Safety and Legal Options After a Parent's Threats, Abandonment, and Assault (Minor or Adult Child)
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 16, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I have a mom that is emotionally mentally Abusive.
She has put me out for a man. She has said she was gonna take my life. She has called police on me and lied. She has left me on the side of the road. I have recordings of how she talks to me. She has called her sister to come jump on me. She has watched me get attacked and did nothing.
Attorney Answer
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or a domestic violence hotline now — you have legal options whether you are still a minor living at home or already an adult.
What's described here — a death threat, being put out on the roadside, and a relative summoned to attack you — points to potential crimes, not just a family matter for Child Protective Services to sort out informally. A threat to kill can support an intimidation charge, and arranging or watching an assault can support a battery charge; both can be reported to police for investigation. If you are still a minor and were left on the roadside, that can also amount to neglect of a dependent — Indiana Code § 35-46-1-4 makes it a chargeable offense when a person with care of a dependent knowingly or intentionally deprives the dependent of necessary support or abandons the dependent.
Separately, Indiana Code § 34-26-5, the Civil Protection Order Act, lets you — or a parent, guardian, or other representative on your behalf if you're a minor — petition a court for an ex parte protective order against a family or household member who has committed domestic or family violence. Your recordings of how she speaks to you are useful evidence both for a police report and for a protective-order petition.
What you can do:
1. Contact police now to report the threat and the assault, and provide your recordings as evidence.
2. If you're a minor still at home, also contact CPS or a school counselor immediately for safety planning.
3. File, or have a representative file, a petition for an ex parte protective order under the Civil Protection Order Act.
4. Call a domestic violence hotline and talk to a local attorney about next steps.
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Courts & Legal Aid in Indiana
- File or look up a case through the Indiana Courts, which serves the state.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What legal options exist against a parent who threatens or physically harms a child?
Threats to cause harm and arranging or allowing an assault can potentially support criminal charges, and these incidents can generally be reported to police for investigation.
Can a minor get a protective order against a parent?
In many states, a minor or a representative on their behalf can petition a court for a protective order against a family or household member who has committed domestic or family violence.
Is leaving a minor somewhere without care a chargeable offense?
In many states, abandoning or depriving a dependent of necessary support can constitute neglect and may be a criminal offense depending on the circumstances.
