Parents fighting

Are your parents fighting or hurting each other?

Parents are people too. They have the right to their own feelings, opinions, and beliefs. But sometimes even parents don't do the right thing. One parent might fight, hurt, control or bully the other parent. When these things happen, it is called Family Violence or abuse. Many different kinds of things can happen when there is Family Violence or abuse.

These may be:

• Physical - throwing things at each other, hitting, kicking or pushing; deliberately breaking things or damaging property
• Verbal - put downs, name calling, using bad language
• Emotional - doing things that upset, worry, or scare people
• Social - not letting the other person go out, have a job, visit their family and friends, or always checking up on where the other person goes
• Financial (money) - not letting someone have enough money or one person controlling all the money
• Sexual - making a person do sexual things they don't want to do
• Abuse to pets - not taking care of or deliberately hurting pets

If there's violence in your home, it's important for you to stay safe. Sometimes you might feel like breaking up the fight so that you can rescue the parent who is getting hurt. This can be very dangerous and in the end it might be you who gets hurt. There are other things that you can do to make yourself feel safe instead.

		Always remember: It is everyone's right to feel safe It is never the children's fault when parents fight or hurt each other

Click here to find out what you can do to feel safe