Alex's Answer

Hello, and welcome to Ask Alex.  

We’re glad you were able to reach out to us with your question today. It is a brave and positive step to talk to someone if you’re feeling unsure about something in your life.  

It sounds like your dad has hit you and we are very concerned to hear that. Violence is never okay. Everyone has the right to be safe at all times, especially in their home. Hitting someone is not a nice thing to do and it is against the law for your dad to hit you.  It is important that you can keep yourself safe so you might want to try putting a safety plan in place. This is a plan that you can fall back on if you feel unsafe in your home, or anywhere else, and includes what you will do, where you will go, what you will take with you and/or who you can call when you feel unsafe. If you feel like you are in danger, it is best that you find a safe place to be; this could be your bedroom, outside in the garden, with a friend or neighbour. It is important to find a trusted adult you can talk to about what is going on at home. This could be a teacher, a grandparent, or any other adult that you trust. 

There is support out there for young people who may want to talk to someone about their feelings and experiences. Childline is always here for you when you need to chat to someone in a safe and judgement-free space. You can contact us through our freephone service by calling 1800 66 66 66 or by web chat that you access through the website www.childline.ie, and we also have content on our website that might be helpful to read: https://www.childline.ie/bullying-abuse-safety-and-your-rights/.

Always keep it in mind that no one has the right to hurt you in anyway, and you have the right to be safe and to get support. 

We hope that reading this answer is helpful to you and that you’ll feel comfortable to return and ask another question if you’d like to at any stage.  

Take care,  

Alex.