My friend is being abused.

[Guest]

I have a friend who lives across the country from me who is living in a very dangerous situation. Because I'm so far away, I can't do much to help physically, but for the past year or so I have been supporting him emotionally and providing him with resources and a listening ear to help him figure out how to escape his situation on his own in a realistic and safe way. Now that he's turned 18, and he doesn't have to worry about legal backlash for trying to escape, I wanted to ask if it would be alright if I used the NRS call or chat service on his behalf to try and find some immediate resources for him in his area, and to help give him a better idea of the kind of assistance he can expect to get if he were to reach out himself. The only reason I think this might be necessary is that he has essentially no privacy at home whatsoever, and is under almost constant physical AND digital surveillance. I wanted to try and ease his worries about potentially being caught trying to reach out, which would be very dangerous for him if it happened.

How could I go about doing this?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us and letting us know what's going on. It sounds like your friend is going through a lot and is lucky to have a supporter like you in their life. Of course, we recommend that your friend contact us directly to talk about what's going on, but we're more than happy to talk to you to brainstorm options that can best be of help to your friend. If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, 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 and your friend in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS

[Guest]

My Bestfriend is being abused by her boyfriend and I don’t know what to do? I am scared and I want to tell her mom because if something worse happens what am I supposed to do. She will hate me if I tell her mom but I’m so worried and I’m stressing myself out about it.

[ccsmod7]

Hi there, thanks for reaching out for your friend. She is lucky to have a caring friend like you during this difficult time. It sounds like you are worried about her safety and you are wanting to tell her mom. That's understandable. If you are ever feeling like she is in immediate danger, you can always reach out to an adult or call 9-1-1. Nothing is more important than her safety, even though it is a possibility that she could be upset with you.

Abusive relationships can be really difficult to leave for a variety of reasons, so again it is really great that you are by her side while she is going through this. You might give her this website: www.loveisrespect.org. It is a great website that talks about teen dating violence and what her options are while in an abusive relationship. They also have a Teen Dating Hotline: 1-866-331-9474. You might also give her our information: 1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org. We are here for any youth in crisis, and we can support her and talk through her options as well.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us yourself if you would like to have a conversation about the situation. You mentioned being stressed and worried, so it is important to take care of yourself while you are helping her. You can't fill a glass with an empty pitcher, you know? We are always here for you and your friend.

Thanks again for reaching out. We wish you the best,

NRS

[Guest]

My friend is being abused by her parents, she is afraid to say anything because she doesnt want to get hurt again. What can I do to help her?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. Abuse is never okay and your friend does not deserve to be going through that. You mentioned that your friend is scared to tell anyone, but reporting is always an option. Your friend can always call the police or Child Help to file an abuse report. Child Help can be reached at 1800-422-4453, you would also be able to make an abuse report on her behalf. Also sometimes just being there for your friend as a support system will help, which it seems like you are being supportive of your friend. Another option they could consider is talking to their school counselor about what is going on, their school counselor may be able to provide them with more resources.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

My friend in another state is being abused by her mother. She can't call Child Protective services and she can't even go to school. what can I do to help her?

[ccsmod9]

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. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. From what we gather about your situation it might be best to contact to the police and tell them that you are afraid of your friend’s wellbeing and would like someone to investigate the household. Again the youth can reach out as well to us and we can help report whatever is going on. If they would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please tell them to 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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

My boyfriend is being abused by his dad. We just recently went to our principal, and he got the local police involved. But the police believed his dad because he seemed like a really nice guy and there wasn't enough evidence, so now they think it's safe for him to go home. I know that it's not safe, and I'm really scared that he's going to get hurt even more now, but no one will listen to me. What should I do?

[ccsmod13]

Hello, thank you for reaching out to NRS for help.

Asking for help is a really good first step. It sounds like you are trying your best to be supportive of your boyfriend and you care about him a lot. His safety is very important and it sounds like home has not been safe for him. Going to your school principal was a very smart and responsible thing to. It must have been frustrating to have the police decide that his dad was not abusive when you and your boyfriend know better. Unfortunately it can take more than one report sometimes to have child protective services intervene in a situation. Often not having "evidence" can lead police to not investigate further. If there is physical abuse going on at home, it can be helpful to have your boyfriend take pictures of any marks or bruises that result from his dad's abusive behaviors. These can be included in a second report as evidence. If your boyfriend would like try to make another report, he can contact the national child abuse hotline for help at 1-800-422-4453 or go to childhelp.org

Support systems are really important in these types of situation in regards to witnesses to the abuse and adults who can help your boyfriend. He can try reaching out to any other family members, your parents, or a school guidance counselor. They might be able to help with the reporting process or offer a safe space for your boyfriend should he need somewhere to stay or just someone to talk to.

We are also available 24/7 and can best be of help by phone or chat. You and your boyfriend are welcome to reach out anytime at 1-800-786-2929 or at 1800runaway.org.