What if I change my mind after completing and submitting the proaktiv form?

You can decide not to use the support service at any time. You can cancel informally by email or phone. To do this, please contact us by
email at info@proaktiv-berlin.org or by phone on 030 863 2809 15.

If you have already been referred to a counselling centre and they have contacted you, you can also let them know that you are no longer interested in the service and would like to cancel. You can do this at any time.