can i leave my moms house at 16 if i have a place to live ?

[chelsea]

I currently live with my mom in republic Missouri and I am very depressed and unhappy and will be 17 in 7 months I am planning on moving at 17 no matter what but one major reason I want to leave now is one I am very depressed and unhappy here and two the school I will be transferring to is different than the one I am enrolled in now and I will lose all 7 months of school credit and may not graduate on time as I was asking can I leave my moms at 16 if I have a place to live and not be forced to go back to her house ? as I would be getting a job to as soon as I got to the other town.?

[ccsmod11]

re: Thank you for reaching out, I’m glad that you did. It sounds like you are going t

Thank you for reaching out, we're glad that you did. It sounds like you are going through a rough time right now. While we are not legal experts, we can give you some general information for your state. In Missouri, if you are under 18 and you leave home without your Mom’s consent, you can be considered a runaway and may be forced to return home. Are there other options you can think of to help improve your situation if you were to stay at home for now?

Sometimes talking to an outside person about what is going on can be helpful. There is an organization in Springfield called Burrell, which offers counseling services for youth and families. If you’re comfortable contacting them, they might be able to provide you with some support and ways to deal with your situation right now. You can call their hotline at 800-494-7355 or visit them online at http://www.burrellcenter.com/services/counseling.aspx

Thanks again for reaching out. If you’d like to discuss more options, please call us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we are here 24/7. We are also available from 4:30-11:30pm CST through live chat. Take care.

-NRS

[Unregistered]

i also need help i am 14 and need to run away

I live in ohio and have a gradma in florda who can take care of me do u think I can bike their in 3weaks if I only stop for water
I am also a boy scout and I know I can surrive

[ccsmod11]

re: i also need help i am 14 and need to run away

We’re glad you contacted the Safeline with your travel question. It seems like you are trying to find a way to get someone to care for you. You mentioned that you are a Boy Scout so you must be well acquainted with the slogan “Be Prepared.” Have you considered food, clothing, overnight shelter, and other things you might need for your trip? If you would like to talk about your trip in detail, or other options that you might have, we are here from 4:30-11:30pm CST through live chat and 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Take care,

-NRS

[Unregistered]

16 and wanting to leave home

I just turned 16 and I'm in a very unhealthy home that is the source for some of my depression in anxiety. I get bullied by my sister and parents. I am treated unfairly and I can't handle this home any more. If I have a place to stay with a friend and her family am I aloud?

[ccsmod6]

RE: 16 and wanting to leave home

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. From what you shared, it sounds like home life is quite stressful which may be triggering your anxiety and depression. We can only imagine how painful it is to be bullied and mistreated by your family. You do not deserve to be mistreated in anyway way. It sounds like you are wanting to leave and are wondering if you are allowed to stay with your friend and her family. We are not legal experts, however because you are 16, if you were to leave home and stay with your friend and her family without your parent's permission, they may choose to file a runaway report. What would happen is that the police may come and find you and bring you back home. Running away is not illegal it is considered a status offense meaning you are not allowed to leave as a minor. Additionally, your friend and family may or may not be charged with harboring a run away. If you would like to talk more about what is going on at home and receive some support in a safe, nonjudgmental space, we are here to listen and to help. We are available 24/7 by phone at 1-800-786-2929.

We hope to hear from you soon and wish you well.

Take care,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Runaway

I'm a sixteen year old female. I feel uncomdfortable in my own home. I hate living here. My parents are too strict and do not support me. They cannot accept that their daughter is gay and I do not want to live in this house any longer. I want to live with my girlfriend however in New York, can her parents be charged as harboring a runaway? Will I be forced to come home?

[ccsmod5]

re: Runaway

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are going through a pretty tough time and we want you to know that we are here for you. We will try our best to listen and to help in any way we can. It sounds like your parents are having problems accepting who you are, we’re sorry to hear that. You can now count us as part of your support system, we want you to know that you matter.

We want to start off by letting you know that we are not legal experts here, which means that we are only able to speak in general terms. In most states you would still be considered a minor up until the age of 18. Meaning that if you were to leave home, your parents would be able to file a runaway report. If a runaway report is filed and you are found, typically you would be forced to return home. As far as harboring a runaway, your girlfriend’s parents could potentially be charged and the charges for that can vary from fines to jail time. As we mentioned, we are not legal experts here, if you wanted more accurate and sturdy answers, we encourage you to reach out to your local police department.

We hope that we were able to help you think a little more about your options and brainstorm some more with you, if you feel like you would still need some more support or go through some more options, please feel free to reach out to us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we are here 24/7. We also have a live chat service which is available from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM CST. We wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you decide to do and hope to hear from you soon.


Stay strong,


NRS

[Unregistered]

Better Life

Hi I am 16 years old and I just honestly don't like it where I am. I suffer from depression and anxiety. I have had thoughts about running away because my family doesn't support the idea I want to live a better life and be happy on my own. I know how to be on my own I have learned. I believe we should have our own rights in wanting to leave the house and be on our own. I want to go somewhere far away from where I am. Is that possible?

[ccsmod9]

Re: Better Life

Thank you very much for reaching out to us! We’re here to listen and here to help. So sorry to hear that you feel like your family does not understand your desire to be happy and independent. It is understandable that you would want an end to your situation and that you view running away as an option. From your beliefs about how youth should have their own rights and the ability to be self-sufficient, it sounds like emancipation would be something that you are interested in. To seek emancipation, you would have to prove to the courts that you had the means (finances, place to live, etc.) that shows that you can live on your own. Click the links below to learn more about legal aid options so that you can learn more about emancipation:

http://www.findlaw.com/

http://ctlawhelp.org/a-teenagers-guide-to-emancipation

http://www.nolo.com/lawyers/family

As for running away, while you know your own situation best, it is important to note that there are consequences if you choose to do so. Running away is a status offence, meaning it is illegal due to your age. Running away could lead the police to file a runaway report. It could also lead the people who help you to be charged with harboring a runaway. We invite you to call or chat with us so that we can provide you with more individualized support and talk about your options and how you can plan for your safety no matter what you end up choosing.

Best,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Can I leave home?

I am 16 and will be 17 in 6 months. I live with my dad and step mom. My dad has full custody of me but I want to live with my mom. My dad doesn't let me talk to my mom or see her or anything. He is overly strict and doesn't let me do anything. I'm highly depressed but have to hide it because if I show them I'm depressed and unhappy I'll get in trouble. Can I leave and move in with my mom? I live in missouri.

[ccsmod3]

Re: Can I leave home?

Hello and thanks for posting on our forum. We’re sorry to hear you’re depressed and things aren’t working out so great living with your dad. Feeling like you have to hide your depression doesn’t sound fun either and we want you to know there is support out there. We’re here to listen and provide support to the best of our ability. There is also the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/Page...?pagename=home.

We imagine it’s frustrating to have your dad not allow you Please keep in mind we are not legal experts; however, from what you describe it sounds like more of a custody rather than a runaway situation. We can’t speak for your local law enforcement, but they might tell your mom and dad they’ll need to work out the custody arrangement in court should you go from one parent to the other. If you decide to go to your mom’s prior to going to court, it might be helpful to talk to a lawyer or legal aid. (Especially if your mom is concerned about getting into legal trouble by breaking the current custody agreement.) If you feel comfortable sharing your city/town, we can look up resources too. Hopefully this helps a bit and we wish you the best of luck!