My brother has been stealing from me for years, and it’s been really frustrating. A few months ago, I caught him in my room doing something really inappropriate on my bed while I was busy with my online classes. My parents didn’t take it seriously—they just made him apologize, but nothing really changed. A few days ago, he came into my room again, and even though he denied it, I can’t tell my parents without getting in trouble. I tried searching for solutions online but can’t afford a lock or camera, and the doorknob doesn’t even lock from the outside. What can I do to keep him out when I’m not around?
Your family really needs help. It’s not just about your brother; everyone’s involved here. It might help if you talk to a female relative about this, maybe they can talk to your parents and make them see the seriousness of the situation.
You need to talk to someone at your school about what your brother did. It’s not just stealing anymore—it’s way worse.
Kai said:
You need to talk to someone at your school about what your brother did. It’s not just stealing anymore—it’s way worse.
Absolutely. You need an adult who can step in and protect you. Maybe an aunt or older sister could help by letting you stay with them for a while.
- Block the bathroom door so your brother can’t use it to get into your room. You can use a door wedge, or if it swings into your room, lock it from the inside with a bolt.
- Keep all your personal stuff in your room, like toiletries and toothbrush, so he can’t mess with them in the bathroom. Lock drawers if you need to.
- A cheap Wyze camera could be useful. Hide it in books or something in your room. If you catch him coming into your room, you can threaten to expose him. But don’t actually release any videos—it’s illegal. Just threaten him with it if he keeps entering your room. Back everything up and hide it in a safe place.
This situation won’t get better unless you make him understand there are consequences.
You could try using an old phone as a hidden camera. The Haven app works well for this, and you can set it up to upload videos to a cloud storage, so if your brother takes the phone, the footage will still be safe. But you really need to talk to someone outside the family, like a teacher or counselor. This needs serious attention.
You might want to check out these subreddits: r/cps, r/familylaw, and r/legaladvice. They can offer more specific advice based on the situation.
Maybe you can get an alarm system with a hidden camera? You could find something affordable online, like on Shein or Temu. It could help keep him out of your room and alert you when something happens.
Wade said:
Maybe you can get an alarm system with a hidden camera? You could find something affordable online, like on Shein or Temu. It could help keep him out of your room and alert you when something happens.
He would probably just disable it and take it. You need something more secure.
I had a similar problem with my brother when I was younger. I just bought a simple keyed doorknob from a hardware store to keep him out.
Ode said:
I had a similar problem with my brother when I was younger. I just bought a simple keyed doorknob from a hardware store to keep him out.
This sounds like a good solution. It’s a small cost and would give you more control over your space.
If things keep disappearing, you should contact the police and social services. Also, let a school counselor know what’s going on, even if it’s just for your own safety. You can try using a doorstop or sliding a dresser in front of your door, but that’s not very safe. Maybe place noisy objects by your door that will alert you if they get moved. Also, fold a small piece of paper in the cracks of your drawers or doors—it’ll fall if they open anything.
You could try using a doorstop or something to block the bathroom door. This could prevent him from sneaking in, but only if the bathroom door swings into your room. It’s a simple option, but it could help.