Nightline
Call #1
"Hello, my name's Chelsea. May I ask yours?"
...
"Hello?"
"Phil."
"Your name's Phil?"
"Yeah."
"And how old are you, Phil?"
"Thirteen."
"And where are you right now?"
"I'm in a park."
"At almost midnight? Where do your parents think you are?"
"In bed."
"Is there a reason you're at the park and not in bed, Phil?"
...
"I'm scared."
"What're you scared of?"
"Being at home."
"And why's that?"
"You won't laugh?"
"I won't laugh."
"I'm scared of my mum."
"What does she do that makes you scared of her?"
"She broke my wrist last week and made me say I climbed a wall and fell."
"Why did she do that?"
"I made her mad."
"How did you make her mad, Phil?"
"I dunno. She just said I made her mad. She does that often, gets mad but doesn't say why. Dad says she doesn't mean it but sometimes I think he's lying."
"What makes you think your dad might be lying?"
"He does this thing, where he won't look at me but repeats himself, and then I know he's not being truthful, and he's always like that when he says she don't mean nothing when she gets mad."
"Why do you think he might lie to you, Phil?"
"I don't know."
"Is your mum always mad?"
"Sometimes she's nice. We went out for dinner on Tuesday because it was my birthday."
"And how does she make you feel? Other than scared?"
"Do I have to say?"
"Not if you don't want. You lead this conversation, Phil. We don't talk about anything you don't want to."
"If I phone again can I talk to you?"
"I might not be the one to answer your call."
"But if I ask?"
"When do you think you'll call again?"
"In a week."
"This time next week?"
"Yeah."
"You can ask and if I'm available I'll take your call. How does that sound?"
"Okay, yeah. Yeah. I have to go now."
"Before you go, Phil, how do you feel? Did talking to me help?"
"I feel better."
"That's good. And you're phoning again next week?"
"Yeah, I promise. I hope you pick up. Bye, Chelsea."
"Bye, Phil."
...
"Hello?"
"Phil."
"Your name's Phil?"
"Yeah."
"And how old are you, Phil?"
"Thirteen."
"And where are you right now?"
"I'm in a park."
"At almost midnight? Where do your parents think you are?"
"In bed."
"Is there a reason you're at the park and not in bed, Phil?"
...
"I'm scared."
"What're you scared of?"
"Being at home."
"And why's that?"
"You won't laugh?"
"I won't laugh."
"I'm scared of my mum."
"What does she do that makes you scared of her?"
"She broke my wrist last week and made me say I climbed a wall and fell."
"Why did she do that?"
"I made her mad."
"How did you make her mad, Phil?"
"I dunno. She just said I made her mad. She does that often, gets mad but doesn't say why. Dad says she doesn't mean it but sometimes I think he's lying."
"What makes you think your dad might be lying?"
"He does this thing, where he won't look at me but repeats himself, and then I know he's not being truthful, and he's always like that when he says she don't mean nothing when she gets mad."
"Why do you think he might lie to you, Phil?"
"I don't know."
"Is your mum always mad?"
"Sometimes she's nice. We went out for dinner on Tuesday because it was my birthday."
"And how does she make you feel? Other than scared?"
"Do I have to say?"
"Not if you don't want. You lead this conversation, Phil. We don't talk about anything you don't want to."
"If I phone again can I talk to you?"
"I might not be the one to answer your call."
"But if I ask?"
"When do you think you'll call again?"
"In a week."
"This time next week?"
"Yeah."
"You can ask and if I'm available I'll take your call. How does that sound?"
"Okay, yeah. Yeah. I have to go now."
"Before you go, Phil, how do you feel? Did talking to me help?"
"I feel better."
"That's good. And you're phoning again next week?"
"Yeah, I promise. I hope you pick up. Bye, Chelsea."
"Bye, Phil."