Can my step-dad hit me?

[Guest]

My step dad hits me when he’s angry he’s been doing it for ages now I’m 14 and today my dog bit my brother because my brother is only 4 so he was being rough with her. It was only a small bite and he started crying my dad got very angry as he hates my dog anyways, he went downstairs and started to kick her so I came down and told him to stop and he just kept pushing me back. I pushed him away from her crying telling him he’s going to hurt her and then he started kicking and punching me and I tried to push him away because he was hurting me. He then punched me in the back of the head and pushed me to the floor where I hit my head of the edge of the fireplace. I don’t know what to do my mom dosent understand that he is really violent and really horrible to me and I have such a bad headache now. I can’t live like this anymore he’s such a horrible person.

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what happened with your step-dad. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

MY dad said she was gonna punch me in the I’m so gonna live somewhere else

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We are always here to help in any way we can. Please give us a call or chat with us on our website so we can talk more about what’s going on at home.

It sounds like home is getting dangerous for you, which is never okay. Your dad should not be threatening you with physical abuse/violence. If you need to flee your home due to safety issues, and you’re underage, please know that running away isn’t something you can be arrested for. If you need somewhere to go, please contact us. We can see if there’s runaway shelters in your area. If you ever want to report any abuse you’re going through, we can help you do that as well as Child Help (800)422-4453/ www.childhelp.org

Please remember that we are here for you and we’re open 24/7. Don’t hesitate to call or chat with us.

Stay safe, NRS

[Guest]

My stepdad who has no authority over me(has not adopted me and I don’t have his last name) has done many things to me, he gets insanely mad at me for no reason and will grab the back of my neck and squeeze it super hard, and yells at me super loud, one time he got mad and tried to spank me and I didn’t know it but I turned when he did it and hit my wrist super hard and injured it, it got swollen and turned black and blue for a week and he he takes his two fingers and pokes me in the chest super hard he’s left a bruise before, and one time he lifted me up and like threw me in the ground/ aggressively dropped me on hard wood flooring and I hurt my ankle and I had to get a ankle brace. And I think my moms just to afraid to say anything cause she is afraid she will get hurt. Btw I’m only 12 years old and he’s done some of the same thing a to my sisters who are only 6 and 3 years old

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).
With everything that you have been going through at home. It took a lot of courage for you to reach out. We appreciate your strength in dealing with this situation.
We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way.
When anyone is at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, they are encouraged to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. Seems as though you feel your mother may be too afraid to step in to help with your safety and wellbeing. That she might feel that’ll she’ll be hurt as well. There is services in place to help protect those who are victims of abuse. The Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 is an organization that provides help to victims of abuse by a husband or partner. Perhaps this might be helpful for your mom in getting assistance if she would like to get away with you and your siblings to a safe place.

You may also be able to report any abuse of you or your siblings to Child Protective Sserices. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. What you did by reaching out today was brave.
If you would like to talk more about your situation or discuss options, please call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in.


If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 9-1-1 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

My brother (7) and I (11) were in my room playing and he was drunk he was being loud and obnoxious. So I said Caden can you quite down and started cussing at us and he was throwing things and pushing us on the ground then he acted like he left so I went out of my room and when I went back I left the door open he hits my brother and I run to my moms room but he starts chasing me and now I’m locked in my room because of him my mom doesn’t seem to understand he’s not good for any of us and he’s scaring me to where I want to run away forever! I’m so scared of him he thinks he’s a psycho he’s crazy one time I was walking into the kitchen and he starts chasing me with a hatchet

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on with your step-dad. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

my dad threathed to punch me bc i made noodles when he said not to cook in my mind im like im ********ing 14 and i shouldnt be able to cook like wtf?

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out. We are always here to listen and help in any way we can. It sounds like your dad got really intense on you. You don’t deserve to be threatened like that, especially just for wanting to cook for yourself. If you want to talk more about how you’re being treated at home, please reach out to us. We’re here to talk on the phone or you can chat with us on our website www.1800runaway.org

Thanks, NRS

[Guest]

My dad beat me while making me wall sit for somethiig my brother did.

[ccsmod15]

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to NRS, that seems really unfair and unnecessary to punish you to that extent much less for something your brother did. It is not ok for your dad to beat you. If he does something like that again and you feel like you are in physical danger you have every right to call the police and ask for help.
It’s possible that your dad hitting you like that would be child abuse and may be worth reporting. If you want more information on child abuse and reporting you can go to childhelp.org for more information about it. Its ok to ask for help from other adults that you may trust as well, such as another family member, school teacher, or friends’ parent. They might be able to help get you into a safer situation.
Hopefully this information is helpful and you are in an ok spot right now. If you need more help please don’t hesitate to reach out to child protective services, 911, or you can call our hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Nobody should have to experience something like that and we want you to know you have our full support.

[Guest]

my stepdad real mom hit me all the time with anything they find my dad punches me in the chest I almost got a heart attack once and my mom keep lying about me for everything saying I morbidly obese they both said that it's my fault they are in debt I am 16 can I get a job and get my own place?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension - you shouldn't be treated like that by your mom and stepdad. You mentioned that they have been calling you things like morbidly obese and we want to make sure that you know that your body is perfect just how it is. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

You said that you are hit very frequently and it raises concern for your safety and well-being. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.


If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

My stepdad has been really violent lately. He has always been a horrible parent and always resorted to beating his kids and not just having a talk with them. like a few days ago my little brother, 8 years old, said he didn't want eggs for breakfast and my stepdad proceed to punch him in the head. And my stepdad is a big guy, he served in the army for like 15 years, he's 32 and my brother is a tiny 8 year old. It wasn't a fair fight. He also put his hands on my neck a few days ago, pushed my neck, and hit me as hard as he could. He spit in my face, and everyday he screams and calls me a whore and slut, i'm a 14 year old virgin so i don't know how that works but i guess hes always right. I tried to end my own life on the 19th of april this year. and all of these event have taken place after i got "better" but i cant recover mentally if he is always doing this to me everyday. it feels hopeless. I want to give up. And there is a camera in my room. he watches the footage everyday. It is really creepy. And whenever i tell my mom about me feeling sad or suicidal she smacks me and calls me a dramatic **********. And when i tell her about him hitting me and how he cant do that she just says i deserve it. i need to get out of this house befoe i kill someone or myself.

[ccsmod15]

Thank you so much reaching out to us. We are incredibly sorry to hear your stepdad is abusing you so horribly. You absolutely do not deserve what you are going through and you -- and your little brother -- have the right to be safe and cared for.

One option you have is to file an abuse report on what's going on at home. We know sometimes that is a hard choice to make, but you do have that right. If an abuse report is made it would likely lead to a child protective services investigation. They would likely interview you and your stepdad and determine what the best course of action is. Sometimes that simply involves talking things through and checking up later to see if things are improving. If things are deemed detrimental to your well being, you could be removed from the home. If you want to file an abuse report you can do that through your state's child abuse reporting hotline or through Child Help (www.childhelp.org) at 1-800-422-4453. You can also file through us here at National Runaway Safeline. But again, whether you decide to file or not is up to you. We honor whatever decision you make and support you either way.

It is probably a good idea to seek out supportive people as much as possible. Your feelings have value and you have the right to be seen and heard. If there is someone in your life that you feel comfortable with and trust, by all means take advantage of talking with them. Perhaps that's a relative, teacher, counselor, religious leader, or anyone you feel safe with. Of course, we are here for you whenever you want to talk. You can call us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us via the portal at www.1800runaway.org. We are a confidential, safe place to talk about whatever you are going through. We can help you figure out what your best options are and can connect you to resources in our database: shelters, counselors, legal aid, and more. Of course, even if you just need to vent, we are here to listen.

We are pretty concerned when you talk about killing yourself. That's pretty serious. If you ever feel suicidal, please reach out for the help you deserve. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is staffed by people trained to talk about suicide, so they are a great resource. You can reach them at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 1-800-273-8255. You can also reach out to us anytime to talk about suicide or anything else on your mind. We are confidential and open 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chat at www.1800runaway.org. We want you to be safe. Things can get better and you have many options besides suicide.

Again, we are so sorry to hear you are going through this. The abuse you are describing sounds rather extreme and it makes sense that you would have very strong feelings about this. We really do hope you can reach out for further help -- with us or with anyone else that you trust. When you call we can talk about how you can try to stay safe going forward and what your other options might be. We hope to hear from you soon.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

so hey! so last night i ran away and my stepdad was mad at me. so today i came home, he started to yell at me really loud by my ears and he started to slap and hitting me on my arm and it left a mark. i mean my mom gave him an authority to "discipline" me but its not okay for me. and after, he start whooping me with a belt and it left a mark on my thighs and he stay yelling at me because he was really upset of me running away. and my mom said that he got upset because he loves me. but my biological father never put hands on me like that. so right now i need help because i dont know if its right for him to do that.

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

It was very brave of you to take the time to reach out to us and to share a bit about your situation. You are definitely right that it's not okay or normal for your parents or their partners to discipline you with physical violence. You do not deserve to be treated like this or to feel unsafe. You do deserve to be treated with respect and to feel supported.

We do encourage you to take whatever steps necessary to regain your safety. A helpful start may be to reach out to different people you trust to start building a support system. This could be family members, friends, adults at school, or a counselor. You do have the option to report this to child protective services. Their goal is to help you and keep you safe. If you are not quite ready to talk with someone in person yet, you can speak to an advocate at Child Help, childhelp.org. You can learn more about the reporting process and what it might look like for you.

We would like to talk more in depth about your situation so that we can better help you explore your options. Our email and bulletin services are different in that we can only respond twice, so the best way for us to support you during this difficult situation is by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or through our live chat services at 1800runaway.org. We are here 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you soon,
NRS

[Guest]

I have a similiar issue. My step dad isn't from my country and he migrated to my country to "make me happy". I respected him for a while and looked up to him as a role model. In January 2019 he started to mistreat me. For example: He would tell me I am lazy and that I would never be good in life. One day when I came home from school he told me to take out the garbage and wash the dishes that he used. I told him I wouldn't wash the dishes he used because he told me to always wash my dishes before I go to school. He loss his job in January 2019 so I thought he was taking off his frustration on me. When I told him that he said "Oh you are an adult now?!" He told me to take out the trash and I stormed out and kicked over the garbage bin outside and he saw. By the way my little cousin was staying with us and he saw everything that happened. Anyways after I came unto the verandah he said "Go to your room and get ready for some lashes." I stormed into my room and shook my head. He said to me "Boy, don't you dare disrespect me!" He then proceeded to tell me to give him my hand so he could hit me. I told him that he had no authority to do so and he then dropped the belt and then grabbed me by my shoulder and chhucked me to the floor where I hit my back. He then lifted me up and threw me against my bed and started hitting me. I did something wrong next. I had a knife in my room and I grabbed it. He saw that I had it and tried to snatch it. While doing so he cut himself then threw the knife under my bed. He then left to dress the cut and then after which told my mom that I stabbed him with the knife. My mother called me to ask if that was true where she then saw marks on my skin due to the fact that I am light skin. She questioned him about it where he lied. I was super surprised. Is that fair? I hate him now.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on with your step-dad. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 12 years old about to be 13 and I have a stepfather that I've always hated for 8 years and he got married to my mother about a year ago and recently he started punching me. A couple of days ago he told me to do something and I accidentally did it wrong and he gave me a good punch on my head after that I got a little frustrated and said calmly, "You didn't need to do that" and right after I said that he gave me a really hard punch in my face and said, " Stop F***ing giving me attitude!!" but I got extremely frustrated and again I said, "You didn't need to do that". He replies "keep on" (Which means he's gonna give me a bad beating If I don't stop giving "Attitude"). But the thing is that my mom is never there when he hits me with a belt or punches me and I really want to punch him sometimes but I get really scared if I go to somewhere bad If I punch my stepdad. What can I do?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. You deserve to feel loved, secure, and most of all safe at home and it's worrisome to hear that this is currently not the case.

Your stepfather's actions are completely out of line and it is unacceptable for him to be acting this way. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody. You may also want to take pictures or videos or any injuries (cuts, bruises, etc.) that may have occurred due to the abuse as it may be useful in a CPS investigation.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 18 and I have autism my step dad has a history of abuse against me dating back to age 13 on first occasion at 13 I had my face rubbed on carpet And had police and social services investigate but I got extremely paranoid as I was fed information to led me to believe my and my sisters will be taken away and put in care at 13 I was just petrified therefore I said to child services he pushed me and I fell and scraped my face, however that wasn’t the case he held my head and dragged it up the carpet. He was interviewed for this one

Just over 2 months ago I was seriously assaulted by him I was punched in the face over 10 times and was left with bruises in my head and a migraine. I have never hit him first. I’m never the type of person to do that ever. The police was called and informed by my dad. The police spoke with me about 6 of them and told I could write a statement and he will be arrested that day. Me being me I got shook and didn’t want any stress at all I have so much to deal with in my life at the moment. I didn’t write a statement therefore he wasn’t arrested.

just today I was put inside a headlock and punched on my head. I also got kicked today which I got so angry I screamed at him and told him if he need me again this was after 5 need already I will make sure I will hurt you. I’m not a righty individual at all but I need to consider my life first.He is so angry and his temper is extreme he comes close and screams Close to my face. It’s very had to deal with having autism because no one else seems to understand me. I definitely have enough evidence to get him arrested, however I don’t know if I can do it I’m struggling and I don’t understand how I feel and I every time I think of Do something about it, my mind goes blank I don’t know what to do.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
You do not deserve to be abused by your father. It’s not your fault that he is abusive but it seems like it is continuing to get worse and worse.
It is important that you remember to exercise self- care.

We understand your fear and frustration with the situation. However it does sound like you might want to consider leaving and going somewhere safe. Perhaps there is another family member you can stay with. If not we would be happy to try and help you find an emergency shelter in your area.

We would like to be of assistance to you any way that we can.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat so that we might learn a little more about your situation and how we might assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Is it legal for your stepdad to hit you in the face

[ccsmod3]

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are concerned about whether or not your stepdad hitting you in the face is legal. Please note that while we are not legal experts, if you have been physically abused - including being hit in the face, that is not okay. You deserve to feel safe and supported at home. We would be happy to talk to you further about your situation through our Live Chat: https://na0messaging.icarol.com/Cons...d=254&cc=en-US. There is also Child Help which specializes in talking to young people about abuse. Feel free to check them out here: https://www.childhelp.org/. We hope this helps.

Best,

NRS