Hi im 17 and i live with my mum dad and brother my dad is a very strict person and is always saying if i dont stop being cocky he will punch me in the mouth he is always callin me an ugly bitch and a slacking even though i do the chores i am given this makes me very emotional and i have said to them all the time im going to walk out and live somewhere else but there telling me no or they will find me and drag me home they wont let me leave even though im unhappy there . I was just wondering what may happen if i walk out will they get the police involved im scared to leave
Sam
Hi,
Thank you for your letter - Im really glad youve chosen to talk about this.
I can hear how unhappy you are at home and that you want to live somewhere else. Its wrong of your dad to threaten to punch you and to say those offensive things - no one has the right to treat you that way. You say it leaves you feeling very emotional and it sounds like getting some support might help you. You could start by looking at our page about emotional abuse and then talking to one of our counsellors about whats happening at home.
You deserve to have somewhere safe to live and to be treated fairly and with respect. If this isn't happening, at 17 you do have the right to leave home - but it would be important to have a plan of where you would go. As long as you have somewhere safe to live, it is your choice to go there. If you ever felt threatened by your parents, you could call 999 for help.
If you left home and your parents did call the police then you would have the right to explain to the police what is happening and why you wanted to leave. I can recommend Shelter for advice about housing as well as Get Connected who can help you contact local services or transfer your calls to the right people for free. If you did decide to leave home, it's really important for you to have somewhere safe to stay. You can find out more about this on our homelessness and running away page.
I hope this helps, but please contact a counsellor if you need more information. The ChildLine counsellors are here to help you with what you're going through.
Take care, Sam
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