17 year old runaway turning 18

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RE: Dhs runaway

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you want to leave DHS when you turn 18. We are not legal experts, so we cannot say for sure what the laws in your state are, but we can do our best to answer in genera. When a you turn 18, you are considered a legal adult. In most cases, any person over 18 is not considered a runaway because they have reached the age of majority, which means they have a right to live where they want to. You might even be able to sign yourself out. Leaving without signing yourself out might make it difficult for you to get any services if you need to come back for some reason. If you aren't sure, a good way to find out would be to ask your case worker or social worker if you can sign yourself at 18, and what would happen if you don't. If you need help coming up with a plan for how to stay safe, we are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us any time. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

Dhs run away

Hi, I'm 17 about to be 18 and a couple of days and I am in dhs. I was wondering if I ran away once I turn 18 from dhs will I get and any type of trouble

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Re: 18 in one month

Hello and thanks for reaching out on our online forum. It sounds like you’ve only got a month to go until your 18th birthday and are trying to figure out a way to leave home. We imagine it is stressful living with constant fighting in a crowded household. Not being able to see your friends or boyfriend sounds like it would only add to the stress and frustration. We aren’t legal experts, but do recognize how things might be easier from a legal standpoint if you are able to wait until 18. If not, it might just depend on how your local law enforcement views 17 year old runaways/youth leaving home. If you need help figuring out a plan, we’d be happy to talk to you about that. We encourage you to try out our Live Chat whenever you get the chance. Best of luck!

18 in one month

I'm about to turn 18 in one month. I love with my mom and aunt and uncle. All together there is 10 of us in a house which we can't all fit in. There is constant fighting between all of us and I have a boyfriend who my mom cannot stand and she will not let me see him. We have been together for over a year and we want to live together. He already has a house and car and a job. He just turned 19 in September. I don't know what to do. My mom won't let me see him as well as any of my friends cause she's mad that I am with him. But I'm about to turn 18 In a month can she really not let me see my boyfriend or friends ? Can I move out without any consequences ?

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Re: 17 turning 18 in 3 months.

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out on our forum. It sounds like you and your fiancé are pretty serious about moving out together.
We recognize some states view 17 as a gray area and may not actively search for a 17 year-old runaway even if parents/guardians file a runaway/missing juvenile report. We also understand that some states view 17 as a minor in civil or status offenses (such as running away) and as an adult for criminal offenses.

One option for a more direct answer would be to reach out to your local law enforcement. If you aren’t comfortable calling on your own, perhaps you could have someone else call on your behalf. Or, you could always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY and we could try calling out for you. Hopefully that helps and feel free to reach out on our Live Chat or hotline for further assistance.

17 turning 18 in 3 months.

I'm 17 and turning 18 in a few months. My fiance and I are wanting to get a place together. I know my parents wouldn't agree to it because they still see me as a minor. If I just leave can they file a report on me and if so could the cops come find me?
My fiance told me his attorney had told him that the police wouldn't look for me due to that I am almost 18.
We live in Texas btw

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Re: What do I do?

Hello-

Thanks for calling the National Runaway Safeline. We are very sorry to hear that things at home are getting pretty bad. It must be very stressful to live in an environment where your mother’s boyfriend is controlling every decision that is made. It is understandable that you are having feelings of depression, especially if you are unable to see your brother and other family members anymore. We are very happy you reached out to us today, and we will help you in any way we can.

You mentioned that you ran away before and were arrested. You then asked us if you could run away without getting into trouble. We are not legal experts but we do know that running away is just a status offense, which means that you cannot get into any legal trouble for running away. The only thing that police can do is bring you back home. With that being said, we are unsure if you would get into any trouble with your mom or her boyfriend if you ended up back home. When you are under the age of 18, once you leave home without the permission of your legal guardian, your guardian has the right to do whatever they can to bring you back home. This means they can file a runaway report with the police to report that you left, and, as we described earlier, the police could bring you back home if they know where to find you. Your guardian also has the right to press charges against any adult that is ‘harboring a runaway’. This means that if you stay with someone that is 18 years old or older, and your mom finds out, she can press charges against that adult for helping you run away.

If you still decide that running away is the best option for you, we urge that you do so as safely as possible. This could involve making a plan to insure your safety. A plan could include knowing where you will go live, how you will get there, and how you will survive (eat and pay for things) once you get there. We also recommend that if you do decide to runaway to have a cell phone with you if you can. That way, if there is an emergency you can contact someone for help.

You also mentioned Emancipation and it seems you want to avoid it. We are unsure exactly what you are asking about Emancipation, but we can explain to you what that is and give you general information about how the process works. Emancipation is when a minor (someone under the age of 18 ) is freed from control by his or her parents or guardians, and the parents or guardians are freed from any and all responsibility toward the child. The laws regarding emancipation are different in every state, so we can’t tell you exactly how it works. What we know is that emancipation is granted by court and the process usually takes a long time. In order for the court to grant emancipation to a minor, there needs to be proof that the minor is able to support him or herself on their own and in some cases they will need to have their parents’ permission to get emancipated. Your parents can’t force you to get emancipated, this would be a thing you would have to agree to. For more specific details on what you would need in order to file for emancipation please visit this website (http://bostoncoop.net/lcd/emancipati..._appendix.html). This is a helpful little website that will guide you through that process of filing for your emancipation if you choose to try that option.

We understand you are going through a very difficult situation at home right now, and it can get frustrating. Sometimes talking to someone that you trust can be a great way to get support and come up with ways to deal with what is going on. Any adult you trust, like an aunt or uncle or a school counselor, could be a great person to talk to.

We are also here to talk to you about anything that is going on. We would love to hear from you and provide you support in any way you may need. We are a 24/7 confidential hotline, which means we are available any time of the day and anything we talk about stays between us. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.

What do I do?

I am about to turn sixteen in a week. My situation at home just keeps getting worse and worse and i'm not sure what to do. My moms boyfriend is really controlling of everyones decisions. They have been together for about two years now and things have gone down a bad road. He kicked my brother out about a year ago and I am unable to see him and other family members whom I used to see everyday. I have depression and I really cannot stand waiting any longer. I've been arrested as a runaway before. Is there anyway I can leave and not get into trouble without being emancipated?

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RE: A mother who is curious

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are under a lot of stress with your daughter having been gone for two years now. Is often helpful to reach out for help to talk about some options for her and to help keep her safe. If you or she can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we would be happy to explore some options and resources that are beneficial to you and your daughter.

Please reach out by phone or chat soon.

Take care,

NRS

A mother who is curious

Hi im a mother who is worried about my daughter she ran away from child haven when she was 15 it's been almost 2 years since I've seen my family an close friends I been doing what I can say little buy little but I'm quite curious when I she turns 18 is there going to be any worries I mean this is difficult for young kids to feel unsafe were ever they go they shouldn't worry what's going to happen an what's not going to happen I'm just looking at my own perspective im very worried I shouldnt have to deal with such a hard thing knowing my daughter is a run away from a place that hurt her an she is hiding till she is 18 so she can be free I mean this is just wrong this shouldn't be a punishment for her well it's her choice she is way better being out in the world then getting hurt from governmentcial places that have no clue what there doing...

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re: I am 17 turning 18 in 4 months

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you have some questions about running away. There’s a lot to think about, and we want to help the best way that we can. We do want to let you know that we aren’t legal experts, so we don’t know what exactly would happen to you in your city/state.

In general, some states do consider 17 to be a minor. Every state is different, so we can’t really say what the police will do if you leave. Usually, if a runaway report is made, a youth would be taken back to their parents/legal guardian. That also varies. If the police don’t know who you’re staying with it may be hard to take you back home. Sometimes the police would actively look for you, some places it depends if you come in contact with them. A lot of the questions on what would happen, is really up to the police discretion. The local police non-emergency number is a good place to call if you have specific questions about what will happen if you leave.

If you need to, you can always contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We can talk about any possible options that you are thinking about. We can also call the police with you to ask some of those questions. Please note that we offer a live chat via our website at www.1800runaway.org every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST.

Take care and stay safe,

NRS

I am 17 turning 18 in 4 months

I am running away soon and maybe staying with my boyfriend. If the cops don't find any evidence that I am with my boyfriend will they still keep investigating him? And can my parents press any changes against him? Also will the police even bother to look for me since I only have 4 months till my birthday?

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Re: 17 year old runaway turning 18

Hey-

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. I’m sorry to hear you are going through a rough time at home with your mom. It is not ok that your mom is verbally abusing you. No one deserves to be abused no matter what the abuse is. It is completely understandable that you want to get out in order to avoid that kind of treatment. It is great you are thinking about the well-being of the people you care about and want to avoid getting them in trouble. You seem like a very caring person. We are really glad you reached out to us today and we will help you out in any way we can.

You had a few questions about leaving home before you turn 18 and we will try to address each topic. You mentioned you don’t want the police to try and come find you, and asked if they would. Since you are under the age of 18, you can only go live with someone else if you have permission from your parent/guardian. If you do not get permission, but decide to leave anyways, you will be considered a runaway. At this point your parents/guardians have the right to do whatever they can to bring you back home. One option your parent/guardian can take is to call the police and file a runaway or missing person’s report. If the police know where you are, they will pick you up and take you back home. It is important to mention that although we are not legal experts, we can say that it is not against the law for a minor to run away. This means that you would not get into any legal trouble if you left, but the police could try to take you back home. Sometimes when you are closer to the age of 18 the police won’t make as many efforts to come find you, but that depends on the police department and we cannot guarantee that they will not come get you if your mom finds out where you are. You could contact your local police department and just ask general questions about what they would, or would not do, in that situation.

If you run away, your parents also have the option to file charges against any adult you are staying with. This means if you are staying with him, your mom could press charges against your boyfriend for ‘harboring a runway’ and he could get into legal trouble. If you are not staying with him then he would not get into any trouble with the law. If he is honest with the police and does not hide anything he is more likely to not get into any trouble. These are all scenarios that could happen, but nothing is guaranteed. We just want to give you all the information necessary so that you can make a decision that is best for you.

We urge you to give us a call. We would love to talk to you about what is going on at home. Over the phone we can get all the information necessary to provide you with any resource you may need. We can also provide you with support and help you come up with ways to best deal with your current situation. Our 24/7 confidential hotline number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

Im 17 turning 18 in 5 months

Hello I am currently 17 and turning 18 in 5 months. I am also currently going to school, but my parents told me to drop out since its most likely I won't even graduate this year. I know I can go back next year. Lately they have been verbally abusing me, and my brother and I don't blame them; we haven't been the best kids. I find it strange since my mom has always told us that we would end up dropping out either way. I can't take anymore of their verbal abuse, they keep telling everyone about how bad kids me and my brother turned out to be. I have an idea of where to go, but I just don't want the police to bring me home again, and I don't want to be charged for truancy. I know you can't give us any advice, but I would like to know if the police would most likely look for me since I only have 5 months till my 18th birthday? And I am not planning on asking anyone to help since I know they will get into trouble if they find me. Will they also take my 22 year old boyfriend to jail if they think he has me hiding? And to keep things clear I won't bring him into my choice I don't want him to get into trouble.

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RE: Just want information

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are considering running away. That is a huge decision, and we are here to help. 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. 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. Another thing to consider is where you will stay, and how you will survive. If you need help making a plan, don’t hesitate to call! We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.