Met person with crazy family, need advice

[shadow_archmagi]

So during Science Olympiad today I met this girl and she seemed really depressed and I asked her why and she told me she had completely bombed her event and I was like "Meh event shevent" but she insisted that her parents would be pissed off and disapointed as hell just like they're always pissed off and disapointed as hell. Then an hour later she was still pretty depressed and then she told me that she was actually sad because her dad had died a year ago today and her brother had called her to say that it was entirely her fault and if she had been a better daughter dad would still be alive. She also mentioned that her mother and stepfather agree with her brother. Then it was time for my event (Nerd pictionary. We got 2 words correct, which put us in third place. I drew one of the words (Cytoplasm) and guessed the other. (Genetic Mutation) Go me. Shiny bronze metal). When I got back she was playing cards and seemed cheerful. Then at the end of the day I saw her calling home to say that the awards ceremony was over and she needed to be picked up and hadn't won anything. She said her stepfather had been like "Why did you not place what kind of stupid not-placing idiot are you."

This sounds really bad what do I do.

[CoffeeIncluded]

So during Science Olympiad today I met this girl and she seemed really depressed and I asked her why and she told me she had completely bombed her event and I was like "Meh event shevent" but she insisted that her parents would be pissed off and disapointed as hell just like they're always pissed off and disapointed as hell. Then an hour later she was still pretty depressed and then she told me that she was actually sad because her dad had died a year ago today and her brother had called her to say that it was entirely her fault and if she had been a better daughter dad would still be alive. She also mentioned that her mother and stepfather agree with her brother. Then it was time for my event (Nerd pictionary. We got 2 words correct, which put us in third place. I drew one of the words (Cytoplasm) and guessed the other. (Genetic Mutation) Go me. Shiny bronze metal). When I got back she was playing cards and seemed cheerful. Then at the end of the day I saw her calling home to say that the awards ceremony was over and she needed to be picked up and hadn't won anything. She said her stepfather had been like "Why did you not place what kind of stupid not-placing idiot are you."

This sounds really bad what do I do.

...Do you have any way to contact her? Maybe you should talk to her a bit; she'd probably appreciate it...

I'm really sorry. I'm not too sure what to do here.

Congratulations on the medal though. Did your team make states?

[Sneak]

Yeah, there's nothing you can really do to stop her family from being hurtful towards her. All you can do is offer your sympathy and support. And if they're really being abusive, tell her to alert the proper authorities.

:/

(Oh, and congratulations. Shiny.)

[Boo]

Listen to the fish.

[Don Julio Anejo]

She needs a good friend/confidant. Be that if you want to help her. Just don't try to take advantage of her, that would just be plain wrong and won't come out well in the long run (either you will get a clingy girlfriend with no easy way to end it or she will lose whatever little faith she has left in humanity).

As for this kind of abuse, unless her parents are actively hostile to her (i.e. actually treat her like a worthless piece of crap a-la Harry Potter, not just prey on her self-esteem), chances are authorities won't (and can't) do anything - there's lots of families where kids actually are getting beaten, tortured and abused.

[Solaris]

She needs a good friend/confidant. Be that if you want to help her. Just don't try to take advantage of her, that would just be plain wrong and won't come out well in the long run (either you will get a clingy girlfriend with no easy way to end it or she will lose whatever little faith she has left in humanity).

As for this kind of abuse, unless her parents are actively hostile to her (i.e. actually treat her like a worthless piece of crap a-la Harry Potter, not just prey on her self-esteem), chances are authorities won't (and can't) do anything - there's lots of families where kids actually are getting beaten, tortured and abused.

/thread. There's really nothing much else you can do, I'm afraid. Take advantage of her and go to special hell.

[Cobra_Ikari]

/thread. There's really nothing much else you can do, I'm afraid. Take advantage of her and go to special hell.

Agreed. As someone whose family is like this at times (though not as bad, now, thankfully), I assure you that being a good friend to this girl will be the best thing you can do for her.

Sometimes, small kindness at the right time can be a life-changing event.

[shadow_archmagi]

/thread. There's really nothing much else you can do, I'm afraid. Take advantage of her and go to special hell.

'k. Promise not to do that.

Also promise not to talk in movie theatre.

[Escef]

Above all, don't get involved with her. It's great that you want to help, but she's likely to be bat guano insane with a truck load of issues.

[Mr White]

Are you likely to come in contact with her? If you only see each other once in a while or have to put a serious effort in to see each other, chances are you won't be the support you want to be.

[shadow_archmagi]

Do not get involved with her do not take advantage of her

This is not my goal. I am not trying to get a relationship out of this.

However, if she gets the wrong idea, what do I do? Tell her I can't date her because she's crazy? That sounds like a bad idea. But then again, you guys have just pointed out that NOT saying something along those lines is also a very bad idea.

[Sahaar]

Well, can you see her at all? Like, school or something?

If so, if you pass her in the hall, just ask her how she's doing. Maybe strike up a (friendly) relationship, a girl like that needs friends.