17 year old runaway turning 18

[ccsmod15]

Re:

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you can’t stay where you’ve been living but aren’t allowed to leave because of your probation status. That sounds like a really difficult situation to be in, and we’re glad you reached out to us.

While we aren’t legal experts, it is likely that running away could cause more severe consequences due to your probation status. Is there anyone else you can talk to about what’s making you want to leave the place you’re currently staying? Maybe a friend, relative, counselor at school, or even your probation officer or a social worker? It may be helpful to talk to someone else if you can think of someone you can trust.

It also sounds like you’re looking for legal information about whether certain charges will be dropped when you turn 18. As we mentioned, we are not legal experts, and we have not been trained in legal services so we cannot provide legal advice, but we can provide you with some resources that may be able to answer your specific questions. Because things like this very depending on what city and state you’re in, if you can provide us with that information we can provide basic information and provide resources for you. If you want to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we can also provide those over the phone or talk through other options with you. We are here 24/7 and would be happy to help in whatever way we can.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

17 and Pregnant

Hi i live in dallas tx im 17 and pregnant and my father has sole custody over me after i told him i was pregnant he hit me days later i ran away to my mom house in oklahoma he came and got me with a judges order and brought me back to texas. I now live in a shelter and my dad and i are goin to court to make me stay here until im 18 which is in November. If i was to leave the shelter before any decision was made in the courts what would be the possible consequences?

[ccsmod15]

Re: 17 year old runaway turning 18

Hello!

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline, we are glad that you are contacting us and that you are trying to find a solution to your problems.

Sounds like living with your dad was rough for you, and we are sorry that you had to go through this. Whenever your dad hit you, if you told anyone about that, it could possibly help your case that it’s not safe for you to live with him.
It also sounds like you are wanting to run away from the homeless shelter, since you are 17 and still considered a minor by law, if you were to leave the shelter, they have the right to call the police and file a runaway report, and with that report the authorities could potentially be looking for you. However, here at the National Runaway Safeline we are not legal experts, so we can’t say for certain what could happen, but we can definitely try to find a legal resources that could potentially be helpful for you. The agency that I was able to find in Dallas is The Dallas Bar Association their phone number is (214)220-7400, you can reach out to them and explain to them your situation into further detail and ask them why you are calling.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we understand how difficult, and how much stress being pregnant can be on top of everything else that you are having to deal with. If you need any help with anything related to your pregnancy, you can contact Planned Parenthood in Dallas, TX. The phone number to this agency is (214) 373-1485. You can call them here and explain to them if you need any help planning your pregnancy.

Also, you can contact us here at the National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and explore more of your options with us, and also you can let us know into further detail more about what is going on in your life. We also have a live chat that you can find on our website (www.1800runaway.org) it is open 4:30pm-11:30pm CST and we will always be there to help you.
Again, want to thank you for reaching out to us, and hopefully our response was helpful. Remember we are available 24/7 and always available to help you.

Good luck!
NRS

[Unregistered]

Re: 15 and should I

Hi Im 15 and i want to runaway. My family is driving me crazy mainly my grandma. Shes always nagging about something so small and i would usually nit care because it was over something stupid. I would ignore it but now shes taking it to a whole new level. I use to be suicidal but Im not anymore furthermore, she thinks Im crazy and tht Im doing drugs and having sex which Im not. Shes pushing the limit and I dont knoe what to do anymore. Im lost but I was wondering if I were to runaway would I get charged with anything. And If i already left the house would the police come for me.

[ccsmod7]

Re: 17 year old runaway turning 18

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us and sharing your story. We’re sorry to hear that you are going through so much stress with your grandma. It’s understandable that you would feel like you’ve had enough of being accused of behavior that you’re not doing. You ask some really good questions.

If you leave home without permission, your parents/guardians could report you as a runaway and the police would be authorized to return you home. If you are reported as a runaway it’s typically just a status offense so it’s not really something you can get arrested for or would go on a juvenile record; however, sometimes people helping runaways are at risk for charges such as harboring a runaway. This charge is often considered a misdemeanor, but might be something to explore if you or whoever you would be staying with are concerned.

It sounds like you’ve had to overcome a lot. You mentioned that you were suicidal prior. It takes a lot to overcome that and we commend you for your strength. There's definitely a lot to think about when running, like who you would stay with, how you would get there, how you would enroll in school, and how you would pay for things. We are happy to discuss with you some safe options specific to your situation if you decide to call or chat with us. We’re here 24/7 to listen and talk through whatever you need help with.

Stay strong,
NRS

[Unregistered]

What kind of things happen with the police if you are turning 18 in three weeks, two weeks, or even a week but you run away and stay missing until the weeks are up to get out of a toxic house hold and to where you have guaranteed job, convienent location in walking distance to ur college and alt school to make up credit for a fast diploma, car, and optional rent payed to friends?
After (if) they question everyone that would have helped you when they are looking, what happens? What do they do if they find you and you are already 18? What if they don't believe you? What if you don't have any certificate or proof with you?

[ccsmod6]

Re:

Hello and thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS).
It seems you are so close to turning 18 but may feel like the next several weeks can become too overwhelming and difficult to wait which can be understandable. It sounds like you have several questions about leaving home while on the verge of turning 18. We are not legal experts so we cannot really give a definitive answer to your questions. Depending on where you live and what police protocol is for a runaway minor, a range of things could occur. Generally, local law enforcement or a legal resource would better be able to answer those questions. If you needed help finding resources and contact information for those agencies, please reach out soon so that we can provide that to you. Some cases result in very little to no action while others may be more severe. Most states have laws against harboring a runaway minor so anyone you stay with may face legal charges or other legal consequence if they willingly take you in without permission from your parent/guardian.

If you were to have turned 18 already and police found you, they may not be able to do much of anything if are considered your own legal guardian at that point. All in all, it seems you would benefit from talking about your situation. We are here to listen and to help in any way we can. If you would like to talk more about what's going on or if we can provide you with any resources (legal aid, shelters, etc) please reach out soon so that we can provide you with support. It is ultimately your decision to leave or stay. It's great that you are trying to explore the possibilities of what may come of your leaving.

We look forward to your call or chat soon.

Good luck and be safe,

NRS

[Unregistered]

i am 17 almost 18

If i am on probation and home in a trial home placement and i runaway till i am 18 which will be in 3 months could i still get in trouble when i turn 18

[ccsmod16]

Re: 17 year old runaway turning 18

Hi there –

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like things are not going well in your trial home placement, which must be tough. We’re glad you reached out for help.

We are not legal experts, but we know that running away is not illegal. So, you cannot get into legal trouble for leaving your placement, even after you turn 18. A few things you should consider if you decide to leave are finding a place to stay that is safe and where you are not breaking the rules of your probation. If you want to understand the legal issues in this situation more, we can provide you with the contact information for legal services near you.

Also, do you have anyone you can talk to about what’s going on with your trial home placement? A friend, family member, or other adult? It can be helpful to have someone to talk with about the situation and options if you decide to leave.

If you’d like to call us we can talk with you more about your situation and provide you with the contact information for legal resources near you. We can also call out to your local police department to see how they handle runway and harboring a minor situations. You can reach us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Stay strong!

NRS

[Unregistered]

17 year old turning 18 in a month runs away from abusive dad

Seventeen year old male has obvious signs of abuse from father over being caught smelling of cigarette smoke. Mother tells son to lie to work mates about the marks. If the seventeen year old stays at a friends house until he feels it's safe to go home, can he legally be sought after and returned home? He has over 7,000 dollars saved up from two jobs in a joint account that his parents set up- can he legally get to that money without punishment considering the circumstances? I'm not sure what my best advice for him would be.

[ccsmod16]

Re: 17 year old turning 18 in a month runs away from abusive dad

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like the youth has been going through a hard time at home. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. It is great to see that you are looking out for the youth when it is easy to look the other away and ignore other’s problems. It takes great courage to reach out for help and we are glad that you contacted us.
Here at the National Runaway Safeline we are able to help file an abuse report if that is an option for the youth. The youth could additionally call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 to get more information about the steps in filing an abuse report and possible outcomes of filing a report. It sounds like the youth is not in a safe place right now. If you call us at our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-786-2929 or live chat with us from 4:30 PM – 11:30 PM CST we can help find a safe youth shelter as an alternate place to stay for them. He could additionally browse http://nationalsafeplace.org/ for safe places in their neighborhood.
Running away from home can be hard in many cases. While we are not legal experts running away under 18 is a status offence and if a police report is filed the police can bring the youth back home and whoever they are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway, which could have legal consequences. Since we are not legal experts we are not really sure what might happen if there would be any legal consequences for taking the money but if you call us at our 24 hour confidential hotline or live chat with us we would be happy to provide you any legal aid resources. The youth might also want to think about living expenses, and rent they might have to pay if they are to leave and how long could they live off on their savings. It can be helpful to calculate all expenses before making a decision.
It certainly sounds like a really hard situation and it seem that you are trying to do the right thing and reaching out for help before giving any advice to the youth. We hope to hear from you soon and which you the best.
Best,
NRS

[Unregistered]

If I'm 17 and on probation in Arkansas and runaway until I'm 18 can I still be arrested?

[ccsmod10]

Re:

Hello There!

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It's a great first step to finding the help and answers that you may need. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time right now.
We are not legal experts here, but being on probation is a serious thing. There are typically requirements that need to be met during the time you are on probation, such as going to school, getting a job, community service, abiding by curfew. These are just some possible examples and could vary by case. Running away could be considered a violation of this probation and a warrant can be placed for your arrest. One way to know exactly is asking your probation officer what not living at home would mean for you.

We hope this helps.

Best Wishes,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I'm 17 turning 18 in three weeks

Hey can the police take me back home if I leave right now I'm turning 18 like in three weeks.

[ccsmod1]

RE:I'm 17 turning 18 in three weeks

Thanks for reaching out for help. You ask a good question. Since you are under the age of 18, if you leave home you could be considered a runaway. This means that your parent or legal guardian could call the police, who might force you to return home. Running away is not a crime, however anyone who allows you to stay with them could risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway.
We are not legal experts. Laws are different from state to state, county to county, city to city. In some areas, police might not take a runaway report for youth who are close to turning 18, or they might take a report but not force a youth to return home. Since your birthday is so soon, there is a good chance they might not make you return home. However, how a local police department responds to the situation can vary drastically. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are. You can always reach out to us if you need to talk. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, and we can help you make a plan to stay safe. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.