Information for children and young people dealing with domestic and family violence
Violence is wrong and there is never any excuse. If violence is occurring in your home it is important that you know you are not alone and there are people who can help you.
A number of other websites can provide you with important information, including:
It is important that you remember that the violence in your home is not your fault regardless of what someone may say. However, you may feel:
- Frightened, guilty, ashamed, confused or sad
- Angry and want to smash things and hurt somebody or yourself
- Anxious or depressed
- Like you don't want to eat
- Like you don't want to be with your friends
- That you are not sleeping well and sometimes have nightmares or wet the bed
- Sick, have headaches or stomach pain
- That you do not want to be at home or want to run away
- That you don't want to do school work
- That you want to drink alcohol or take drugs
- That you are having trouble talking (like stuttering)
- That you worry whether your mother and family will be safe and what you should do about it.
What can you do?
You can tell someone you can trust like a relative, teacher or guidance officer. Try to explain how you or your mother has been hurt even though it may be hard to find the right words. If the person doesn't listen or doesn't believe you, tell someone else.
You can ring Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800 for help. Kids Help Line is a free and confidential telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. A Kids Help Line counsellor is available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sometimes it might be necessary for you to ring the police on '000' to protect you or anyone in your family from being hurt.
Remember that the violence is not your fault. You are not to blame for something that someone else has done wrong.
Plan to keep yourself safe
Children and young people who live in homes with domestic and family violence need to plan to keep themselves safe. Think about the following:
- Who do you trust that you can talk to about what is happening in your home?
- Is there a place in the house where you can be safe when the violence is happening?
- How can you quickly get out of the house if you need to?
- Is there a neighbour or friend who lives nearby where you can go? How will you get there?
- Are there people you will need to ring if you have to leave home quickly? Do you have those telephone numbers written down?