I'm 14 and I'm emotionally and mentally abused.

[Guest]

Hi my name is Bailey, and I'm 14 years old. I have lived with my legal guardians which are my grandparents for the past 8 years, because my mom and step dad divorced when I was 6. For the past 3-4 years I have been emotionally and verbally abused. I am constantly critized, being yelled at, and much more. I can be talking to my grandmother and she just blows up and gets so angry out of no where. If there is something around her she'll grab and hit me with it. And if there's not, she'll slap me. She won't listen to me at all. I'll be trying to talk to her, or explain something and she'll just tell me to shut up, and I automatically do because I'm scared of what might happen if I don't. I've tried to tell her how I feel but I'm just told to shut up or she's just "parenting". My grandfather travels a lot for his job, but he also has his moments. He blows up in my face a lot and it really scares me. He is super "religious" and about a year ago, I was very depressed and looking for answers and ways to cope. I started cussing. One day he took my phone and found a video of me lip syncing to a song that had a bad word in it. I've never seen him so angry. He got in my face and threatened/ said he wanted to punch me. I'm only 14 and I deal with so much. I'm so depressed and sometimes I wonder why I'm even alive. I'm so scared that no one will help me or believe me. My grandparents are so good at covering up this life with their job, house, etc. I haven't confided in anyone about this except a close friend who I don't live by anymore. I'm scared that I'll try to get help and get rejected and have to stay here forever. I don't know if I can take another 4 years in this place. I just want to be happy. through their eyes their are "parenting" me or "disciplining me like every other parent would". please help

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

We are glad you are reaching out to us because we are here to help and to listen.

You mentioned that your grandma throws things at you and slaps you. No one deserves to be treated that way by anyone, especially by their guardian. That type of behavior can be considered physical abuse, and you have the option to report that abuse to Child Protective Services. If you wanted to talk to someone here at National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-786-2929, we could help you discuss your options and what child abuse reporting looks like. Another resource for discussing abuse is Child Help (1-800-422-4453), the National Child Abuse Hotline. You also mentioned that both your grandma and grandpa emotionally and verbally abuse you. The examples you shared can also be considered and abuse and can also be reported if you wanted to. You mentioned that you get scared of what might happen when your reacts that way, but our number one concern is your safety, so again, we are glad you’re reaching out to us.

You said that you haven’t confided in anyone except for a close friend, have you thought about who else you might tell, maybe someone that you trust and who might be able to help you? Sometimes having someone advocate for you if you choose to file the abuse can help the process move along, especially if your grandparents are good at covering things up, as you mentioned. Having someone else to talk to about your situation can also be a way to cope with everything that is going on. You mentioned that you are depressed and that you sometimes wonder why you’re alive. Talking to someone, like a trusted teacher, counselor, or another family member might be an option to talk through some of your feelings. It sounds like you’re going through a lot, so safe ways to cope might be a good option to explore. Have you thought about journaling or other ways of coping such as physical activities?

As we mentioned, we are here to help. If you wanted talk with us about your situation or wanting to bounce some talking points off of one of the liners here at National Runaway Safeline, we are here 24/7 days a week

Best of Luck