Hi there
You have been really brave - both to stand up to your dad in this way and to make the decision to ask for some help and advice. I'm really glad you decided to write me a letter.
It’s never okay for an adult to hit a child or young person. You said it very well in your letter - hitting hurts just as much on the inside as it does on the outside. Outside scars can heal, sometimes without a trace, but it takes a lot longer for feelings to heal and the scars can stay for a long time. It is important that you do consider talking with someone about this.
All the advice you were given is good advice – you can ring ChildLine on 0800 1111 or talk with a counselor online, you could go to the police or you can talk to someone in your school; they can all help you.
Parents do have the right to make rules and teach you right from wrong, but there are a lot of ways to do that, hurting their children shouldn’t be part of that. There is more information about Abuse and Safety on the ChildLine website. Maybe you can have a think about all of this and if you do have any more questions you can talk about it with a ChildLine counsellor. They will be able to talk with you about would happen should you tell someone about what is happening to you. You deserve to be treated with respect.
Take care and well done for coming forward and asking for help – there is help out there for you and you don’t have to go through this all on your own.
Sam