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AIBU?

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To be astounded at this behaviour from an 18 year old.

605 replies

123dontcomeatme · 30/01/2025 06:12

I'm awake and just trying to get my head around this. I'm middle aged and just reeling from the behaviour of this 18 year old boy.

My daughters first boyfriend, been together just over a year. Seemed nice enough but a few worrying traits which she would talk about with me over the year. Enough to be worries but not enough to end what was a fun relationship.

After a rough 2 months with him, she's had enough and ended things with him.

Hes not taken it well, it's a bit scary.

Hes found me on Instagram and sent me 2 messages telling me it's my fault and that I'm pathetic and a host of other insults.

My daughter is aghast and I'm just struggling to get my head around such unhinged behaviour. I cannot ever imagine anyone doing such a thing. How on earth can he think that's an acceptable thing to do.

I feel so sad for my daughter too and want to support her in the best way possible, but she's furious and dumbstruck and upset all at the same time.

I just can't get my head around the arrogance, entitlement and total disrespectful of an 18, nearly 19 year old boy thinking that's ok.

OP posts:
MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 30/01/2025 12:01

NewFriendlyLadybird · 30/01/2025 11:26

We did that. Didn’t work. He had no respect for either of his parents, especially not his mother.

Contacting the police doesn’t mean an arrest, but an early ‘chat’ with someone in uniform can deliver a message that parents just can’t get through.

Apologies, I wasn’t referring to you. I was a Magistrate for 10 years and I think I was a good one. If you explain the consequences of actions to someone, especially a young adult and they go ahead anyway then absolutely, they get whatever sentence they deserve. They need to understand the impact that their behaviour has on others and themselves. They may be unaware of the fear, and upset they are causing, but once made aware and they continue, then they should face stiff consequences. If convicted, following any punishment given, they need to realise it may hamper getting a job, a visa, a possible permanent record that will follow them and may need to be declared, even for a voluntary role and a hotheaded teen will not necessarily be aware of that.

An informal chat by police would hopefully do that brilliantly, and actually would be a great thing to educate at school, similar to the drugs talk the PCSO’s do. I have seen these scenarios end badly both ways, and feel that a low level intervention by parents/police and more education would be more efficient initially, to be rapidly escalated if they continue.

Chucklecheeks01 · 30/01/2025 11:50

I'm part of the criminal justice system. I would advise informing the police now. Phone the non emergency number and ask to speak to an officer who deals with DV. They will advise you what to do from this point.

Do NOT wait until it gets more serious. Protect yourself and your DD. Things like this escalate very quickly and its always better to be over cautious than under prepared.

ChemicalStatement · 30/01/2025 11:47

123dontcomeatme · 30/01/2025 06:33

No male relative, single parent household.

It's really nasty, he was being really horrible tp her last night, he phoned her 25 times over the space of about 10 mins. She text him to stop and said she wasn't going to pick up, that's when he started messaging me.

She didn't dump him via text, but said to him they needed to talk about their relationship at the weekend. And then he went unhinged.

The calls were on top of the texts telling her to ' be a man and just fucking do it'

I'm so angry at him and horrified that he could speak to her like this. Then for him to start on me!

She said she couldn't meet him in person now as he doesn't feel safe.

I read all the time about male aggression towards women, but I am shocked by this.

It is estimated that 1 in 10 people has personality problems. And most antisocial behaviour becomes apparent during teen years.
She is wise to stay away from him, as many violent atacks happen in the few months after breakups.

I think she should alert her friends that she feels unsafe about him si he won't collude with them to meet her unexpectedly.

Brefugee · 30/01/2025 11:45

Can you still see the messages to screenshot them?
Take this to the police. Urgently

Hotflushesandchilblains · 30/01/2025 11:44

If I have to threaten the police I will.

Dont threaten, please do it. This kind of entitled behaviour needs to be stopped.

Thelnebriati · 30/01/2025 11:43

The nice guy is the act. The controlling misogynist they turn into is them with the mask off. Stop minimising the risk and show all of his messages to the police today.

Literallynoonecares · 30/01/2025 11:42

I really feel for you. I had similar happen with my eldest DD and her first boyfriend when she was 18. They had been together over a year and it was clear he was very much in love with her. She loved him too but was never quite sure if he was 'the one'. He was close to our family, we all liked him and he always came across as such a lovely respectful guy who loved our daughter and took care of her.

However, after that first year together he started to show signs of control and started texting and messaging more than normal when they were not together (i.e him at work and her at college) He was starting to get more intense and he started making accusations that she was flirting with other guys when she wasn't. She had male friends that she hung about with that she had always had, way before she met her BF. After a while of this she started to feel smothered and decided that she wanted to end the relationship.

This is where the 'nice guy' that we thought we knew started to turn bitter and nasty. His messages became unkind and threatening and abusive. She blocked him from everywhere, phone, social media etc, and we thought that was it. He then found me on Facebook and started sending me messages telling me that my daughter was a bitch and I did a bad job bringing her up. I was gob smacked. I couldn't believe he was talking to me that way. The sheer disrespect. However, I am the kind of person who just told him to 'fuck right off and grow up' and told him if he ever messaged her, or me, again I would call the police on his ass.

We were lucky and we didn't hear from him for a week or two but it put us both on our guard. Wondering if he was going to turn up at the house, or turn up outside her college to see her. Fortunately he didn't. But after a couple of weeks he then got his sister to message both of us to say that he was sorry for the way he had reacted but that he was angry and he loved her and didn't know how to handle the breakup of the relationship. Neither of us replied to our messages through the sister and promptly blocked her too.

I would just be on your guard with him. He seems angry and unpredictable. If you need to get the police involved then don't hesitate to.

SlightlyJaded · 30/01/2025 11:39

Hammy19 · 30/01/2025 11:31

All the more reason to report it ASAP then, surely?

Agree - just making the point that the next girl isn't even the issue yet. It's still OPs daughter who is at risk. Probably a bit petty of me to mention tbh - let's move on. We are in agreement that this needs sorting!

Hammy19 · 30/01/2025 11:31

SlightlyJaded · 30/01/2025 10:40

I don't think that's a valid argument. The OPs DD is in the thick of it right now - she hasn't been lucky at all. It's ongoing...

All the more reason to report it ASAP then, surely?

TriesNotToBeCynical · 30/01/2025 11:28

NewFriendlyLadybird · 30/01/2025 10:10

Send round the heavies with at least the implied threat of physical violence and they are the ones in the wrong.

You think that someone unhinged like this doesn’t know how to play the victim when it suits him?

More to the point, if however has the biggest threat of physical violence should win every time is this the best outcome for women in general? Or men in general for that matter?

Simplynotsimple · 30/01/2025 11:26

Itsnotallaboutyoulikeyouthink · 30/01/2025 06:51

Why are you or your daughter even entertaining this. Just block and move on. He’s pissed off, and has an avenue to message you something we never had when we were young. You’ll prob never hear from him
agaiin after this event.

They’re not ‘entertaining’ it, you make it sound like having social media and a phone is an invitation to harass someone until they have to do something about it. That’s victim blaming.

At 18, this lad is young, immature and hasn’t been taught that he doesn’t get to make demands on women’s time and efforts with him. He is also an adult, and is starting his adult life on an extremely slippery slope down to being an abusive partner in the near future. Look at that poor woman in the news recently who was driven to suicide by a man who wouldn’t leave her alone. These men need to be told seriously from the first time they start this behaviour that it will not be tolerated. Even if this turns into nothing, the likelihood he’ll do it to the next young woman is high, and it builds a longterm picture.

@123dontcomeatme I’d keep him blocked but report everything so far to the police. They will tell you to block him regardless. I’d put in a door cam in case he starts approaching your home instead. But please report, men who instantly jump to this level of anger at being dumped are dangerous.

NewFriendlyLadybird · 30/01/2025 11:26

MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 30/01/2025 10:44

I’m not sure if you are still reading these responses but although these messages are awful I am going to go against the grain a little and say don’t involve the police just yet.

Is he with his parents and do you have contact details for them? If so, message them and explain what has happened, say it is not acceptable and that you have saved the messages. Say to them that you are giving him this last chance to stop, any further contact will be counted as harassment and will be reported to the police. Be firm and state how upsetting and frightening this has been and that you are worried about his return and you shouldn’t need to be. Then see what their response is. If it is apologetic and reassuring then hopefully it will stop there, but at least they have a chance to sort.

I know many mumsnetters will disagree, I have my reasoning if anyone would like to hear them, but if I was the young man’s parents I would appreciate the chance to correct his behaviour.

We did that. Didn’t work. He had no respect for either of his parents, especially not his mother.

Contacting the police doesn’t mean an arrest, but an early ‘chat’ with someone in uniform can deliver a message that parents just can’t get through.

snowmichael · 30/01/2025 11:25

He's a nasty, vindictive, potentially dangerous, certainly abusive, piece of shit
Report this to police with copies of all contacts from him

MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 30/01/2025 11:23

Maddy70 · 30/01/2025 11:19

Just reply. Anymore harassment and you will forward to police. Don't get into anything ...

Absolutely. That’s all I’m saying. One response, particularly from mum saying if he makes further contact you will be going to the police and that you are taking this seriously as he is crossing the line into a criminal offence. Again, unless he has made any threats, even to harm himself, then involve police. They would rather be aware than not.

LatteLady · 30/01/2025 11:22

You have been given excellent advice OP by several Police Officers to report this harassment of both you and your daughter. Unfortunately, as we are aware boys mature more slowly than girls and an interview by the Police will, we hope, be enough to nip this in the bud and stop this behaviour in its tracks. I hope your daughter has a nicer day today.

Jessieshome · 30/01/2025 11:21

You need to go to the police, don't threaten or worry about it later, or if he continues when he is back in the country, go to them now, even if they dismiss it at this stage you have made a report and started a process.

Hopefully he's just an immature twat who has had his heart broken for the first time and is struggling to except it's completely over, first loves or first serious relationships are incredibly intense, hopefully he will realise he's a twat and come to terms with it very soon and he'll forever be completely embarrassed by his behaviour the last few days.

However, this is also how all these terrible terrible stories with tragic consequences begin, with a man, often a youngish man not accepting a relationship is over.

You must report it to the police today.

Maddy70 · 30/01/2025 11:19

Just reply. Anymore harassment and you will forward to police. Don't get into anything ...

MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 30/01/2025 11:16

LadyTangerine · 30/01/2025 10:57

Thr police will not be interested in 2 unpleasant messages. The op needs to block him. If he persists yes takes things further but it is not at that stage by any stretch.

Quite. Harassment occurs with two forms of contact, job directly or indirectly AFTER you state that you consider this harassment and request/demand for it to cease. Then the police will take action, unless threats are involved obviously.

L0bstersLass · 30/01/2025 11:16

BippidyBoppety · 30/01/2025 11:02

Have you read the whole thread? Two actual serving police saying contact police.

And this is the message that the OP, @123dontcomeatme , should be taking from this thread.

Ohnobackagain · 30/01/2025 11:15

This is awful @123dontcomeatme whoever his single parent is (Mum or Dad, I don’t think you said) does need to be aware this has happened but there again maybe this is learned behaviour from one of his parents so it is very hard. There seem to be a lot of young adults with no boundaries these days, sadly. Well done to DD for being able
to deal with it and not put up with it.

MzHz · 30/01/2025 11:13

SleekWhisky · 30/01/2025 07:03

This is very scary, lots of useful advise above which I can say you're taking on board. Do you know his mother/father?

This has to be taken extremely seriously it's how I imagine Kyle Clifford started!

This is what is in my head - that crossbow guy - @123dontcomeatme Don't contact his parents or whatever, don't reply t him, but absolutely DO raise this with the police now, don't wait until Friday. This is really important.

If he DOES decide to back away gracefully, all fine, but what if he's sitting wherever he is, brooding on it and winding himself up? You won't know anything about it until it's potentially too late.

You will not be wasting police time, even if this guy does nothing. This is what they are there for.

YoungGunsHavingSomeFunCrazyLadiesKeepEmOnTheRun · 30/01/2025 11:11

LadyTangerine · 30/01/2025 10:57

Thr police will not be interested in 2 unpleasant messages. The op needs to block him. If he persists yes takes things further but it is not at that stage by any stretch.

Repeated unpleasant texts to the daughter, 25 phone calls, then an escalation to messaging op when the dd isn't responding.

It isn't simply 2 messages.

Elderflower14 · 30/01/2025 11:07

I don't want to frighten the OP but you only have to look at the recent story where the family of a sports journalist were killed by the ex bf of one of the daughters to see how extreme things can become.
At least if the OP logs it with the police then it is there.

ColourBlueColourPurple · 30/01/2025 11:03

I guess he's just proven how right she was to end things with him. If he continues to harass you or your daughter then I'd definitely be contacting the police. I'd encourage your daughter to continue to completely grey rock him also. Nothing will probably come of this but it isn't unheard of for tragedies to happen at the end of relationships and this boy/man has shown that he is a bit unhinged. I don't say this to scare you, just to encourage you to have your wits about you over the next few months, but I'm sure you will anyway.