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You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
Hi there,
Thanks for your letter. Being worried about a friend can feel like a big responsibility. Youre doing exactly the right thing in talking about those worries and Im glad youve written to me.
Its never okay for anyone to swear at or hit your friend. You were right when you said that this is abuse. Abuse is always wrong, no matter how many times it happens. There can be lots of different types of abuse. It might be helpful to read more on the emotional abuse and physical abuse pages in Explore.
Being abused can affect young people in lots of different ways, but its never their fault. It sounds like it was frustrating when your friend took back what they had just told you, when you said it was abuse. Its not unusual for young people to find it hard to talk about abuse, even with their closest friends.
Youve told me that you and your friend are both 9 years old. Being abused at home is the kind of problem that needs an adults help. From what youve said, it might be that your friend doesnt feel ready to speak to an adult right now. If your friend is not safe at home, then its okay for you to tell a trusted adult about it yourself. An adult can get them the help they need. Would you be able to share this with someone at school, or with one of your parents? It can feel scary and stressful to be worried about a friend, so its important that you have a chance to talk about those feelings and get some support.
When you think about telling someone, its important to remember that they cant always keep what you tell them secret. If you are worried about this, you (or your friend) might want to talk to a ChildLine counsellor before you decide who else to tell. The ChildLine counsellors have a Confidentiality Promise that means they can keep most things private.
You can contact ChildLine in loads of different ways, whether thats by going online and using the 1-2-1 chats or emailing, or by calling for free on 0800 1111 (the calls wont even show up on the phone bill).
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.