Regarding my dad, I did actually report him to social services - I honestly didn't want to. However I'm pretty sure he's a sociopath (he possess a superficial charm and is a very convincing compulsive liar, which in combination with his behaviour and history is heavily indicative of sociopathy.) When the man from social services came down I explained to him everything that my father had done, my father simply sat there calmly and told him that everything I had described was a lie, whilst simultaneously fabricating things which I had supposedly done to him, sitting there seeing the man from social services believe him was the most painful experience in my life.
The man left and filed a report a week later stating that he could take no further action as there was no proof of the things that I had claimed my father had done to me - when he hits me he is usually very careful to not leave any marks - almost drowning me in my bath, etc. On a few occasions he has left me with bruises (including a black eye) which has seen me severely bullied at school however on these occasions I lied to my teachers when they showed concern, usually claiming that I had fallen over or been messing around with friends - I did this because I mistakenly believed that my father loved me , I was naive, and I didn't want to split my family up as he was paying for my brother's education; which my mother definitely wouldn't have been able to afford on her own.
A few months after this event he attacked me quite brutally during a row, which resulted in me being temporarily concussed. I called the police, they came and took statements from me, my mother and father. My mother and I both told the truth: that my father and I had engaged in a row and he had physically attacked me. He lied and claimed that I had in fact initiated the physical violence and he had only defended himself - despite the fact he's considerably taller and superior in strength, he also denied concussing me.
Despite the fact that I had never been in trouble with the law in my life and my father had previously been arrested for punching my mother in face - resulting in a bloody nose (my mother didn't press charges) - the police put me in cuffs and took us both down to the station. This is where my absolute despise for the police and their infinite stupidity began. I was forced to spend the night in a tiny prison cell, with no food, a small toilet with no sink, water or soap and a camera perpetually watching me - when I was guilty of nothing!
I didn't want to tell you this, but I consider a lot of the people on this forum close friends and I thought that you better know...