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Is this wrong?

Dear Sam,

I recently was talking to my friend, and we wandered on to the topic of abuse. He started claiming that whenever a parent hits their child it is abuse. This made me think a lot, as my parents will hit me round the back of my head if i misbehave. I wouldn’t say it is abuse, as it is what I have grown up with, and i have known nothing else. Any input on the matter would be great appreciated,

Anonymous :)

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Sam

Hi there,

Physical abuse is when someone deliberately hits or hurts you. No matter what the reason, it’s never okay for anyone to hurt you and it’s not your fault if they do. It can feel confusing to hear that something is abusive when you’ve grown up being hurt, or if the abuse has been happening for a long time.

Physical abuse can be:

  • hitting, smacking and slapping
  • punching and kicking
  • pinching, scratching and biting
  • shaking or suffocating you
  • scalding or burning you
  • hair pulling
  • spitting or throwing things at you
  • making you swallow something that hurts or makes you feel ill, including giving you medicine when you're not ill or don't need it.

Physical abuse can come from anyone, and anyone can experience it. It could be a parent, carer, brother, sister or another family member that is hurting you. Even when other things are okay, it’s still never okay for anyone to ever hurt you on purpose. You have the right to feel safe at home.

It’s natural to feel different emotions when you’ve been hurt or find out that what’s happening isn’t okay. We speak to many young people who have experienced physical abuse and talking about it to a trusted adult can help. You may worry about getting someone into trouble, but you are the important person here and no one should be hurting you.

Our message boards are full of young people, it’s a place where you can talk safely about things like physical abuse and what’s happening. Childline counsellors are here to talk too. However you feel comfortable getting support, we’re here for you.

Take care,

Sam

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