17 year old runaway turning 18

6 Days Til I'm 18

Hello,
I'm turning 18 in 6 days, my mother I feel is emotionally and psychologically abusing me. I feel trapped and I don't know what to do. Should I wait til i'm 18 and leave, or should I leave now?

[ccsmod9]

RE: 17 year old runaway turning 18

Thank you so much for contacting the National Runaway Safeline, we really appreciate the opportunity to hear your story. Indeed, we're here to listen; here to help. We want to commend you for taking the courage to reach out to us and for knowing your own situation and self enough to decide what type of environment you'd like to live in and to be brave enough to change your situation and circumstances. No doubt, it was a difficult but necessary choice for you to come to.

As you may know, running away, just like skipping school, is a status offense that comes with its list of consequences for youth who are younger than the age of majority. If you decide to run, your parents could file a runaway report. In many states, local police typically return youth back home to their parents/guardians. There are also risks for those who allow you to stay with them as a runaway. Those helping a runaway could be charged with harbouring a runaway. The penalty varies by state and could include fines. For more information on status offenses like truancy and running away, check out the links below:

http://www.denbar.org/docs/Introduction%20to%20Juvenile%20Law.pdf?ID=124

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/juvenile-law-status-offenses-32227.html

The first link may be particularly relevant to your situation and your questions about truancy because it states that in Colorado truancy is a status offense for children between the ages of 7-16. As for the consequences of a status offense after one turns 18, this link may prove useful to you:

http://public.getlegal.com/legal-info-center/juvenile-justice/status-offenses

It also appears that you are concerned about finishing your high school education. Due to your fears of truancy, it looks like you are saying you would much rather complete your GED. That is certainly an option--and there are others as well. Under the McKinney Vento Act, homeless youth receive full rights to attend school without the help of a parent or guardian. See this link for more information and to learn the name of Colorado's State Coordinator:

http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/homeless_index

It is our hope that this information would prove useful to you and your situation. Please note the National Runaway Safeline does not make any claim to be legal experts, agents of law enforcement, or lawyers. We are in no way authorized to provide any sort of legal advice. We urge people who need legal consultation to contact their local legal aid clinic and/or local law enforcement. For more individualized support, we urge you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or to use our interactive chat that is available 7 days a week from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time.

Best of Luck!

The National Runaway Safeline

17 year old runaway turning 18

I've recently turned 17, I have 2 semesters of highschool to finish, and I currently live in colorado. Now I've already made up my mind to leave home, there isn't anything left for me here. Now if I get caught before I turn 18, my understanding is that I will be brought home and maybe charged with truancy because I have yet to finish highschool. I want to finish highschool more than anything but if I leave I can't enroll in highschool where I will be living because I wouldn't have my parents and everything. So I'm planning on returning when I'm 18 to finish highschool or even get my GED. With that being said, if I was to be brought back before I'm 18, what are the charges I would be faced with, and if I return after I am 18 could I still be charged?

[ccsmod5]

Re: 15 turning 16 in june running away

Hey,
Thanks for reaching out to us and sharing the details of your situation. It sounds like you're going through an intense time and seeking answers. We'll try and help out as best as we can. While we're not experts at ANY situation, perse, we can provide support or find agencies that can.

It sounds like stuff at home with your mom has always been difficult and abusive. No one deserves to be treated that way. And even though your mom has gone from physical abuse to emotional/verbal abuse, that's still not something you should have to go through. Have you told anyone about it? Other than your boyfriend, are there people that support you and see things from you rperspective?

We're not sure what the answer to your situation would be but we can explian what things look like when minors leave home without permission. And since you're 15/16, you'd be considered a minor.

The main thing to look at is that you're being mistreated and verbally/emtionally abused. One thing that you can do is report that abuse. Sometimes social services will welcome that report and investigate it and other times they'll deem it as 'unfounded' or not something they can help with. Social services is the only organization that can pull custody away from an abusive parent.

We're not sure what would happen if you were picked up but if your mom makes a runaway report with the police, they'll probably have to return you home. You may not be put in jail (because running from home usually isn't considered a crime in most states) but a runaway report makes it difficult for you to stay gone from home.

If you'd like to explore your options and talk about what resources are available to you, please call us at 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We're anonymous, confidential and available 24/7. We're here to listen, here to help.

Best,
NRS

15 turning 16 in june running away

hello im 15 year old in indiana and im so done with my mothers emotional abuse everyday she locks me in the house and tells everyone that i smoke pot and i have sex. and she used to abuse me physically when i was a child until about i was the age of 10 then she stopped but she has continued the emotional abuse. i know i probably sound like a baby but i have lived with it my whole life feeling useless and like i was a piece of crap and i have decided to leave until i was 18. but i don't know if i would be sent to jail if i was caught before i was 18? what would happen if i end up leaving the state and had no contact with my family until i was 18? i don't know i need help i know i am leaving and my boyfriend is coming with me he said that he loves me to much to let me be alone and so i have him. pleas ehelp me

[ccsmod4]

RE: running away until your 18...

Hi,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
We are not experts in the law so we cannot tell you what if any consequences might exist in the situation between your friend and her fiancé. If you like you might try http://www.unitedway.org/ and type in your zip code for the nearest United Way information and referral service in your area.
You can then look for legal aid services where you may be able to get more specific information in the law on this matter.
Does that make sense?

If you’d like you can give your friend our 24hr crisis line number at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) and we would be happy to explore any options and or legal aid referrals in her area. She can also opt to visit the NRS website www.1800Runaway.org and visit our live chat option available 4:30pm until 11:30pm (CST) to discuss her situation.

Thank you again for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
Take Care

running away until your 18...

my friend ran away with her fiance a few months ago and is turning 18 in about 20 days. her fiance is quite a bit older than her and has been keeping her at his house. if she doesnt return until she is 18 what are the consequences for her and her fiance?

[ccsmod8]

re: My Mother Hit Me

Hi and thanks for contacting us. You are so brave to reach out in such a difficult time. We are so sorry to hear that you are in such an unsafe situation. Nothing you do or say will ever make it ok for your mom to hit you like that. Are you in a safe place right now? You can always call 911 in the moment or seek out a safer place if you feel at imminent risk of harm. Calling the police or filing a child abuse report are absolutely both rights that you have. You have the right to have your body respected and to be safe within your own home. You can file an abuse report with any trusted teacher or counselor, on your own, or even with us at NRS. We are here at 1-800-RUNAWAY 24 hours a day and would be glad to give you reporting information as well as walk you through what to expect.

It’s great that you have been offered a safe place to stay and have some support. We are not legal experts, but just so you know, if you do decide to stay with your friend and your mom is not ok with it, you may be putting your friend at legal risk for harboring a runaway. That can definitely change though in instances of abuse if home is not safe. Another option if you need to get out right away, is to contact a shelter for a safe place to stay. A resource that you might find helpful is www.nationalsafeplace.org where you can locate shelters in your area. In addition to confidentially and anonymously calling us, you can also chat with us from 4:30-11:30pm CST for more help.

Take care and stay safe,
-NRS

My Mother Hit Me

Im 17 years of age, 18 in july, and i have a job and attend high school. ive never been in trouble with the law. My mother gets ideas in her head that arent true, and yesterday so got so mad she closed fist punched me in the jaw twice. She told me to leave and i packed my things. half way out the door, she said i cant leave and she would call the police. should i report her? can i leave if i have somewhere to go? a girl i work with has her own place and offered to let me stay? what should i do? my dad is a sheriff and was at work when this all happened. im scared to tell him or anyone else because i love my parents and my siblings but i just cant live there anymore. please help me.

[ccsmod0]

RE: Help!

Hi there,

Thanks for posting here tonight and asking your question. It sounds like you’ve put together a detailed plan on how to survive if you decide to leave. It was smart of you to reach out for some guidance in terms of the law. It can be a bit tricky, so let’s see how we can help you out tonight.

We’re not legal experts here, but we are able to talk about some potential legal consequences if you decide to leave. If you are under 18 and leave home without your guardian’s permission, your guardians have the right to file a runaway report with the police. If they make a report and the police take the report, the police may search for you. If the police find you, they may force you back home. Now, if you are not currently on probation or parole, it is not illegal to runaway. You would not be arrested, you would just be returned home.

Here’s where it gets a little tricky. The closer you get to 18, the less likely the police are to accept a runaway report from your guardians and even less likely to actively go out and search for you. To sum up, if you decide to leave without permission, and the police find you, you would be returned home.

We know that you’re not running to be bad. We hope that this information helps you with your decision. If you want to talk more about anything or need to be provided with some resources, you can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If calling isn’t your thing, you can chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

We wish you the best of luck,

NRS

Help!

Im 17 turning 18 in september I want to leave I have everything ready and a place to stay,work and i can go to school. is it illegal to do it? what are the consequences? im not leaving to go be bad but i dont belong here... and i have the chance..

[ccsmod1]

RE: Turning 17

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out for help. It sounds like you are currently running away with your girlfriend to stay with your brother. It is really smart of you to contact us before you leave. We are not able to tell you what to do or how things will turn out if you run away, but we can give you an idea of how the law works. Running away is not a criminal offence, but if your parent or legal guardian files a runaway report then the police might look for you and make you go home. You asked if you would get in trouble if you ran away. You might consider that there are different kinds of trouble. While you might not be charged with a crime, running away can be very risky. How will you survive, stay safe while you travel, and what will you do until you turn 18? You should know that harboring a runaway is a crime, and your brother could be charged with a crime if he hides you or obstructs any police investigation into your whereabouts. It sounds like you really care about your girlfriend, and like she is going through a really hard time right now with her mother. This must be a really stressful time for you. If you would like to talk to someone about your options and to talk about your plans, please give us a call at our 24 hour crisis line, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or contact us through our website by clicking on the live chat button between 4:30pm and 11:30pm Central Standard Time. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. We are looking forward to your call!

Best of luck,

NRS

Turning 17

Can I get in trouble if I run away with my gf..she is currently 16 and turning 17 in January and I am also 16 turning 17 in December..what type of crime will that cause if I were to run away with her..I live in Utica and I am going to take her to New York where my brother live and stay there until we turn 18 an the parent can't do anything about it but I am worry about what the parent will do at the time we are in New York and staying at my brother house...can the parent sue my parent or is the crime only will affect me(if there is crime in this)....she really loves me and want to be with me,her mom is trying to engage her with someone she don't love, but she can not refuse her mother request she is under her mother control...please tell me what to do and how will all this come out if I run away with her...

[ccsmod10]

RE: Going to turn 17 in two months

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Although we are not legal experts, we will try to answer your question as best as we can. Technically it is not against the law for you to run away from home. In most places it is considered a status offense. However, anyone you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’ should your mom decide to press charges. Do you have a safe place to go for a year if you did run away? You also mentioned that you are thinking about returning after you turn 18. Typically once you are legally considered an adult any runaway charges are dropped. You may want to check with your local law enforcement that this is the case.

If you are looking to leave legally, emancipation is also an option. If you are in California, you typically must petition the courts to be separated from your legal guardian. If you felt comfortable calling us, we would be more than happy to provide you with legal aid referral and help you explore other options.

We can be reached at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm- 11:30pm Central Standard Time. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

- NRS

Going to turn 17 in two months

me and my mom don't get along and I really just wanna get out of my house I'm about to turn 17 if I run away til I'm 18 can I come back to my hometown when I'm 18 without a problem? I live in California the way