Grandmother, Teen Trade Abuse Claims

A family dispute left a teenager and his grandmother both claiming the other became violent — and even a cellphone recording wasn’t enough to tell deputies exactly how the confrontation began. The teen reported the incident the following day at Dawson-Bryant High School, telling school officials that his grandmother had pushed, punched and struck him in the head with a metal mug. A Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputy interviewed the teen at school and observed fresh injuries inside his upper lip and on top of his head. The teen said he had been living with his grandmother for about a month after moving from Florida. Pasted text According to the teen, the trouble began when he returned home after spending time with friends and overheard his grandmother and another woman talking about him. He said he attempted to discuss how he felt he was being treated, but his grandmother became angry and shoved him. He acknowledged pushing her back but said he did so in self-defense. The teen said the confrontation continued as he headed downstairs. He alleged his grandmother struck him in the mouth and later hit him on the head with a metal mug. He denied attacking her, saying he only grabbed her arms or pushed her away to defend himself. Pasted text A friend who picked him up afterward told deputies he saw blood on the teen's hand and face and an injury on his head. The friend and his girlfriend took the teen to the hospital, but the teen said he left before receiving treatment because the wait was increasing his anxiety. They instead bought first-aid supplies and treated the injuries themselves. Pasted text Grandmother Tells a Different Story When deputies later interviewed the grandmother, she said the teen had entered her bedroom, repeatedly refused to leave and attempted to take items from the room. She acknowledged trying to push him out but alleged the teen then swung at her, grabbed her arms and attempted to hit her. She said she kicked him to get him away from her and later went to her vehicle to retrieve pepper spray. The grandmother also showed deputies areas on her arm that she attributed to the confrontation. Deputies photographed injuries reported by both of them. Pasted text There was video of part of the incident, but it didn't solve the question of who started the physical confrontation. The deputy reported that the recording showed the teen positioning the phone before his grandmother entered the frame and later making abrupt arm movements toward her. However, the recording captured only part of the encounter and did not show how the physical contact upstairs began. Pasted text No one was arrested. The teen said he did not intend to return to his grandmother's home, and the entire investigation was forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office for review. Pasted text When Family Arguments Become Unsafe Whatever prosecutors ultimately decide in this particular case, it highlights a difficult problem for families: what do you do when conflict inside a home is escalating toward violence? Getting some physical distance can be important. That might mean staying temporarily with a safe relative or friend, having another trusted adult present for a difficult conversation, or simply leaving rather than continuing an argument that's becoming physical. In this case, the teen arranged to stay temporarily with a friend because he said he did not feel safe returning to the home. Pasted text For an immediate threat or assault, call 911. For an ongoing problem, families don't necessarily have to wait for another violent incident before seeking help. Ohio domestic-violence programs can help with individualized safety planning, counseling, housing assistance and legal advocacy. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network can also connect people with a local program. Ohio Domestic Violence Network Ohio also has different types of protection orders depending on the relationship, ages of the people involved and circumstances. A protection order can potentially prohibit threats, violence and contact or require someone to stay away from a home or workplace. Because obtaining an order can sometimes change or even increase the risks in a volatile situation, Ohio Legal Help recommends discussing the individual circumstances with an advocate or attorney rather than assuming an order is automatically the safest solution. Ohio Legal Help Another practical step is documentation. Save threatening messages, photographs of injuries and other evidence somewhere the other person cannot access. In an emergency, however, getting to safety comes before trying to capture video. For help finding a local domestic-violence program, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network maintains a statewide directory and can be reached at 1-800-934-9840. Outside business hours, it directs people needing immediate domestic-violence.

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