i'm 13 and i wanna run away

[Unregistered]

i'm honestly certain that my mom is cheating on my step-dad and
i'm the only one who knows i think
i'm seriously considering running away or going with someone. a stranger would even be okay i don't care
i just wanna get away from all this
by the way, my biological dad is an alcoholic and he's not very supportive anyway so he's not a choice
the only people i'd rather be with is my brother who doesn't even have a place
or a friend. i don't know

[ccsmod6]

re: i'm 13 and i wanna run away

Hi

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear about the things that are going on within your home. It sounds like your mom's dishonesty is driving you away. We can only imagine how uncomfortable you must feel in this situation. It sounds like you would like to remove yourself from your current home environment. It seems that you have started to think about possible alternative housing options. In addition to family and friends, youth shelters may be able to provide you with a short term housing option. Depending on your city and state, a youth shelter may be available. In addition to housing, youth shelters also offer both youth (individual) and family counseling options.

We can assist you with trying to locate housing and counseling resources if you like. It may be easier to contact via our hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). Our hotline is toll-free, anonymous, and confidential. We are available 24/7. We can discuss additional options as well as provide you with support. We are also available via live chat between 4:30pm and 11:30pm CST.

We are really sorry you are a witness to this type of behavior. We hope to hear from you soon.

p.s. The following are some questions that we often ask a youth who is contemplating running away. We don’t necessarily need the answers to the following but they may be helpful to think about when trying to determine whether running is the best option for you.

• What else can be done to improve my home situation before I leave?
• What would make me stay at home?
• How will I survive?
• Is running away safe?
• Who can I count on to help me?
• Am I being realistic?
• Have I given this enough thought?
• What are my other options?
• If I end up in trouble, who will I call?
• When I return home, what will happen?

Best Wishes
~NRS

[Unregistered]

Im 13 and I wanna run away

I am beaten down with words everyday. I have scars from being physically punched and beaten. I cant stand my mom. She expects me to be perfect but im not and neither is she. I want to move with my dad but the only problem is she will not allow it. If i run away for the 2 time i might e put in a group home. SOMEONE HELP PLZZZ!!!!!!!! GET ME OUT THIS HOUSE

[ccsmod0]

re: Im 13 and I wanna run away

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out tonight and sharing a bit of your story. It sounds like you’ve been through so much at home. You absolutely don’t deserve to be treated that way by your mom or by anyone else. It’s wrong for her to do those things. It’s really smart of you to reach out for help when you need it. It’s actually pretty impressive. We’re here to support you the best way that we can, so let’s see how we can help you out.

It’s great that you want to move in with your dad. He sounds like a pretty good support for you and it’s understandable that you want to go live with him. Since your mom is your legal guardian, you’re right, it’s difficult to live somewhere where she doesn’t give you permission to be. If you’re interested in having your dad get legal guardianship of you, your next step might be to talk with your dad about it to see if he’s able and willing to let you come stay with him. Then, the next step would be to contact a lawyer about it. We have a bunch of resources here for lawyers and places that you might be able to stay.

Another option that you have is file an abuse report with child protective services. If you decide to do that, then they might remove you from your mom and would look into placing you with other family members before they look into placing you in a group home. If you have more questions about making a report, you can call us or you can call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453.

We’re not legal experts here, but in general, it’s not illegal for you to run away. If you are found after you leave, then the police would probably make you go back to your legal guardian (your mom, in your case). We’re not sure where you got the information about being put in a group home if you runaway for a second time, but it’s not something that would usually happen. That’s just some information for you for our experience.

Please feel free to reach out and ask more questions by calling or chatting with us. We’re here to support you no matter what you decide to do, to talk more about how you feel and just support you in general. You can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS