17 year old runaway turning 18

[Guest]

Hi I'm 17 I'll be 18 in September I'm due in June 3 months before my birthday I am a runaway from dhs will dhs leave me alone because I'm so close to my birthday

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for writing in. We’re not legal experts, but we can speak generally. Generally speaking, 18 is the age at which you can leave without guardian consent (in this case, DHS is your legal guardian). If you leave, DHS will likely file a runaway report. If the police are able to locate you, they will likely return you. That being said, we’ve sometimes seen police choose not to pursue a 17-year-old runaway, but we don’t know which police stations have which policies. If you’d feel comfortable, you can call your local non-emergency police line and ask about the situation hypothetically. If you’d like, we can also make that call for you if you call into our hotline. If you want to talk about your situation more specifically, please feel free to reach out to us anytime at 1-800-786-2929. Best of luck.

[Guest]

So I’m 17 and I’ve been on the run from division of youth services for about 2 months now which is basically just Juvy in Missouri but i turn 18 in 2 months so i was wondering what will happen when i turn myself in before my 18th birthday because they can’t keep you past your 18th birthday i don’t think so anyways

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure what will happen when you turn yourself in. You could try contacting your caseworker before you turn yourself in. You may also want to consider reaching out to your local police through their non emergency phone number. If you don't feel comfortable contacting the police, we could call them for you. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), or email.

[Guest]

My friend who is 13 has no freedom or friends and is abused is wondering if they ran away till they were 18 could they get in trouble after returning home at 18 or does the indiana law of all charges as minor is dropped and can not be brought up in an adult case if true please help

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It's great that you are trying to find help and resources for your friend.

One thing your friend can do is file an abuse report if they feel unsafe. You can reach out to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 to get more information on abuse reporting or they are there to listen and to support if your friend just needs someone to talk to or for advice.

Another thing your friend should consider would be how they are going to survive if they run away. They can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and we can help them action plan and go through their options with them. Does your friend have any other support from a family member or other adult that they could reach out to for some of these answers? If not, we are here 24/7 and here to listen.

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

Hi so I've left home like 4 weeks ago but i just turned 18 and i wanted to know what's gonna happen since i was reported run away. No one told me to leave home i just left on my own and I've been doing good on my own since i left home.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure what will happen now that you are 18. In most states, 18 year old's are considered legal adults. We are happy to hear that you have been doing good on your own. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions or concerns, via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

[Guest]

I’m 17, I turn 18 in 4 months. My home life is horrible, I’m emotionally and physically abused here. If I leave and my parents call the cops as I’m a runaway could I get in trouble even after the fact? I’m 18. Like if I hide out and lay low until my birthday. I live in Tennessee .

[ccsmod4]

Reply:I’m 17, I turn 18 in 4 months.

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

Keep in mind that we are not legal experts and can only answer in general about any runaway laws.
The age of majority in Tennessee is 18. Most likely you would no longer be considered a runaway once you reach your 18^th birthday by the police. You might consider contacting the non-emergency number of your local police department to get some clarity about the runaway laws in your state.
A question you might ask is – if someone ran away from home at 17 would that person still be considered a runaway once they turn 18? It is best to call during normal business hours.

You are welcome to contact NRS and ask one of our crisis service liners to contact the police on your behalf and pose your question. You may listen in to hear what response the police give.
To contact NRS call 1-800 –Runaway (786-2929).

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 18 now what will happen if i runaway now? My dad is accusing me of doing things that i am not and its all a long story and i just want to move out and find somewhere else to live. What can he do about this if i leave and do not return home?

[ccsmod3]

Hi,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It takes a lot of courage to be able to explain your situation to us. We want to help you in the best way possible. No one should feel accused of things they have not done. You mentioned that you are considering moving out and finding somewhere else to live. If this is something that you do end up deciding to do, it is important to think about how you are going to take care of yourself, what could happen, and any possible alternative solutions as well. Depending on your state’s age of majority, you could be considered a runaway if you were under that specific age. This would mean that while you would not have a legal offense against you, you would have a status offense as a runaway. If you were to live with someone at this point, given you are under the age of majority, those who you live with could run into legal issues. Your father could also file a runaway report as well. Again, this is if you are under the age of majority. If the age of 18 is the majority in your state, it you have the right to live where you wish to live. You father would not have the right to call the police and file a runaway report. These are all important things to think about before making a decision. However, it is up to you to decide what is best for your situation.

Please do not hesitate to call us as we are available 24/7/. You can reach us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We wish you the best of luck and if you ever want to chat give us a call.

-NRS

[Guest]

Hey
I am 17 years old and I'm about to turn 18 in March of 2018 I ran away from a residential program a month ago and I am hoping to stay out until I'm 18 and then turn myself in but I'm nervous on doing that and Im in a messed up position

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a tough situation and are unsure of what to do. If you want to talk more about your situation and what is going on with you don't hesitate to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We could walk through options with you and action plan what you think would be best for you in your situation.

Let us know how we can best help,

NRS

[Guest]

hi my girlfriend ran away and she about to turn 17 she need one more yr to turn 18 when she turn 18 while the run away be dropped or will it remain open oh and with the social workers stop looking for her

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you r girlfriend has the plan to run away from home and your ae trying to get more information for her. We are glad that you came to us for answers because there can be a lot of misleading information online.
We want you to know that we are not legal professionals so everything we say here is just general information that we have gathered over the years. To our knowledge if a youth was to leave home at the age of 17 and were to remain gone until the age of majority, they would no longer be considered a runaway. Her name might still be in the system but there would be nothing that anyone can do about her not living at home.
Additionally, your girlfriend can always call us to talk about what you are going through and receive some support. We provide free, confidential, and nonjudgmental services. Everyone deserves to be respected and loved. 1-800-786-2929
Best wishes,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 17 turning 18 in 6 months and I want to move out now. I hate living here with my mom and brother. I have thought about emancipation for almost 2 years now and I just don't have the money for it but in Minnesota it says as long as your parent gives you consent and goes to the courthouse and lets them know they are signing over there rights I am technically emancipated. My mom won't give me consent to move out. I know where I would live and who I would live with. I will finish school out in Arizona and I will get a job out there. My mom still refuses to say yes. I hate being here because my brother is verbally abusive and all I do is fight with my mom and him. My 20 year old boyfriend lives out there with his older brother and they already said I could live with them. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I have thought about running away several times and I am really close to doing it this time but I am afraid that my boyfriend could get in trouble cause they allowed a runaway in their house and I am afraid my mom or someone I know will call the cops on me. What do I do and how do I leave asap?

[ccsmod6]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are dealing with a tough situation. Here at NRS, we truly want to help you during this difficult time. You mentioned that you have been thinking about emancipation for almost 2 years. We are not legal experts, but typically to become emancipated minors would have to show that they could provide for themselves and show a reason of needing to become emancipated. If you want to know for sure of how to become emancipated you can reach out to an attorney in your state.
It sounds like you have been dealing with a lot at home. We are glad that you reached out to NRS and would like to help you think through things safely. You mentioned that you were thinking of moving out without the permission of your mom. We are not legal experts and cannot tell you what you should or should not do Generally speaking, if a minor under the age of 18 was to leave or run away from home without permission, they could potentially be filed as a runaway. It is not illegal to run away from home but if the police found you they would make you return home. You also mentioned that you were afraid that your boyfriend could get into trouble. Again, we are not legal experts, but generally speaking when a youth run away from home the person they are staying with could potentially be charged with harboring a youth. In addition, if you contact us directly we can help you reach out to your local police department to see what may actually happen.
We hope that this information is helpful to you and appreciate you reaching out to NRS for help. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly through our 24 hour confidential hotline 1-800-786-2929 to discuss more options.

[Guest]

I'm 15, 16 in November.
I've been depressed since I was 12 and it's gotten so much worse for me. My mom and sister don't help one bit, my sister puts me down any chance she gets, my mom gaslights, threatens to punish me when I try to defend myself, etc and is the main reason I use unhealthy ways of coping. I live in Virginia and I want to get out so badly. My mom won't let me stay anywhere else, even if it's just for a few days, and my dad would be no help, even if I went back to talking to him, but I stopped because he's abusive. I've gone over this several times and I'm not scared to do it, I just have nowhere to go for the time being, and I don't know what would happen if I was to get caught. Another thing is my boyfriend is in a situation close to mine: abusive parents, unhealthy ways of coping, etc. He lives in Canada and I have no way of helping him more. He may be coming to America in March, we were planning to make our escape then, but would he be considered and illegal immigrant at 18 or younger? He's also 15 and will be 16 in January of 2019. Staying in our homes isn't the best choice for our physical or mental health. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

It sounds like you've been going through a lot for quite some time. Is there a counselor or other adult at school that you think you can turn to during this time? It can be difficult to have a conversation with your mom if she's often putting you down. Sometimes it can be helpful to have another adult around when you’re trying to talk to your mom so that they can stand up for you and try to keep the conversation calm and fair. Here at NRS, we also offer a conference call service and can help you have that conversation with your mom. We can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) 24/7 so just let us know if that is something that you would be interested in. We are also here to just listen and help you walk through your options.

We are not legal experts, but because you are a minor, if you runaway and your mom or his parents file a runaway report you would most likely be returned home by the police. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a runaway. If you give us a call we could talk more about what all of that could mean for you and about what other actions you could possibly take. We could look up resources for you about emancipation and child abuse reporting. Give us a call so we can best help.

Good luck,

NRS

[Guest]

Hi I'm 17 and I live in Oregon. Now I'm thinking about running away and backpacking across the US with some friends. I'e heard that the cops can' bring me home if I'm 17 and run away. Can the cops pick me up and bring me home if I run away at 17? Or are they not able to do anything and I'm free to get away?

[ccsmod5]

Thanks for reaching out to us. It can be hard asking for help, but we're glad you did. If you're looking to run away and go backpacking, you must be going through a pretty difficult time at home, so we want to go over some options for you.

In terms of running away from home, and while we are not legal experts, the age of majority in Oregon is 18, so while running away from home is not a crime, it is a status offense. What that means, is that the police could have you returned if it's reported by your parents/guardians. At times though the police do not go after youth that have runaway at 17, but that is totally up to the police and legally they can have you returned since you are not 18.

Without knowing what's going on at home, it's hard to give you too many options there, but can only imagine you must be having a really challenging time. We are here 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929 if you want to call and talk more with us. There are some things that could help also, like talking to other family or friends, or reaching out to someone at school. If you know other adults that could talk to your parents/guardians that's an option too. Sometimes taking your mind off things by listening to music or watching movies can really help too. Finally we do offer conference calling, if you think it might help talking with us and your parents/guardians at the same time.

Hopefully we've offered some help and options, and remember we are are here 24/7 if you want to call us. We're here to listen. Here to help. Best of luck!