Looking for options..

[Unregistered]

Okay, so right now I'm 16. My mom died when I was 12 from cancer, and ever since my dad's basically been going slowly psycho. He has EXTREME anger management issues and refuses to go to counseling for them.. he'll throw things at me, cuss, call me names.. My nickname is Feeble, he uses it around my friends and at school and stuff. Speaking of school, right now I'm hiding out by boarding at a school that is literally 20 minutes from my house. It's a military school, so it's completely horrible and corrupted, but it's better than going home. I'm so done. I'm tired of having nowhere to go. Having my dad as a father is like having a 5 year old kid, but the kid has legal custody of you. I go to a psychologist who has repeatedly told my dad to leave me alone, and also that high school isn't the right option for me, and he refuses to listen. He is not only aggressive towards me, but my friends. I need to get out of here and make a new life for myself. Like, I want to see the world and learn languages and help people, and my dad has literally threatened to lock me in a room in the house if I tell him that I'm leaving the state. I'm done being raised by a psycho, and I'm done with high school, and I'm getting out. I have friends all over the world.. would I be allowed to get on a plane? And if not, what are my other options?

[ccsmod11]

re: Looking for options..

We’re so sorry to hear about your mother’s passing and the difficult times you have had with your dad since then. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now and we’re glad that you chose to reach out to the National Runaway Safeline.

You said that your dad is extremely aggressive to you not only at home, but also in front of others, sometimes calling you names. That is not your fault and no one deserves to be treated that way; everyone has the right to feel safe. That type of situation is not easy to handle on your own. It sounds like you’ve talked to your psychologist about your dad’s actions. Are there any family members or close family friends you trust for advice? You also said that sometimes your dad is hostile toward your friends. Have you talked to any of them about his behavior?

It sounds like you are now thinking about running away, but are unsure of your options. As a minor, you should know up front that your dad could report you missing to the police. While this would be a status offense – it does mean that, if found, the police would have to return you home to your dad. One thing that we can do at the National Runaway Switchboard is try to locate a safe place for you, such as a shelter. We can also discuss what other options you may have available. Given everything you have said about your dad’s actions towards you, have you considered reporting the abuse? If that is something you would like to discuss, the National Runaway Safeline can also help you file an abuse report and look into additional resources.

Give us a call to discuss more of the details about what’s been going on at home - we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and are completely confidential and anonymous. We are also here from 4:30-11:30pm CST via live chat.

[Unregistered]

Hello again

Thank you so much for replying I don't think it would work, reporting him... for one thing, he acts completely normal around adults, and they all think he's really great, so if someone were to ask around they wouldn't have anything bad to say about him. I guess I could get some of my friends to say something, but they're all really close with their parents and basically tell them everything, and if it somehow made it's way back to him that I was reporting him I would be totally screwed. The shelter idea doesn't sound half bad.. how do those work? Do they turn you in?
Also, about the family members, they all think he's Jesus reincarnated or something.. if I were to show up at one of their houses, they would just call him.

[ccsmod8]

re: Hello again

Thanks for following up. It sounds like you aren't really interested in reporting or talking to other family about this and that is totally ok. Your question about shelters is great and hopefully we can answer it. If you are under 18, many shelters will be required to contact your parent/guardian to inform them that you are there and sometimes to obtain consent. Every shelter can be different though and each situation may change what requires contact or consent. You can absolutely call ahead and ask what they would ask or require if you were to show up. Usually though, you can walk into a youth shelter, explain that you need a safe place to go and they will arrange an intake for you where the worker will learn more about you, your situation and your needs.

One website that might be helpful for you is www.nationalsafeplace.org. They have a national listing of youth shelters organized by state. You can also call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY where we can gather more information from you, provide shelter resources and even make those outgoing calls to have your questions answered, together. If you are more comfortable reaching out electronically, our chat services are also available from 4:30-11:30pm CST.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Military school problems..

So, because I'm at military school, 1. I have to turn my cellphone in in about 30 seconds, and 2. The chat button doesn't show up on the school's internet, so what should I do?

[ccsmod10]

RE: Looking for options...

Hello there,

We’re sorry that our chat function does not work on your cell phone. We are toll-free if you are able to contact us from a pay phone at the military school. Our chat hours are from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time at www.1800runaway.org if you can get to another form of communication device with a secure internet connection. Our 24/7 phone number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you feel safe and comfortable talking to us. We can also be e-mailed through our website. We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

- NRS

[Unregistered]

Hey, it's me again xD
I need help finding a shelter near me

[ccsmod8]

re:

Glad you came back since you needed more help, but since our bulletins are not designed for ongoing communication we will need you to reach out privately at this point. You can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY, chat with us from 4:30-11:30pm CST, or visit www.nationalsafeplace.org.
Best,
-NRS