I am 12 years old now and am in secondary school, my mum and dad have adopted my younger brother a couple of years ago but since then everything has began to change!
My dad is working really late and is tired all the time and he gets snappy and can be really mean.
My mum can get really mad and angry quickly and I'm always the one to get the blame! She has done things to me that hurt but I am scared to say anything!
My friends think that I should tell someone but I can't because they can be so mean then really nice and i feel dead guilty!
Please help, I have made plans to run away but I don't think I can do it!
Sam
Hi,
If anyone at home or in your family is being mean or hurting you then its always important that you ask for help. It may feel really difficult to tell someone about your parents, but remember that its the right thing to do. What theyre doing to you is not your fault.
Having new brothers or sisters in your family can change things a lot. Its normal for families to argue and its normal for mums and dads to get tired or stressed but its never okay for them to take it out on you or to hurt you in anyway. Abuse is always wrong.
When things feel bad at home it can feel like running away is the only option. But running away would only give you more problems. You have the right to feel safe at home and there are people who can help make that happen. Sometimes it can help for a family to have support from other people, like social services or family support. Social services are there to help families work things out. If you wanted to see if this is an option for your family, you could maybe talk to someone at school about what its like at home, or you can call social services yourself to ask them.
Well done for talking about this, we're here to support you.
Take care, Sam
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