I Want to leave

[Guest]

I am 16 years old. from new york

I cant Take being at home anymore. I go through so much stuff here And i am so stressed. I want to leave but i dont want them to send me to a group home or something. what should i do?

[ccsmod8]

Re: I Want to leave

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to write to us at the National Runaway Switchboard for suggestions on what to do about your situation. Although we are not in the position to tell you exactly what to do, we can talk about options available to you in your city and how the laws concerning a runaway can benefit you. In most states, running away is not a crime but if you decide to leave, the police can return you back to your home if you are found. The laws for runaways vary from state to state but in our experience, residents of New York can sign out of school at 16 and in some cases, can leave home at 16. We are not legal experts but we know that 18 is usually the age that you have to be in order to leave home without permission. However, the best way to truly find out your rights is to call your local police to get an understanding of the laws governing runaways and rights of minors leaving home before turning 18.

We cannot tell you to run away or not but we can give you what we know to be measures taken to secure the rights of minors and parents also. It doesn't mean that this guarantees your protection from parents filing a runaway report on you but it at least helps to know where you stand before you leave. Have you put together a plan yet for what you intend to you and what you hope to do to survive away from home. We empathize with your situation very much and wonder what exactly brought you to this point. It sounds like a lot going on and that you have had it and want out. We imagine the urgency comes from stress but there are other alternative to living a stress free live. Have you thought about another plan? What are the chances of living with a relative or staying with one for the summer? Can you tell us more about what you are dealing with at home that is causing you so much stress in order for us to help you come up with ways to cope. What are some things you can do to distract yourself more from the situation at home? Have you thought about doing other productive activities to get away more from your home? It helps to have a routine to keep yourself busy enough to avoid the small stuff from adding up. Do you have someone you can turn to for support at this time?

As mandated reporters, we are positioned to report abuse but we can also work as an advocate by finding you resources in your city. If you are interested in finding a shelter, we can help with that. Have you thought about attending Job Corps? This agency is national and helps young people with vocational training, shelter, food, and residential GED. The number to reach them is 1800-733-5627. Are you in school? What is your plan to continue going if you decided to leave home? Have you considered emancipation? If you are able to prove that you are capable of managing your own financial and social affairs, this is always one option for you. Why do you think your parents intend on sending you to a group home? We imagine hearing this from them led to more stress but if by any chance we can ease some of that fear, let us explain that it takes a lot more than just wanting to leave home. Some courts expect that before your parents take this route, that they have already exhausted all other options and your parents need to prove to a judge that you are out of control or a danger to yourself or others. Is there anyway for them to link you to this category? Most of them involve you not going to school, open defiance to their rules and incorrigible. These are some of the information we have for you if you were to give us a call at our 1800RUNAWAY number. We are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are confidential and anonymous. The important thing is knowing that no one is going to judge you here and no one is going to know that you called us for information. Ultimately, if you are in need of someone to talk to, if you even wanted to vent for a while, we are here to support you. Please let us know how we can help and we look forward to hearing from you. Good luck.

-NRS