What is considered abuse?

[Guest]

My parents and I got into a small argument today which escalated to one of them shoving me, and I fell against the window, and hit the wall. My parent and I got into a scuffle where they attempted to choke me before I got them away from me. It didn't leave a bruise or any kind of marking, but it still really hurt.

[ccsmod3]

Hey there, and thanks for contacting us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step. It sounds like it was a rough day, and we're sorry to hear that. No matter what, you don't deserve to be physically hurt by anyone.

Based on what you described, it might be a good idea to reach out to Child Protective Services and file an abuse report. Their job is to ensure that you're safe in your home, and if you're not, to decide what steps should be taken in order to make sure that you are. If this is something that you're interested in doing, you can file a report on your own, by contacting us here at NRS for support, or by telling a safe person of the abuse (like a teacher, school counselor, therapist, etc.). Each person that I've listed is considered a Mandated Reporter and has a legal obligation to contact CPS when there are any suspicions or indications of abuse. We understand that moving forward in this process can be scary, but want you to know that your safety is critical. These are folks who will prioritize that. If you have any questions about filing a report, what it entails, or would like to learn more about child abuse in general, Childhelp is another great resource to utilize. They're a child abuse hotline and you can reach out to them by texting or calling 1-800-422-4453, or by chatting with them live at www.childhelp.org.

If you'd like to chat in more detail about what's going on, or continue to explore some of your options, please feel free to reach out to us directly by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS