Leaving

[Unregistered]

Can my parents physically stop me from leaving if I decide to leave?

[ccsmod0]

re: Leaving

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out tonight. It sounds like you’re thinking about leaving and trying to put together a plan. That’s smart. So let’s see how we can help you out tonight.

We’re not legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally as to what might happen. If you decide to leave home without your parent’s permission, then your parents have the right to file a runaway report with the police. The police can look for you and if they find you, they would bring you back home.

Now, your parents are legally responsible for you, so that means they carry legally responsibility for you. That means they have the right to decide where you live until you gain that right for yourself (at 1. Your parents are not allowed to physically abuse you without consequences. They also are not allowed to hold you prisoner. They do have the right to ground you or punish you for behaviors. But if they physically hurt you, they could face consequences for that. So they have the right to decide where you live and for that to be enforced, but they don’t have the right to physically hurt you.

We hope that this offers some sort of clarification. If you need to talk more or have any other questions, please feel free to call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you can’t call, 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.

Best of luck to you,

NRS