Is my father physically abusing me?
Hi. Lately, I (14M) have been wondering if my father is mistreating me or if I’m overreacting. He’s hit me about fifteen times, I’d say. Once—when I was twelve, I think—I threatened to call the police, and he told me no one would believe me. My mother is against it; whenever he hits me, I hear them arguing about it that same evening. But when I talk to her about it, she tells me I’m overreacting, that my father had a difficult childhood (which is true), and that even though what he does isn't pleasant, it isn't cruel either—and it certainly doesn't justify getting the police involved. She also says she was spanked once when she was four, yet she gets along very well with her parents. I understand that, but what I’m going through isn't the same thing. The worst thing my father ever did to me was when I was nine: I had spoken out of turn in class, and since I was usually a model student, I felt guilty. Apparently, it showed on my face, but because I didn't want to tell them what was wrong, my father hit my fingertips with a stick until my mother told him to stop. The problem is that when I talk to them about it, they pretend to have forgotten or downplay the whole situation, so I really don't know if I'm overreacting or if they're downplaying it. On the other hand, there are times when my father is very kind and doesn't act violently (which is actually the case most of the time).