You still deserve safety. And you’re not alone.
Sometimes, the grown-ups around you don’t help. Sometimes, they’re part of the problem. And sometimes, the person who should protect you isn’t safe either.
That’s not your fault.
If you don’t have a parent or adult you trust, here are some things you can do:
💬 Tell someone else
You might try a school counsellor, youth worker, teacher you trust, or even a helpline. You can say:
“Something’s been happening that doesn’t feel right, and I don’t know what to do.”
📱 Use a phone safely
If you have one, you can still use it to get help. Save the number for a helpline or safe adult if you have one. Even just writing down what’s happening can help you stay clear and strong.
🧠 Make your own rules
If adults won’t protect you, it’s okay to make your own plan. That could mean:
- Going to the bathroom to get a break
- Sitting near exits or quiet areas
- Leaving when things get too intense
- Carrying something comforting (a toy, stone, bracelet)
Your body’s warning signs—tight chest, sick feeling, racing heart—are real. You’re allowed to act on them.
🧍🏽♀️ You are not the problem
If you’ve been made to feel like you are the issue, please know: you are not. The system should keep you safe—and if it doesn’t, the failure is theirs, not yours.
🌱 It’s okay to dream about something better
Even if things feel stuck right now, there are people trying to change things—people who’ve been through it and care deeply about kids like you.
You deserve a school that protects you.
You deserve adults who listen.
And you deserve to feel safe—every day.
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A survival guide for children in schools that don’t keep them safe
“If no one listens, go to the bathroom and call me. I will always come.” This isn’t just parenting. It’s crisis management. When schools become unsafe—when accommodations are denied, when support staff are missing, when harmful adults are brought back again and again—families…
