17 year old runaway turning 18

[ccsmod5 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod5]

Re: This is kinda wild, please help me.

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us, here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are glad that you were able to let us know about your situation and you can count on us for support. It seems like you are going through a very tough time at this point in your life. We want you to know that you are not alone and we are here to help you in the best way we can.

From what you have shared, it seems like you are a supportive boyfriend and respect your girlfriend and her decisions that is very mature of you. Has your girlfriend considered making a report about either situations? You mentioned she was raped and she is being abused, those are both scenarios that she can definitely make reports for. If she is looking for resources to help her cope or to provide support, there are two hotlines she can call: RAINN (Rape abuse Incest Nation Network) 1-800-656-4673 and Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453.

So, here at NRS, we are not legal experts but from experience we do know is that most police stations will search for her and will possibly force her to go home if she is found. We also do know that you may be charged with harboring a youth because you are letting her stay with you. Charges for a crime like harboring a youth can usually vary from fines to jail time. But like I mentioned, we are not legal experts here, so we can’t confidently say that this will happen in your state.

If you are interested, we can provide you with legal aid and resources available in your area that would be able to potentially help you in your situation. Also, if your girlfriend is interested in making a report or learning more about her options and resources, she can contact us as well and we will be more than happy to help her. Our number is 1-800-786-2929, we are available 24/7 and are completely toll free. We also have an online chat service that you can contact us at every day from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM.
Stay strong,
NRS

[Guest Close Marie]

17 about to be 18

I ran away from cps and I'm 17. I've been living by myself and have not been in trouble with any sort of law. I turn 18 in less than 5 days. What should I do after I turn 18?

[ccsmod1 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod1]

RE: 17 about to be 18

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are about to turn 18. 18 is the age of majority, which means that you will be considered a legal adult. Running away is not a crime, and should not stay on any kind of record. In addition, at 18 you are legally allowed to live wherever you want. If you need help or resources, please do not hesitate to call us for help. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. We are looking forward to hearing from you, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest Close Unregistered]

____

Im currently 17 and I live in arizona , ever since I was little iv suffered depression because of my parents emotionally abusing me and sometimes physical , iv tried to reach out to my parents but im never taken serious. Theyve been good parents as in paying bills but theres more to being a parent then just that. Iv been extremely depressed the only people I go to is my boyfriend and cousin I feel suffocated in mt house never being to go out not even to my sisters house. My parents want to force me to go to mexico but I refuse to go. What can I do? if they force me to go im running away but my mom is forcing me or else shes threatening to arrest me and also informed me that id get sent to juvy and shed sign me over to the government.

[ccsmod9 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod9]

Re: ___

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear about your situation. It seems like things at home have been really hard for you. It seems like your parents are being restrictive and abusive. You don’t deserve to be abused and you have the right to make an abuse report. You can contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or ChildHelp USA at 1-800-422-4453 to hear more about what that would look like.

It’s great that you have your boyfriend and cousin as support systems and people to talk to. If your parents were to move do you have somewhere to go? A way to support yourself? We aren’t legal experts but we can speak generally. Since you are so close to being 18, at that point ultimately the decision of where you live is your own. This may be a difficult decision if you don’t have a support system and a way to support yourself.

We are sorry that you are in such a difficult situation. Have you ever considered talking to a professional about your depression? You can always reach the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK, if you feel like you need someone to talk to. Also feel free to contact us any time in order to talk and explore some more options that you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck.

NRS

[Guest Close Unregistered]

esmeralda

Im currently 17 and I live in arizona , ever since I was little iv suffered depression because of my parents emotionally abusing me and sometimes physical , iv tried to reach out to my parents but im never taken serious. Theyve been good parents as in paying bills but theres more to being a parent then just that. Iv been extremely depressed the only people I go to is my boyfriend and cousin I feel suffocated in mt house never being to go out not even to my sisters house. My parents want to force me to go to mexico but I refuse to go. What can I do? if they force me to go im running away but my mom is forcing me or else shes threatening to arrest me and also informed me that id get sent to juvy and shed sign me over to the government.

[ccsmod5 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod5]

re: Esmeralda

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it seems like you have quite a bit going on at this point in your life and we want you to know that we are here for you. It also sounds like this is giving you a lot to think about and you need someone to talk about your options with. We are here 24/7 if you ever need anyone to talk to.

From what you shared, it seems like your mother is trying to have complete control over you and your actions, we can see how that can be quite frustrating and make you want to run away. For the record, we are not legal experts here, but generally speaking from knowledge of past experience, we know that you cannot be arrested for running away, because running away is not illegal. Running away is simply a status offense, which means that you are not allowed to do it because you are a minor. So, your mom saying that she would send you to a juvenile detention center is not true.

As for running away, there are some things you might want to consider before you make such a sudden action like:

What else can I do to improve my home situation before I leave?
What would make me stay at home? How will I survive?
Is running away safe?
Who can I count on to help me?
Have I given this enough thought?
What are my other options?
If I end up in trouble, who will I call?
When I return home, what will happen?

These are just some questions to consider, if you would like to explore your options further, please feel free to give us a call and we will be more than happy to assist you.

We wish you the best of luck with your situation and hope to get your call soon.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Guest Close Unregistered]

i have a friend

I have a friend who was listed as a runaway when she was 17. She is now 18. Can she be charged with anything in the state of Fl for running away?

[ccsmod14 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod14]

Re: i have a friend

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to help the best we can.

It sounds like your friend left at 17, and now she is 18 and wondering what will happen. We are not legal experts here, but to our understanding if someone is reported as a runaway and they turn 18, they can call the local police department that the report was filed with and just let them know they are safe and not a missing person. In some cases, runaway reports that are not “taken care of” in this way can turn into a missing person report for an adult.

Again, we are not legal experts but generally speaking running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. Has your friend been involved in any criminal activity while she has been away from home? If so, this would be something that might change things regarding facing charges.

We are here to talk and provide any further resources if necessary. If you would like to call our anonymous and confidential hotline at 1800runaway to talk more, or join us on chat from 4:30pm to 11:30pm CST through our website at 1800runaway.org we are here to support you. Also feel free to pass our information along to your friend, and let her know if she decides that she would like assistance calling the police that is something we can do with her.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest Close Unregistered]

Running from CO at age 18

I am 18, I am an easily stressed individual and I feel that, with my parent's divorce, school, and not having any friends where I currently live, I would like to travel and get the urge to roam, and meet new people out of my system. I have a safe place to stay and I do have a large amount of money saved up for food, clothes, etc. Would it be considered illegal to run away at the age of 18 from Colorado?

[ccsmod13 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod13]

RE: Running from CO at age 18

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing with us some of what has been going on at home for you. It sounds like your home dynamics have become very stressful for you. It can be hard having your parents’ divorce and to not have anyone to talk to about it. We are glad that you have reached out and contacted us for support, because that is what we are here for.

We are not legal expert but we can speak in general terms. In general terms you are an adult when you turn 18. At 18 you are allowed to leave without your parents’ consent. It sounds like you need to get away and get a fresh start. We think it is awesome that you have a safe place to stay and have thought about what you are going to do for money.

We hoped this helped, and if you would like to brainstorm other option you may have you can always call us on our hotline at 1800.786.2929 or you can chat with us every day from 4:30pm-11:30pm. WE look forward to hearing from you and we wish you the best of luck.

NRS

[Guest Close Unregistered]

parent of a runaway

My son is 17 turning 18 in October. He ran away two weeks ago and have no where abouts of where he is. Filed a police report and called all friends I know he hangs with. He was grounded for 3 weeks for teen stuff and the day before he was getting off punishment I caught him red handed sneaking out the house. The next day while I have him wash my cars he dissappeared. He has a history of drug use alcohol porn excessive lying and segregates himself from us. I got custody of him 2 years ago and its been a Rollercoaster ever since. He starts school next week and may decide to come back at that time. My wife his stepmom and I feel uncomfortable with him coming home during that time because I travel during the week with my job. I rather him wait till I get home to let him in because we dont know his mindset. While I'm gon does my wife have to let him come back at that present time he decides?

[ccsmod5 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod5]

re: Parent of a runaway

Hello,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it seems like your family is going through a pretty tough time at this point in your lives.

So, we are not legal experts here, but we can generally speak about some instances. From our understanding, because you son is a minor in most states, you would need to either call the police officials and say you do not want to let him in your home or you would have to let him in the home. This seems like a very difficult situation and the both of you must feel overwhelmed at this point.

Another options would be to see if your state has a CINS/MINS/FINS program which is done through the state for youth who are “out of control.” The way you would be able to find out if your state has this program is by either calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or reaching out to your local social service agency, like Catholic Charities and see if they know about the program.

We are here 24/7 and would be more than happy to assist you with this process. We wish you the best of luck with whatever it is you all decide to do.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Guest Close Unregistered]

I'm 17 I'm turning 18 in Feb 4 1/2 weeks away

Is it legal to leave being pregnant with my age to leave without consent

[ccsmod5 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ccsmod5]

re: I'm 17 I'm turning 18 in Feb 4 1/2 weeks away

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us at this point in your life, it seems like you are going through some pretty tough times and we are glad that you were able to turn to us. We are more than happy to assist you in the best way we can.

We just want to start off by letting you know that we are not legal experts here, but we can speak briefly from experience. So, in most states you are still technically considered a minor, which means that your parents are still allowed to file a runaway report, regardless if you are pregnant.

If you would like more information or resources, please feel free to give us a call. We are here 24/7 and would be more than happy to help you explore your options.

Stay strong,

NRS