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UTitle: Need advice: Minor student facing abuse, isolation, and possible self-harm thoughts — what should I do as a tutor?
Context: I am a 24-year-old male home tutor. I teach a school-going minor girl (around 14–16 years old). Over the past few months, I’ve observed some serious concerns about her safety, mental health, and home environment.
What happened:
The girl was reportedly physically abused at home (regular beatings and verbal taunts), especially after her parents found out about a boyfriend.
For around 5 months, she was kept extremely restricted:
Not allowed to meet friends (friends were told she’s “not home”)
Phone taken away
Mostly confined at home
During this time, she became emotionally withdrawn and unstable.
Current situation:
Recently, she has been allowed to go back to school (partly after I encouraged her).
However, her mother has rented a room near the school and is closely monitoring her movements.
She shows signs of depression:
Says she doesn’t feel like going to school
Feels like sleeping all the time
She also mentioned that she had thought about harming herself earlier, but now says she won’t do it.
My concern:
I’m worried about:
Her mental health stability
The cycle of control and abuse at home
The risk of self-harm returning
I don’t want to overstep boundaries, but I also feel doing nothing could be risky.
What I’ve done so far:
Encouraged her to return to school
Tried to keep conversations supportive but not overly emotional
What I’m considering:
Talking to the school principal or counselor about this
Possibly contacting a child protection helpline if things worsen
My questions:
What is the safest and most responsible way for me to handle this as a tutor?
Should I involve the school formally, and if yes, how should I present this without making things worse?
At what point should authorities (like child helplines) be involved?
How do I support her without creating emotional dependency or crossing boundaries?
Any advice from people with experience in education, psychology, or similar situations would really help.
Note: I’m trying to act in her best interest while staying within ethical and legal limits.
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