turingthecat t1_j1x6b60 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:36 AM

I’m far far more worried that her parents reacted to her self harming by getting so angry that she didn’t feel safe staying at home.
I mean my parents reacted badly, my mum told me I was already ugly and I shouldn’t make it worse, they ignored my debilitating depression (they still do, 20 years later, but I’m an adult, I can protect myself), but they never made me feel so fearful that I left my home, to wild camp, in the middle of winter.
Even if you aren’t a mandated reporter, I think this needs reporting to your local child protection agency

JonseyMcFly t1_j1z1jfy wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:36 PM

OP is over here thinking he did a bad thing teaching her how to survive, I'm over here thinking OP might have given her the only skill she ever needed to escape an abusive situation, so you never know.

especially if it is a church group there could be a whole lot of underlying issues of why she ran away from home.

octopi25 t1_j21px4a wrote on December 29, 2022 at 12:45 AM

this was my first thought. op seems to have helped this kid see their own strength and survive. giving a teen girl a sense of personal power in an environment that is not usually into women having a voice is a pretty special gift

liitle-mouse-lion t1_j1yikaz wrote on December 28, 2022 at 9:44 AM

Completely agree but it seems OP believes she should also "face the music." There's no way this is going to be reported

Glass0115 t1_j1zfin4 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 3:28 PM

If she's cutting and then runs away in the middle of winter, it's far more likely that there is more going on at home than a bad reaction to discovering the kid is depressed. Psychological abuse is also horrible- even worse when coupled with physical abuse of some kind. Glad to hear you made it out of your situation and I totally agree it should be reported.

SilentButtDeadlies t1_j2250oy wrote on December 29, 2022 at 2:37 AM

"Face the music" could mean going to therapy and/or big emotional potentially embarrassing conversations. I know I used to do everything to avoid taking about my feelings as a teenager. It doesn't necessarily mean abuse. At least I would hope so.