Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Well done for getting in touch - I can really hear how tough things are for you at home at the moment. Your sister sounds like someone who hurts you a lot. It's never okay to be hurt at home - whether it's your parents, brothers and sisters or anyone else who is hurting you. Nobody has a right to physically hurt you. You can read more about this on our page about physical abuse.

What's happening to you is wrong and it would be okay to tell someone else about - an adult you trust can often be the best person. This might be a teacher from school, a family friend or another relative - anyone you feel comfortable talking to.

I understand that taking this step is a big decision so take some time to think about who you would want to talk to and what you would like them to do. You have already taken an important first step by writing me this letter. Perhaps they could talk with your mum for you or help you work out what you would like to do next.

In the meantime it's important that you're looking after yourself as best you can - so when you're upstairs and feeling low, perhaps you can use this time to do something you enjoy or to express your feelings. Only you would know what this is but if you want some ideas, maybe you could ask other young people how they cope with being hurt at home by making a thread on our message boards.

If you'd like to talk about this with a counsellor then ChildLine have lots of them standing by and waiting to hear from you or anyone else who wants to talk. You can get in touch either online or on the phone. Our counsellors can keep what you say between you and ChildLine – you can read through our confidentiality promise to find out more.

Take care,

Sam