Ask Sam

Hi there,

Thank you for your letter. I can hear how worried and scared you’ve been feeling and it was really brave of you to write and tell me about what’s going on.

Your grandad has no right to make you do things that you don’t want to do or that you don’t like. Often when people are doing things that they know are wrong, they say not to tell anyone because they know they would get into trouble if someone found out.

Another word for what your grandad is doing is 'abuse' and we have some information about the different types of abuse that you might find it helpful to read.

Letting people know about things that make you uncomfortable or unhappy is the right thing to do. You wouldn’t be in any trouble for doing this. You told me that your grandad has ruined your life, but writing to me is a brilliant first step towards thinking about ways this can stop. You don’t have to put up with this and I want you to know that with the right help and support, it’s possible for things to change.

Perhaps you could have a think about whether there’s an adult that you trust, perhaps a teacher at school you get on with, or someone else in your family, who you can tell about this. You can read more about asking an adult for help.

You might like to talk to one of our counsellors more about this. You can send an email, call free on 0800 1111, or log on for a 1-2-1 chat. The counsellors are there to listen to you and to support you.

Take care,
Sam.