What Should I Do About My Dad?

Question by : What should I do about my dad?
I’m going to give you some information about myself and my family. Im a 13 year old girl and I live in North Carolina. My dad was in the Navy for 20 years and was honorably discharged when I was a year old. My fathers biological parents divorced when he was young and his mother remarried a man who abused alcohol and went frequently to AA meetings. His stepfather relapsed several times and my father went to meetings with him and “grew up in the program”. Later in his life he abused alcohol and did several drugs of which I cant remember. He goes to NA meetings and currently has 20+ years and has not relapsed that I know of. When my parents met my mom had already had a son. My brother was five. My brother is now 27. He still lives at home so he can go to classes at a local community college. He has told me that he strongly dislikes my father. I am a seventh grader and am in the AIG ( Academically Intellectual Gifted) program and get high A’s and B’s. I score several points away from perfect on my finals (EOG’s) in math and reading every year since third grade. I have trouble making friends because I don’t like jugdemental or hateful people. Everyone knows me in my grade and they all call me a “bltch”. I have a couple close friends that I tell all of my problems to. My mom will get into verbal arguements with my father and wont speak to him for days if not weeks. Those times are when I hope my mom will finally file for divorce and take all the money in the joint account and get an appartment far far away. Several times I have contemplated suicide or running off into the woods with basic supplies and fend for myself. Everytime I am about to do it I think about my friends and my mom and brother.

Here’s the problem and the main question: My father has slapped me with both the back of his hand and the palm of his hand several times. The times he hits me he will slap me leaving me with literally half my face swollen and unable to see out of the eye on the side he hit me, throws me on to the ground and holds me down until I say or do whatever he wants me to. Whether its holding still and not breathing for up to a minute, stop screaming for help from my mom or brother or neighbors that I was hoping could hear me, admit I did something I didn’t do or appologize for something when I wasn’t in the wrong. I always try to get out of his hold but he’s 300 pounds and 6’7″. He’ll sit on me and hold my wrists and pin me down. The most recent time he did this I told him I was going to go to school with the black eye and talk to a guidance counsler and get them to contact the police and CPS. My mom made me put an ice pack on my eye to make the swelling go down and to get it to not become discolored.After he hit me I was hyperventalating and almost passed out. Teachers ask how me why my eyes red and I say I must have slept on it unusually or got something in it that irritated it. They ask me if I’m sure if that’s what happened and I have to lie and say I’m sure. My father will scream at the dogs (2 Jack Russel Terriers) and kick them or push them. He mainly pushes and hits the old one and he kicks the two year old. They were rescued and were already abused. He doesn’t need to abuse them. We have three cats but they run from him. If they didn’t I believe they would be hit and kicked by him as well. I’m not saying ive never kicked a dog or cat but when I have it wasn’t with force. Its because I’m not watching my feet and they’re laying in the middle of the hallway. I also seem to block out the memories of when he hits me. I can only remember two times but I think hes slapped me at least five times. I want him arrested and put in jail. I want toeither move in with my best friend and her family or live with my mom and brother. My father is the only provider of money except for when my mom does her craft shows in fall when she makes $ 1350+. So we wouldn’t have much money to live on and my mom would be a single mom again. My parents marriage is failing and I believe that as soon as I move out that they’ll get a divorce. Or that’s what I’m hoping. Is it legal for him to hit me AND the pets how he does in NC? Yes, this story will be baised but I tried my best for it not to be. I just don’t want to report him and be taken away from my friends and the two people that actually care for me. Please help me. I’m begging you.

Best answer:

Answer by Brian
Talk to your mom and tell her your concerns. Tell her you are being hurt physically and emotionally by your father. If she can’t or wont help you notify a guidance counselor at school about your situation. Your dad is abusing you and your pets and it is NOT legal. You do not need to take this crap from him. You need to tell someone about this abuse right away!

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