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Avatar universal

Should I contact CPS over past physical, and current emotional abuse?

I'm (16F) living with my mom, step dad, and brother (15m), and need to decide if I should take action against my mothers emotional abuse. She's been married to three different men, and her last husband had two younger kids, who we lived with for five years. During the marriage she was occasionally physically abusive, hitting my brother with the large metal hook on a dog leash, throwing objects at me, shoving/slaming my head into the side of a car, and many other instances. At the beginning of the marriage she was fine, but progressively got more mentally abusive, and eventually leading up the the physical abuse I described. She got divorced a little over a year ago and has started to become more and more emotionally abusive, recently threatening to beat my brother with a hammer. I'm scared she's going to become physical again, but I dont have any proof to back it up, and the actual physical abuse was so long ago that I'm worried it won't hold up in court, and if I was to try to bring social services into the situation, she wouldn't lose custody of my brother and me, and the abuse would get worse because of me reporting it. She's also done things like isolate me from public school and got rid of any contact with my peers for a year, and won't let me learn to drive or apply for my permit despite being 16. I've been told before by adults that she's just strict and I should just wait until I'm 18 and then move out, but I'm worried about what will happen to my brother if I move out and he's still here? Should I try to report her to child protective services?
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Avatar universal
I would say that you'd have to get your brother to agree as well.  You didn't say if the physical abuse was severe enough to make either of you need to go to the emergency room but, if so. you can supply any dates so those records can be accessed by CPS.   And I would say the sooner the better before either you or your brother is seriously injured.  Then you can bring up the emotional abuse to your case worker.

Good luck!
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Avatar universal
I reported my foster brother in 2020 the trial is in march it was the hardest thing i have ever had to do but i believe i did the right thing
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973741 tn?1342342773
I completely agree with CurfewX.  That's an unfortunate situation.  She's not actually become physically abusive has she yet?  This is threatening?  Scary enough but just checking.  Do you have a dad or grandparents that you can talk to?  
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3191940 tn?1447268717
I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and that you're finding yourself in a situation where you feel responsible for protecting your brother.  You're a really good sister, and you should be proud of that.

Is there an adult in your life who you trust, who you could talk to? I am thinking about a church pastor, or a school counselor or teacher - someone like that.  The adults who have described your mother as just "very strict" are very wrong.   Delaying your driver's license might be seen as strict, but verbally or physically abusing someone, or even threatening to physically harm someone has nothing to do with being strict.  It is abuse, and it's not legal.

Do you think your brother would tell the truth if someone asked him about being threatened with being beaten with a hammer?
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