"my girlfriend's pregnant. she wants to run away together but i want her to have an abortion. what can i do?" Jon, 16.
Case study
Lara, 15, explained that her dad had been beating her ever since her mum left home three months ago. Eventually Lara confronted her dad and told him how unhappy she was, and a huge argument had flared up. He didn't seem to understand and she felt as though the situation at home was hopeless.
"Mum moved to Wales. I don't even have her number."Lara was too scared of her dad to go home. Get Connected's Helpline Worker asked her if she had any friends or family close by that she could stay with at least temporarily, as these were the safest options. Lara confirmed that her older brother lived just outside London and might collect her if he knew she needed somewhere to stay. But she didn't have any credit on her phone.
We texted her the number for Runaway Helpline, a service that could let her brother know of her situation and help her get to him. We also connected her to Social Services, who would ensure that she had somewhere safe to stay permanently if she couldn't stay with her brother. Staying on the line till Lara was speaking to the right person, we ensured the Social Worker understood her situation before leaving Lara on the call.