Yes, it's still abuse and it's still inappropriate coming from a father. Something you have to ask yourself is, "Would my dad do this? Do other dads do this?" And the answer is most certainly, No. Only criminally abusive fathers do this.

Don't be sorry. It's not easy to see abuse when you're in the middle of it. We don't want to believe these things are happening in front of our eyes because they are never supposed to happen.

You did the right thing and you're a great friend/confidant. A lot of us on this forum needed someone like you in our lives. You didn't bury your head in the sand. You didn't dismiss your friend. You followed your gut, did some sleuthing, reached out to us, and made a decision to do something about this. You. Did. Everything. Right. Thank you for being excellent.

If you're looking for the right person to turn to, you should talk to your parents about this or a school counselor (I'm assuming y'all are still in school).