My 16 yr old coworker is in an abusive family

[Guest]

My coworker's parents are both drunks who argue loudly, and the father threatens violence. She is out of school and working 6 days a week. She is forced to walk to and from work, a 20 minute walk alone, even in the rain. I have driven her home multiple times. Her parents never come to see her when i drop her off because they're busy drinking. The other night she left while they were arguing, going to their apartment clubhouse to wait it out, and when she returned two hours later, she was locked out by her father, forcing her to sleep outside before work the next morning. Her extended family is either known to be violent or has no desire to take care of her. She has very few she can call friends, and no close friends her age, as she isnt in school to meet any. Im only 22 and im not sure how to help her.

[ccsmod15]

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and we are glad that you are trying to help your friend out.

We are sorry to hear that she is going through so much stress. She don't deserve to treated like that or hurt in any way. It is not ok for her parents to leave her outside that can be considered neglect. If this is to happen again she can call the police. She can also call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 and they can help provide her more info on filing an abuse report. Family counseling can be helpful in many situations. She can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for help locating local resources by calling 1-877-726-4727 or going to their website at www.samhsa.gov.

Leaving home can be hard and it can be helpful to think about she you might stay, pay for rent, food and other living expenses. We are not legal experts however if she was to leave home without her parents permission the police can bring her back home and whoever she is staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway.

If she'd like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if she'd like to explore other options that may have available to her , she can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or 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.

You are acting strong by helping your friend. We wish both of you the best and hope to hear from you soon.

All the best,
NRS