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To Sam

Im worried

Hi, i am a ten year old girl and i am really worried and scared
i used to love it when my nan and grandad spoiled me but now im not so sure
ever since i was a little girl i used to get in my nan and grandads bed in the mornings to give them a hug but one day my grandad made me do things
things i didnt want to do or things that i didnt like
it has kept on happing ever since then and i never used to know what to do because my grandad told me not to tell anyone
i cried nearly everyday and i still do because he ruined my life
what do i do?
Ask Sam

Sam

Hi there,

Thank you for your letter. I can hear how worried and scared you’ve been feeling and it was really brave of you to write and tell me about what’s going on.

Your grandad has no right to make you do things that you don’t want to do or that you don’t like. Often when people are doing things that they know are wrong, they say not to tell anyone because they know they would get into trouble if someone found out.

Another word for what your grandad is doing is 'abuse' and we have some information about the different types of abuse that you might find it helpful to read.

Letting people know about things that make you uncomfortable or unhappy is the right thing to do. You wouldn’t be in any trouble for doing this. You told me that your grandad has ruined your life, but writing to me is a brilliant first step towards thinking about ways this can stop. You don’t have to put up with this and I want you to know that with the right help and support, it’s possible for things to change.

Perhaps you could have a think about whether there’s an adult that you trust, perhaps a teacher at school you get on with, or someone else in your family, who you can tell about this. You can read more about asking an adult for help.

You might like to talk to one of our counsellors more about this. You can send an email, call free on 0800 1111, or log on for a 1-2-1 chat. The counsellors are there to listen to you and to support you.

Take care,
Sam.

Need help straight away?

You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.

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