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How will my 13 year old cope?

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Annamarie

Member since
December 2021

74 posts

Posted Tue February 28, 2023 10:50amReport post

The knock came in November 2021. We are still waiting for his phone report to come back.

My husband has not lived at home since then. My sons knows that he was physically abusive to me, but that's it. I will always try to protect him from the ultimate truth.

We were having contact, going out for days and we even spent the night at his new home. 3 weeks ago he was arrested on a seperate charge but for the same thing. Talking about teen age girls in an explicit way.

We now have nothing to do with him. My son so far, hasn't questioned this. I don't know yet what to tell him and how to break it to him that he won't be seeing his Father again.

Does anyone have any advice on things I can read to give me some insight on how to do the least damage to my son. He has ADHD, he's slightly autistic (not sure of that is the correct way to say it) and in general he is an introverted Boy. I worry he may have a lot of his Father in him as he has a lack of empathy and caring for others.

I don't want to do any damage. I don't want to say the wrong thing or broach it in the wrong way and scar him forever.

Any help in very much appreciated x

Alison20

Member since
March 2021

363 posts

Posted Tue February 28, 2023 11:38amReport post

Have you thought about speaking with Young Minds Charity for advice/guidance on this?

The helpline will also be able to offer good advice on this, as they must have come across this a lot too, when helping people who contact them.

The helpline will also have literature for young people on how they keep themselves safe online. As your son is a teenager it may also be good for you and him to have a look through this. The young member in our family was only 16 years old when we received the knock because he had tried to make friends online and very quickly had gone down the wrong path.... he is on the autistic spectrum and he was very vulnerable at the time and trying to navigate the adult world.. If i could have turned the clock back I would have been sharing the literature with him so that he was fully aware of what is illegal online. Truthfully, I was very naive this was so easily accessible until we received the knock.

I am thinking of you and your son.