Hi there,
Thanks for your message. You sound like a really good friend to have, and one who takes time to think about other people and tries to help them too.
You dont say directly who is beating your friend up, but it sounds as though its happening in her family. I can hear how concerned you are and thats understandable. Physical and emotional abuse are not okay and its not okay for anyone to do this.
Maybe you could encourage your friend to come through and talk to a counsellor at ChildLine. You could explain that ChildLine is allowed to keep most things confidential. You can find out more about that in our confidentiality promise.
If your friend is worried about what its like to ring ChildLine, she could start by just calling and not saying anything. We dont mind it when young people stay silent, because we understand it can take time to feel confident enough to talk. Calling ChildLine is free from any phone, including mobile phones and phone boxes, and doesnt show up on the phone bill either. If it helped, perhaps your friend could ask you to start the call while she is with you. Your friend can also talk to ChildLine online, by sending an email or logging in for a 1-2-1 chat.
Another option for your friend could be talking to a teacher at school or college. Teachers have a responsibility to make sure that they young people they work with are safe at home, so they might decide to tell social services about the abuse. Your friend can also speak directly to social services herself. You said that you friend wants to move away from home and social services are the best people to talk to about that for anyone under 18. Shelter have got some really useful information on their website about social services support for 16 and 17 year olds.
It is important to remember that ChildLine are here for you as well. It can be stressful and worrying trying to support a friend through difficult times. You might also find it helpful to read our advice about helping a friend. Im really glad you sent me this message and hope that its been helpful for both of you.
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.
