Living with Abuse

16 year old Jenni was abused by her step-dad. This is her heart-breaking story...

Luckily a friend's big sister noticed the cuts on my arm one day at school. She took me off to give me a good talking to, telling me that cutting myself was just stupid.

“ What John was doing was evil, and unfair... ”

As I was talking to her I broke down and told her everything. She was really shocked, but she handled it really well.

She told me that I had to tell my mum about John because what he was doing was evil and unfair.

I was terrified. I didn't think mum would want to hear. But I went home, waited until I was sure John wasn't in, and I told her everything.

"I told her everything..."

She started to cry, and held me really tightly. I think she was in shock or something.

Then she went mental. John came home and she started shouting at him and throwing things. I hid upstairs.

He was shouting back at her and then I heard a crack and a scream, John had hit my mum.

“ I heard a crack and a scream, John had hit my mum... ”

She came running upstairs and yelled at me and my brothers to pack. She had a cut over her eye and she was white as a ghost. We took what we could and then we legged it.

We had to stay in a hostel for a while. Mum made me tell the police all about what John had did. To be honest I don't know what's going to happen about it cos we never talk about him now unless we have to.

All I would say to girls out there is that if a man touches you and it makes you feel uncomfortable you should tell someone. It's not your fault what is happening so don't be scared and speak out.