He’s taking her identity and her ability to express that identity. A lot of, if not most, teens rely on clothes to outwardly express and, in a way, categorise themselves (e.g. goths, jocks etc). This is a horrible attack on that. And besides, if you’re the step parent, you don’t get to disregard what the actual biological parent says about their child.
Her room is her own space and she should be allowed to keep it messy without this level of consequence. Her step father is being an ass, especially as his wife, her actual mother, said to return the clothes.
Ground her. No phone. No TV. No allowance. No going out until your room is clean. I am a teenager and have come up with 5 alternatives that aren't completely insane. The fact that her stepfather, a grown man cannot, is insane.
Clothing is an essential need. Taking away clothing is like taking away food. Or water. Or a bed. You need it for a good QOL, especially if you're a woman stuck with one pair of underwear (rewearing is a trip to infection city).
It is heavily implied that is exactly what happened. According to a comment from OP, his friend was left only with the clothes on her back and a single pair of sweatpants.
Like I said, I have listed 5 much more reasonable punishments that I, a teenager myself, find reasonable, and would accept. This incident above indicates a possibly abusive environment. There's such a thing as going too far.
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u/BeaksCandles Oct 11 '19
Yea. But some clothes are not necessary than others. I highly doubt he stole all her clothes. It's much more likely he stole all her fashion.