help

[Unregistered]

hi i really need somehelp i am 17 but situations at home are very stressful. it is becoming very bad seems as though nothing is going to change. is it legal in pennsylvania to stay somewhere else for awhile just so thgins calm down or will i be reported as a runaway and be forced back home?

[ccsmod5]

Re: help

Hey,

Thanks for reaching out to us. Sounds you’re going through a very intense time and looking to get some questions answered. We’ll try and help out as best as we can.

The most we know about leaving home at the age of 17 is that youth are not able to decide where they get to live/go without parent permission until the age of 18. That means that if you leave home now, there is a chance that your legal guardians will file a runaway report with the police.

Now, that might not be illegal but we have heard stories of youth being detained when they leave home until they are returned home. Do you feel like your folks will file a report if you leave home? Is there a way for you to get permission to go somewhere to cool off and make things more comfortable for you? Maybe a relative or friend that your folks would agree on?

One of the things we can do is further explore what options might be available to you. You can do that by calling our hotline at 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We're anonymous, confidential and available 24/7.

Hope to hear from you soon,
NRS