Family Abuse And Violence / Question
Published: January 14, 2000
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I've been raped by my father and I am afraid to tell my mother cause he hits me and says he will kill me if I tell. I've thought of killing myself. What should I do?
Signed: Raped By My Father
Dear Raped By My Father,
Killing yourself is NOT the answer. You need to get help immediately! This may seem awful and it is, but you can work through your feeling and emotions. Do not give up your life!
Right now, you must feel very scared and alone and I can see why. What your father has done to you and may be still doing to you is wrong. You are not to blame and you did not cause this. It is not your fault! The confusion you must feel about telling someone is natural. You are not only worried about your own survival (between the rape and the hitting), but what your father will do to you and how this will affect your family.
Now, you to need to get help immediately. You need to talk to a trusted adult like a police officer, teacher, guidance counselor, doctor or school nurse. Also, you can call the child protective service agency in your area, which in New Jersey is the Division for Youth and Family Services at (800) 792.8610. They will take you seriously and get you out of the dangerous situation you are in.
In time, you need to deal with your feelings regarding the rape and the abuse with a professional counselor who is trained in sexual and physical abuse cases.
If you need immediate help, please call 911. If you live in New Jersey, you can also call the 24-hour CRISIS HOTLINE at Morristown Memorial Hospital at (973) 540.0100. If you live outside of New Jersey, call the National Suicide Hotline at (800) SUICIDE or the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) at (800) 656.HOPE (4673). A counselor at any of these numbers can offer you help, so please call now!
Signed: TeenHealthFX
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