Family and home are often described as the safest place a person can return to when things don’t go right. But for some children turning back to family is the polar opposite of comforting. For 27-year-old Suthirtha, home is not a place he would associate with peace or safety. The young man recently shared a disturbing incident that took place at the place he’s supposed to call home. In the video posted online, Suthirtha revealed that he had to use pepper spray against his own father during a violent confrontation.“I had to use my pepper spray for the first time in my life in my own home against my own dad,” he said in the video, describing the incident that took place the previous night. Suthirtha also showed his visibly injured eye, which he claimed had swollen after his father hit him during the confrontation. “Nobody cares. I have been through this before. This is not the first time,” says the 27-year-old.
Photo: Instagram/@paper_slayer99
Violence had been a part of his life, Suthirtha told Official Humans of Bombay. He recalled how his father would often become aggressive and physically abusive towards him, his mother, and his younger brother. One of the earliest incidents that stayed with him happened when he was only eight years old. “When I was 8, the violence became so extreme that Maa ran to the police station,” he said. Although his father was arrested at the time, Suthirtha claimed the situation only worsened after he returned home. “Since then the abuse never stopped.”Over the years, the constant violence and instability slowly destroyed whatever sense of safety the family once had. By 2021, his mother reportedly could no longer endure the situation and left home. Suthirtha and his brother were left behind, trying to survive in what he described as a “war zone.”Yet amid the pain, Suthirtha said there was one realization that stayed with him. Looking at his younger brother, he felt determined to stop the cycle of fear and survival that had consumed their lives for years. “We are still under this roof, but we are done surviving,” he says. Today, Suthirtha says he is saving every rupee he earns through his art commissions in hopes of renting a small apartment where he and his brother can finally live peacefully.Suthirtha’s story is difficult to read, but it also reflects a reality many people silently endure, which is: Living in an abusive household. While Suthirtha is still hopeful about the future, studies suggest that growing up in an abusive household can deeply affect a child in more than one way.
How growing up in an abusive household can affect a child
AI-generated image for representation
Research over the years has consistently shown that children who are regularly exposed to violence, aggression, or emotional instability at home are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, chronic stress, low self-esteem, and difficulties forming healthy relationships later in life. Prolonged stress that comes from living in hostile home environments can affect a child’s overall sense of safety. While Suthirtha’s story has now resonated with thousands online, it is also a reminder that abuse within families often remains hidden behind closed doors for years. For many victims, the biggest dream is not luxury or success, but simply a safe home where fear no longer exists.
