17 year old runaway turning 18

[Unregistered]

17 and leaving the household.

I am 17 and live in Tennessee and will be 18 November 22. I live with a single mother and it is me and my two little brothers. My mom is very overbearing and I guess you could say highly overprotective. I am not allowed to hardly ever go out and c friends at any time. She uses the excuse that I'm never home which is a lie unless I'm at work(10hrs a week) school or cross country meets. What I was needing to know is if I was to just tell my mom that I'm going to hangout with friends, maybe see a movie, or something and just leave if there would be any consequences. I have no intentions of running away. I would always return home at a reasonable time, like make my own curfew. I had heard that one could not be considered a run away if not gone over 24hrs and was hoping this was true. I have worked hard thru school and kept a clean record in hopes of attending the United States Air Force Academy and being considered a runaway on my record would have severe effects on that. Any insight on this would be appreciated.

[ccsmod10]

RE: 17 and leaving the household

Hello,

We are sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds like you have been dealing with a lot. We are not legal experts, so we cannot give any definitive answers as runaway laws vary from state to state. In some cases, the laws vary by county. Have you considered talking with your mom about having more freedom, or what you would need to do to let you be more independent? If you would feel comfortable doing so, you could call our 24 Hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We could discuss what your options are and possibly conntect you with legal aid resources so you can find out what your rights are. Or if you would prefer, you can contact us via our chat service. You can find it on our website 1800runaway.org. Our chat service is open from 4:30-11:30 PM CST. We look forawrd to talking with you.

- NRS

[Cattlopez]

17 turning 18 in 5 weeks, could I get in trouble???

Hello, my name is Cat, I'm currently 17 1/2 years old, turning 18 on November 23, 2014 (5 weeks from today) and I was curious to know if I would get in trouble for leaving my house if I left a letter for my parents stating that I am leaving and staying at a friends house, and that I told authorities where I am and staying somewhere safe. I am graduating in the summer, already applied for a job, what are the consequences if I ran away 5 weeks before my 18th birthday? Thank you for the help c:

[ccsmod10]

RE: 17 turning 18 in 5 weeks

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like you are wanting to leave home and have a job that will support you. Just to let you know, we are not legal experts. As long as you are still technically a minor, your parents do still have the right to report you as a runaway. Sometimes the police will not do anything if you are very close to turning 18, other times they will still return you even if you are a day away from becoming a legal adult.

Also, anyone you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. Would they press charges against your friend and their family for helping you? Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we cannot tell you what you should or should not do. We can however help you come up with options and explore what resources you have available.

[Unregistered]

my girlfriend is going to be 17 in 3 months she wants to runaway to be with me?

The reason why she wants to runaway is because were both girls and her parents thinks they can tell her who she loves and hangs with. And her mom has tried to hit her and it's very stressful on our relationship. Her phone got turned off and now she can only talk to me when she has wifi. Well she lives in Washington and I live in Missouri. I will be getting money soon and I'm paying her way down her. And I read somewhere that when she's 18 the runaway file will be dropped. She's going back to Washington when she turns 18 and I'm coming with her. I just wanna know what will happen when she come to stay with me for awhile until her parents stop threatening her. Her moms side is crazy really crazy. Her moms brother has threatened to kill her because she's gay I'm just scared and I want her out. Her dads side is against it too. Help please?!

[ccsmod5]

RE: my girlfriend is going to be 17 in 3 months she wants to runaway to be with me?

Hi there,
It sounds like your girlfriend is going through a really hard situation at home. She doesn’t deserve to be hit or to be mistreated and threatened because of your relationship. It seems like you are very concerned about her wellbeing. We’re glad you got in touch.

We will do are best to tell you a bit about the possibilities if your girlfriend does leave home to stay with you for a while. We are not legal experts here at NRS, but we can talk generally about what could happen. First of all, running away is not a crime: It is something called a status offense, meaning that it is something that minors are not allowed to do purely because of their age. However, if your girlfriend leaves home and goes to stay with you, her parents will have the option of calling the police and filing a runaway report. If they file a runaway report and the police find her, they could return her home to her parents. If she stays with an adult while she is away from home, that person could be charged with harboring a runaway, which is illegal. This does not always happen, but it is a possibility to be aware of. To find out more about that law in your area, you could try anonymously calling your local non-emergency police number.

There may be other options to consider as well. Your girlfriend might consider filing an abuse report with Child Protective Services, since it sounds like there may be physical abuse going on. She might also think about looking for local youth shelters if she needs an alternative to leaving the state. Please feel free to give us a call at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY, so that we can help work through the details and we can support you and her in making the choices that you both feel are best and safest for you.

[Unregistered]

Re: my girlfriend is going to be 17 in 3 months and she wants to runaway?

Well I just wanted to know what will happen if she came to Missouri from Washington when she turns 17? I know her mom will file a report, but I heard the charges will be dropped at 18. If she stays with me what will washingtons police do? Btw her parents don't know what state I live. They know my real name. I just want her out ASAP and my family is willing to take her and they were telling me what would happen if she does come here. Do I keep her hidden? And I need more answers about her coming to my state from hers. We plan on going back when she's 18. Just got to figure this all out now.

[ccsmod7]

Re: my girlfriend is going to be 17 in 3 months and she wants to runaway?

Hello –

Thanks for reaching out again with your questions and concerns. It sounds like you and your girlfriend are dealing with a tough situation right now and not sure how to move forward. The age of majority in most states is 18 and it sounds like you know her family will make a runaway report. It can get a little tricky when a youth is crossing state lines and it could put you in a tough spot if you are over 18 because there are laws out there for harboring a minor/runaway. Now it’s difficult for us to give specifics on those laws because we are not affiliated with the police or legal aid. Once a youth turns 18 there is probably not a lot the police or her parents can do legally.

It may be a good option to try and reach out to the local police in her area and just talk with someone on the non-emergency line. Even if you didn’t talk about the situation you could ask them if they even take a runaway report or make a youth return back home at the age of 17. We also looked up a few resources for legal aid in the state of Washington that may be good to reach out to.

Center for Children & Youth Justice – (206) 626-5366
Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington – (206) 384-6378

[Unregistered]

almost 18

Hi. I live in california and i am 17 and turning 18 in 4 months and My boyfriend has 18 and turning 19 on December. I had a car accident on may 19 and have to carry a discapacitaded sign on the car, does that change anything. I can walk and everything now. If we were to move in, what can happen

[ccsmod5]

Re: Almost 18

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS), thank you for sharing that information with us. It sounds like you have been through a lot.

Technically, once you are 18, you are no longer a minor and have the decision of where you want to live. Have you considered where you and your boyfriend will go? Our number one priority is your safety, if you need help creating a plan, we are always here to help.

As for the concerns about your car, unfortunately we do not have that type of information. It would probably be best if you were to contact your DMV and see how that would affect your car.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We also have a live chat session everyday from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM CST. Our hotline number is 24/7 and we will be more than happy to assist you with whatever it is you may need help with.

Stay Strong,

NRS

[Unregistered]

My friend is 16. Her birthday isn't until July, but she's having issues at home with her family. They're abusive and trying to send her to a family member/military school. All of her family is abusive and she's not mentally stable enough to leave of go through that pain. She wanted to go with her 15 year old friend who is almost 16, but she doesn't want to get caught. Is there any way that they could stay hidden and not get found until they're of legal age to be away from home? I'm trying my hardest to help. The girl who is abused sometimes physically and emotionally has tried contacting the police before, but they didn't believe her, so this is potentially her "last bit of hope."

[ccsmod5]

RE:

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS), we are glad you were able to reach out to us and here to help you in the best way you can. You are a great person for seeking help and being concerned for your friend. It sounds like this is giving you a lot to think about but it is great that your friend has you as a support system.

From what you shared, it sounds like your friend is not safe where she is at. No one deserves to be abused, mentally or physically. We’re sorry that she received that type of feedback from the police. Although, there are options for her. Has she considered contacting Child Protective Services and filing out an abuse report? The report can be filed by either contacting Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453, they can help her by contacting her state and filing an abuse report over the phone or she can talk to a teacher or school counselor. Teachers and school counselors are mandated reporters, which means that if they know of a student being abused, they are mandated to make a report. Another option is, she can contact us here at NRS and we can go ahead and file a report with her. We have an awesome service called “Conference Calling” where we will call certain agencies with you and help you with the process.

Has she considered talking to a professional about the situation? You mentioned that she has tried telling the police, but that was unsuccessful. Perhaps she can reach out to a school counselor or maybe even an adult who she can trust just to speak about the situation and see if there is someone to speak to her parents about her best interest.

We are also a listening ear, if she or you ever feel like you need someone to talk to or need help to look for some resources in your area to help you explore options, we have a 24/7 toll free crisis hotline. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY and we also have live chat sessions every day from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM CST. We are completely confidential and anonymous. Stay strong, we are here to help.

NRS

[Unregistered]

Hey Im 17 Years Old And i Ran Away from my mom and she filed a runway to the police and i was wondering when i turn 18 will it come off my record?

[ccsmod1]

RE:

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us with your question. It sounds like you are in a really tough situation. Running away from home is not a crime. A runaway report is a ‘status offence,’ similar to breaking curfew or a missing person report. Since you are a minor, the police can take you into custody and make you go home. Nothing should be on your record when you turn 18.

If you have any more questions or you need resources or someone to talk to about your situation, we are here for you 24/7.

[Please help me!!!!!!]

This is kinda wild. Please help

Okay. So I am 18 and my girlfriend is 16 she is about to turn 17, we haven't had sex because well she's a good girl and I really love her and want to wait, out relationship has been really pure.....but here's the thing........I moved to go to college. We miss each other a lot. Her family is very wealthy but not only do her parents constantly leave the country to work, her brother has raped her....yeah, it's hard to deal with, and her parents abuse her....but I know if she ran away like she always says they will call the police....here's the catch she lives in New York, I go to school in the next state over, we don't text about this. We've been plan in this out and playing it safe, so if she runs away and comes to live with me in my town house, is there really anyways the police can find her? Te parents don't know me, because of obvious reasons....I'm scared but I love my girlfriend with everything in me. Someone help.