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Sexual Harassment

Hey Sam, I'm a 12 year old female and recently my stepfather has been way more nice to me than usual, im not saying that he isnt a nice person but it started on saturday, I was awake when I wasnt suppose to be so I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, but he came into my room and but his hand up my top, and I didnt like it. Then he started kissing me for maybe 5 seconds, then left. He came back later and did the same thing, im really struggling whether I should tell my mum or not.

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Sam

Hi there,

Nobody should do what your step-father did to you. Sharing this can be scary but you haven’t done anything wrong. If you feel your mum is someone that’ll keep you safe, telling her would be the right thing to do.

When someone touches somebody else like this without their consent it’s a form of sexual abuse. It can leave the other person feeling a mix of emotions, like being frightened and confused.

Your step-father is the adult here and will know what he has done is wrong. For that reason, he may try to pressure you into not sharing what happened. We believe you and this should never have happened.

Sharing this is the right thing to do. It’s about thinking of who the best person is to talk to - this might be your mum or there may be a teacher you trust at school. We want you to know that this is something you could report to the police but it’s ok if you don’t feel ready for that.

When sharing what happened pick a moment where there’ll be time to talk without distractions, and if this is your mum ensure your step-father isn’t around. Some people find writing down what happened easier than talking.

You’re always welcome to talk to a Childline counsellor more about this.

Hope this helps.

Take care,

Sam

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