17 year old runaway turning 18

Hey im 19 and trying to help someone close to me she ran away from home because her family is abusive to her she is 17 and will be 18 this August if she can evade capture till she's 18 will I be in any legal trouble for helping her stay that way

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can.

We’re not legal experts here at NRS. Generally it’s not illegal to leave home, but your parents could file a runaway report, the police could get involved, and they could bring you home. The people you’re staying with could potentially get in trouble for having you stay there. Some police departments don’t accept runaway reports for 17 year olds, but the policies may vary by each department. You could consider calling your local nonemergency police department to ask about their policies. We also have legal aid resources here if you have specific questions about the laws in your state.

It sounds like all of your struggles are making you consider leaving home. If you do decide to leave home, you could consider thinking about ways to make sure you stay safe. You could consider what you would do if problems arise with your boyfriend. You could think about if you ended up returning home, what things would look like. You could explore ways you would pay for food, shelter, clothing and other necessary things. You could think about how long you would stay away, where you would stay, and what things would be like when you return. You could consider what you would do if you felt that you were in danger or had an emergency.

If you haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support. You could also consider talking to your parents about how you’ve been feeling or having another trusted adult help you talk with them. Just so you’re aware, we have a conference calling service here where we could help mediate a conversation between you and your parents.

There are also many resources that could help you with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Again, thank you for contacting us. It sounds like you’ve been going through a really hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.

Hi I'm 17 and turn 18 on September 1st. I want to leave my house in June and go live with my boyfriend after I graduate. My parents have told me I can do it but they will have to call the cops on me. Is there any chance that the cops won't go searching for me since its so close to when I turn 18?

[ccsmod10]

Thank you for reaching out. You asked a lot of great questions about running away. Hopefully we can help clarify then. We’re not legal experts here at NRS. Generally it’s not illegal to leave home, but if you are under 18 and your foster parents file a runaway report, the police could get involved, and they could bring you home. The people you’re staying with could potentially get in trouble for harboring a minor. Rarely, the police will hold a youth in juvenile detention for 24 or 48 hours, until the legal guardian can pick up the youth. Most likely the police would still take you back home, even if there was previous abuse. It’s their determination whether home is safe for you to go to or not.

Some police departments don’t accept runaway reports for 17 year olds, but the policies may vary by each department. You could consider calling your local non-emergency police department to ask about their policies. We also have legal aid resources here if you have specific questions about the laws in your state.

If you don’t feel safe and feel like you need to get away Nationalsafeplace.org provides a safe location for you to meet a staff member who can take you to a designated place where you can discuss all options about how to stay safe. You can text 44357 the word “safe,” and your location to find a safe location in your area. Once you arrive let someone who works there know you need help connecting with a staff member.

We would love to talk more about the details of your situation so that we can work towards a solution you find acceptable. If you would like to share more, please feel free to call our 24 hour hotline at 1-800Runaway (786-2929) or use our live chat. We hope this information was helpful and take care.

-NRS.

Hi, I’m 17 and I’m foster care if I runaway will I get into trouble? And if I run away until I’m 18 can they do anything about that?

[ccsmod5]

Hey i have a question. What if you run away under 18 years old, i know if you get caught or found, you go to juvinile. But what if you stay "hidden" til you turn 18. then you get active in like social media and like public places, can they arrest you?
Hi, thank you for reaching out. We aren’t legal experts, but generally speaking running away is not considered a crime and not something you should go to juvenile for (though that varies by state). Once you turn 18, you are considered a legal adult and can go where you like without hiding. Hopefully this was helpful, but please feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-786-2929 if you need resources or just someone to brainstorm your options with. Good luck and stay safe!
--NRS

Hey i have a question. What if you run away under 18 years old, i know if you get caught or found, you go to juvinile. But what if you stay "hidden" til you turn 18. then you get active in like social media and like public places, can they arrest you?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I am 17 turning 18


Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing some of what’s going on. 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. If it turns out that you are pregnant one option you might consider looking into is emancipation. In some states there are emancipation laws that can be one way of trying to gain your independence. Again we are not legal experts, but we can help you get a general sense of how emancipation works. Our general understanding is some states offer formal emancipation statutes while others do not unfortunately. Laws vary depending on your situation or location, but in many states a minor can petition the court for emancipation to take responsibility for their own care before they turn 18.

Generally speaking, courts are wary about granting emancipation. In most cases, you would have to prove in court that you have an income and can care for yourself financially, and that you are able to live separately from your parents. It also helps to be in good standing at school. Usually your legal guardian would have to agree to this in court. It’s best to check your local court house to gain more information on this process.
Also you might check with your local police department to inquire about the runaway laws in your state or if someone that moves out of their parent or guardian’s home would without permission would be considered a runaway and forced to return home.
If you would like to talk more about your situation we are here to listen and here to help.
To speak with someone on our crisis or chat line contact 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runaway.org

We look forward to hearing from you.

Take care,
NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

I am 17 turning 18 in September and I have a few concerns that I may be pregnant and I don't know what my parents would do if I'm pregnant and on the note that I may be pregnant the father lives in Oregon if I leave to go be with the father could I get in trouble or be forced to go home

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thank so much for reaching out to us. It must frustrating to be kept in the dark about your boyfriend’s situation. It sounds like you care a lot about your boyfriend and it’s great that you’re looking for resources to help him; we’re here to support you in any way that we can.

Generally speaking, states tend to follow the precedent that was set forward by the state that the runaway is from. So, in this case, the authorities in Alabama may abide by Florida’s age of adulthood. We’re not legal experts here at NRS, so unfortunately, we cannot tell you what will happen. Calling into the police where your boyfriend was picked up and where you live may be your best bet to get answers for some of the questions that you may have. Another resource that may help is LawHelp.org which can help provide referrals to local legal aid agencies; you can access their website at www.lawhelp.org.

We understand that this can be a lot to handle on your own. Your boyfriend may qualify for our Home Free program which helps reunite runaways with their legal guardian. If you want to talk about this in depth or get help finding some local resources, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat in with us by going to our website at www.1800runaway.org and clicking on the “CHAT” button at the top of the page. We’re here to listen and help and you can contact us 24/7.

-NRS

My Boyfriend is litterally 2 weeks from being 18 and from florida. He got picked up by alabama police which there legal age is 19 not 18. His grandma had guardianship of him and wont go pick him up and not telling anyone anything. My question is can alabama keep him in juvenile till hes 19?? Or will he be released at 18 which is Florida age?

[ccsmod3]

Hello,
Thanks for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like you are facing both abuse and neglect in the home. Sometimes it can be helpful to document both instance, such as taking photos of any bruises from the physical abuse, or timestamped photos of the empty refrigerator and pantry over a number of days. If you have not been to a dentist or a doctor in a long time, that would be sometime else to add to the report to CPS. You can always contact Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 and ask them about the process for reporting the neglect in the home.
Although we are not legal experts, technically it’s not against the law for you to run away from home. In most place it’s considered a ‘status offence’. However, anyone you would be caught staying with could possible charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. Is your sister willing to take this risk for you? Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we cannot tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. We can however help you make an abuse report if that is what you would like to do moving forward. We wish you the best of luck and please stay safe.

Im 17 turning 18 in six months my parents are verbally
abusve and sometimes physically. They havent
bought food to eat in a couple months and I can only afford ramen lol. I have a brother whos 15 and a sister whos 26 she t lived with us since she was 17 and is considering calling CPS so we can live with her. What kind of evidence do we need to prove that they neglect us because they are really good at being fake around other people, and I feel like cps wouldn't believe us and it would mame the while situation worse. I was also wondering if I runaway will this help prove neglect and abuse by my parents and help my brother get out?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

We are not legal experts and laws vary by states by we can answer your question generally. Running away is usually considered a status offense rather than being illegal. Meaning it is something you cannot do due to being a minor. So if you ran away and then came back as an adult, there would generally not be legal repercussions because an adult cannot be charged with a status offense. If your guardians list you as a runaway and you are found before you turn 18, it's possible you could returned home by police.

If you would like to talk through your situation or need any support please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat us. We are always here for you.

Best,

NRS

I’m 16 I turn 18 may 21 in 2 years. I do have a place I can stay at until I’m 18, but what will happen if I were to run away now and come back when I’m 18. How much trouble will I be in, will I get charged with anything when I come back