SISTER IS MAKING NASTY THREATS

Dear Coleen

My sister is blackmailing me because I have a girlfriend and in my culture I should not have girlfriends. She and my cousins hacked into my Facebook account and also read all the text messages on my phone.

She keeps threatening to tell our parents that I’ve been seeing someone, which really upsets me, and I don’t know what to do about it. What should I do?

Coleen says

What a very unkind sister. Look, the only way for her to lose all the power in this situation is for you to own it and tell your parents what’s been happening.

I understand that’s very hard if telling them about your girlfriend is going to make them upset or even angry. However, at least your sister won’t have a hold over you any more.

And I would hope that your parents would be appalled by the fact she and your cousins are causing you this much distress. You don’t say how old you are, but perhaps this needs to be a bigger conversation with your parents about what you want for your future.

Good luck with it all.