I want to run away but have no where to go

[Guest]

Hello, seeing others going through similar things as me in the comment section makes me a bit more comfortable with saying this: I'm 11. Now there's a stereotype going around that kids at my age always say these types of stuff online, but never really consider it or even if it's worth it to run away from home. Okay back to the point.
But I just had it. I decided to run away from home, my parents are childish, they physically and emotionally bully me. I used to be a real sensitive kid in elementary school, in fact I used to be a big crybaby, haha... But now? I just find it funny, me having hallucinations, hearing voices in my head, etc. It's just that I think I'm the one who's wrong here. Im a pretty rebellious kid with my parents, and I just cant understand them. Maybe I'm just to young to know what parent hood is like? etc.
Some explainations in why I would LOVE to run away from home.
1. I never felt safe at home, I only feel safe at home when both of my parents are out.
2. My mom always guilt trips me, which makes my voices in my head worse, and worse.
3. My dad always physically abuses me, and im begining to fight back, I dont know if that's good or not.
4. Im sorry, I have alot of more reasons why I want to run away from home, but I dont really want to say all of them.
But thank you. I searched up "I want to run away from home." since I really did want to run away from home. But I had nowhere to go. But now, I have hope. But sadly I'm planning to go to the kid's shelter at night, but what if some creep were to come at me? I'm still looking more into this website, but thank you so much...

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,
Thank you for contacting us at National Runaway Safeline. It takes great courage to reach out for help.

It sounds like you are going through a really hard time. You don't deserve to be hurt in anyway. If your safety is at risk you can call 911. If filing an abuse report is an option for you, you can call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 and they can help provide you information on how to file an abuse report. It also sounds like you are having some hallucinations and hearing voices. Talking to psychiatrist or therapist can be helpful. You can contact your doctor or call NAMI at 1-800-950-NAMI or SAMHSA at 1-877-726-4727 to get mental health resources.
Running away from home can be hard and it can be helpful to think about where you might stay and how you might pay for expenses. We are not legal experts however just speaking generally if you are leave without your parents permission and police report is filed, the police can bring you back home and whoever you are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway.


This can be a lot to think about. If you would like you could call us at our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-786-2929 and we would be happy to listen to you and explore and provide any resources.

We wish you the best and hope to hear from you soon.

Best
NRS

[Guest]

I want to leave my home and I am wondering where I can go I leave in canton Ohio. Where should I go

[ccsmod12]

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are here to help you in any way that we can.

You said that you want to leave home. It can be very difficult to feel like your home is not a welcoming and safe place for you. When youth are looking to leave home without permission, many will try to go to a friend or relative with whom they feel safe and taken care of. If you do not feel as though there are any safe options for you in terms of friends or family members, you can text SAFE & Location to 44357 or visit www.nationalsafeplace.org. If you would like more resources, feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), and we can talk through other options based on your age, gender, and specific situation.
If you are experiencing any sort of mental, physical, or verbal abuse at home, Child Help is the National Child Abuse Hotline. They can be of help to you in terms of reporting any abuse. Their phone number is 1-800-422-4453 and their website is childhelp.org. We are also happy to help you call out to make any reports since they are difficult to make on your own. To do that, you would call in here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), and we would talk about your situation and then call out together. If you ever find yourself in immediate danger, please dial 9-1-1.

One of the services that we offer here at the National Runaway Safeline is a conference calling service. If you feel like you want to leave home because your parents are not hearing and validating your life and concerns, we can call out to them with you and conduct a conference call to make sure the conversation is productive and compromise-driven. You could call in here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), discuss your situation further, and we would then call out to your parent/guardian, talk to them a bit, and then connect the call.

If you have any other questions or want to talk through your situation more, feel free to call us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us at www.1800runaway.org. We’re here to listen, here to help.

Best of luck, NRS

[Guest]

Hi
I'm 18 years old
And I really want to run away from home but I don't know where to go.. I just want to live on my own.. I dont want to be in burden.. My parents are not allowing to do anything. .They just want to control me .. And I can't even stand up for myself in front of my family.. My dad don't let me take my foot step out of the gate of my house.. He wants me just to be inside the house and stay. .. I am not allowed to hang out with my friends. .I dont even allowed to use phones ... .but mom bought it for me and I'm using it secrectly . If my dad knows about it I'm gonna die . ... Mom understands me.. But mom is also in burden.. She also can't do what she likes . Dad controls everything . .... I really want to run away please help me.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community-based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis-related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I want to live with my mom I want to run a way

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can talk through your options with you, and look for resources if you need. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org.

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

i am 15. i want to leave home. my family argues, calls me names, and one of my family members drink. they become an entirely different person and yell all the time and break things in the house. the other family member calls me horrible names and brings me down. i have thought about suicide many times, and harm myself often. i have been self harming since i was 12. i still have scars and burns. i am not happy at home. i cry every night and whenever i do it’s usually because of thinking about suicide. i want to leave but i don’t know if it’ll be worth it. my family will hate me more than they already do. so many horrible things have happened recently and my family is thinking about divorce. i don’t know what to do.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension - you should be able to live somewhere where you feel happy, safe, and secure.

You mentioned that you have previously had thoughts of suicide and self-harm. We care a lot about your safety, and we can help you find resources that can help you cope with these feelings. You do not have to face this alone, and there is so much help out there for you. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, the National Suicide Hotline could be a good resource for you. You can check them out at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or you can call 1-800-273-8255 for help and support any time.

You stated that you have someone at home who drinks and becomes aggressive. It can be really hard to live with someone who struggles with an addiction to alcohol. We want you to know that you are not alone. If you’d like to talk to other young people who are dealing with friends or family members who have drinking problems you can check out Alateen. You can find more information about this support group, or find a local meeting here: https://al-anon.org/newcomers/teen-corner-alateen/.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m gonna go, straight after school, my phone will be turned off so no one can call me, hopefully this will make my parents understand the severity of what he does to me, I can’t put up with it anymore.

[ccsmod10]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed and looking for a way out. Without knowing more about your situation, if someone is abusing or hurting you, please know that no one deserves to be treated that way and you have the right to report that abuse at any time. You can tell a teacher or nurse at school, call the police, or your state’s child abuse reporting hotline.

If you’re planning to leave home, the most important thing is to make a plan for your safety – having a safe place to stay, enough money to pay for food and other needs and a plan to work. We get many calls from youth who find themselves in dangerous situations because they ran out of money or were sleeping outside. If you’d like to give us a call, we can help you find youth or runaway shelters in your area.
We’re here for you 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929 if you’d like to talk more about your situation or brainstorm other options.

[Guest]

I hate myself to the point of no return. I need to run away because I cant take it anymore. All my life I have watched others become successful and here I am not getting anywhere. I hate being yelled at when ever I am home because I am compared to my sibling which does" EVERYTHING" in the house but the grass which I do. I am so under appreciated that I don't want any interactions with my family. Maybe after this I will finally find my purpose and who I really am meant to be as a human-being in this huge world.

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can discuss some options with you about what is going on and find you resources to maybe communicate with your folks about how you feel? If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

Im 13 and really want to run away ive been thinking if the idea since i was around 10-11 but now ive really had enough. i used to live in Canada which made it hard but now i live in Florida so taking off woulldnt be as challenging. My mom and dad both abuse me emotionally and they dont even know it, ive talked to other adults such as other family members and close family friends but they all say the same thing, that they yell at me because they love me. Its gotten to a point where im a giant ball of rage and get mad at everything, i try to keep it in sometimes and cry it out at night when everyone's sleeping but lately its been a lot harder to do that. Its gotten to a point where my mother would get mad at me, push me, and id punch her right back in the face causing her to have a bruised eye, but i dont mean it my temperament has gotten worse over the years of her and my step dad constantly yelling at every single little thing i do and always making me feel like trash. Even before all of this i used to have problems and was recommended for counseling but my mom never takes my mental health seriously and yells at me for making myself seem "mental" and "looking for attention." Ive been self harming for quite some time now and have been trying stop, my appetite has gone down, and im always mad or sad. Sometimes i even think about ending my own life to get away from everything. Before my parents started emotionally abuse me i used to have a biological dad (that lost custody of me) who would always physically abuse me and do such awful things such as leave me to starve and leave me in the garage with only underwear in the freezing cold Canadian winter, so life has never been easy for me. It was going good for the first year without him but then thats after that 1 year my mom and step dad started emotionally abusing me. I get threats from them all the time such as "i will punch out all your teeth" or "i will slap the life out of you" i just want to be a normal kid but i know that in order to be one i have to get away from them first. Please help me im so trapped this has been going on for years and im so done with them i just wanna get away.

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. We are so sorry for what you have been going through. You do not deserve to be treated that way and we want to do what we can to help. An option you have is to file an abuse report against your mom and step dad. Child Help is a great resource that can help you start the process. Their phone number is 800-422-4453 or you can look at their website at childhelp.org. If you do not want to file a report but need a safe place to stay and a family or friend’s house is not an option, you can look on the National Safe Place at nationalsafeplace.org or text “SAFE & your location” to 44357. Please feel to reach out again if you need any other help or would like additional resources- either by calling us at 800-786-2929, chatting us on www.1800runaway.org, of emailing us at [email protected] . We wish you the best!

-NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am 12 years old my name is ***** and I need some help can you have me go somewhere cuz I need to run away I am being judge and Bully by many different people and my parents just don't agree with me being gay please help me I'm begging you thank you !!!!

[ccsmod7]

Hi there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you are not accepted at home and you are feeling like you need to leave. That sounds like a very hurtful and stressful situation. You should be cherished and loved for who you really are.

You mentioned needing a safe place to go. Please call or chat us if you would like us to locate the nearest runaway and homeless youth shelter: 1-800-RUNAWAY or www.1800runaway.org. We can also help call out to shelters with you on the line.

Please don't hesitate to reach out so we can look for those resources for you or if you would like to talk through your situation.

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

I want to run away from home because nobody cares about me and my mom doesn’t even care about how my siblings treat me and I’m a senior in high school but I want to leave everything behind me and just leave and find somewhere I can go and people who care about me.
My life is so easy and I have what any girl could ask for but I don’t have my mom standing up for me against my siblings when I am being called all out of my name and it really does hurt because I try my best with everything I do and I want to be there for all of them but I don’t want to love them if they don’t love me.

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like your siblings are being hurtful and your mom is not responding in a caring way. That cannot be easy to deal with. Here at NRS, we have a conference call service if you ever want assistance having a mediated phone call with your mom about how you are feeling. Please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY if you are interested in that service. You deserve to be heard.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

hi im 17 and looking to run away i dont feel safe rn my mom tells me i am fat and worthless. she also just took my phone and the last thing i had open was messages with my friend asking for help and now i have no way to answer. I turn 18 in 2 months

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm a 7th grader now

Life as bee hard because my dad left when I was a baby and I struggle with depression ad anxiety and my stepdad got in my face said he wanted me dead and it hurts so much ad I have nowhere to go and I'm always being bullied and just want to die but i want to run away but just have now where to go and so many people hate me right now I don't even know how to deal with that's how bad it i for me i jus miss my dad but he doesn't want me so I have nowhere to go

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now. It sounds like you’re fearing that the situation may end in suicide if things don’t change. Your safety and well-being is important. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255); www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org is also a great resource to reach out to in addition to our crisis services.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. This may be an isolating and lonely time for you, but you are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe and stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 15 years old and I want to runaway because the way my mom treats me has an emotional impact in my life. She always compares me to my sister all the time I used to be a very sweet child but living with my parents I have anger issues and my life mostly outside of home is a lie. She compares me to my sister and tells me that I won’t be able to do anything with my life she calls me crazy. She used to be more abusive but lately she threatens me more she pulls my hair although the abuse is less she treats me differently then my sister. Yesterday I didn’t want to eat as I was full she came out with a stick to hit me . I have no control over my life she asks for everything to my sister and never considers my opinion. She says sometimes that I am crazy and I have something with me. Usually I would go to school and avoid her but it’s summer so I am stuck at home. I didn’t think I can take this anymore I cry myself to sleep sometimes. I am afraid to run away what if they find me. I was thinking of killing myself since I don’t know what to do. I am really scared at this point I have just been hurting myself. Please help.

[ccsmod6]

Hi there, thank you for reaching out to us at NRS.
It seems like life at home has been extremely stressful, causing you to feel helpless and hopeless, engaging in self harm, and sometimes feeling like killing yourself is the only way to make it stop. Please know that if you are ever having thoughts of killing yourself and want to talk to someone, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255, or if you are feeling like you are in immediate harm you can go to your local hospital’s emergency or call 911.
While we don’t have the full details of your situation at home, it sounds like some of the experiences you’ve been having living with your mom could be considered verbal/emotional and physical abuse, which you have every right to report to Child Protective Services. Child Protective Services, like its name, has the goal of keeping youth safe at home, whether that means enforcing some sort of intervention to promote better relations between you and your mom, or finding a safer environment for you to live in. If you are interested in even just learning more about making an abuse report, you can anonymously or non-anonymously call the National Child Abuse Hotline (800) 422-4453. Any specific examples or documentation you have can only help your case, including the impact it has had on your emotional wellbeing, and a report can be filed by either yourself, a trusted adult, or by contacting us at NRS (800) 786-2929.
You mentioned that you are afraid to run away incase someone finds you. Running away is not technically illegal; however if the cops do find you, they would have an obligation to return you to your home (unless they do think that there is reason to believe you are unsafe to return home). Another thing worth noting is that if there was an adult who your mother gave consent for you to stay with, that would be completely legal and you would not be considered a runaway.
Please know we are always available and completely confidential (800) 786-2929 if you want to discuss your situation further. We have a database of resources, can explore options together, or just be here to listen. You don’t have to go through this alone.
Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Abuse


I'm 13 years old and for my whole life i have gone through abuse and last night my brother was trying to hit me with a charger I ran into the bathroom where my mom was I told her she didn't care it was like she was throwing me out to die and she always calls me ugly dirty she makes me clean all the time and I need glasses but she doesn't belive me and the abuse also happens to my siblings but they don't do anything about it I can't live here anymore I've tried hurting myself. I always day dream about going to foster care, and finding a family that loves me, I been thinking about this for a long time and I figured out some things

if I can catch them in the act of beating me I can run out and beg someone to call the police
but it's kinds Hand for me, I think about my other siblings and what people would think of me the girl who called the police officer her whole family
running away may be an option but were would I sTay if I did runaway I'm gonna pack a bag full of all my clothes and grab some money and a poket knife

I have one question can my family go to jail for physical or emotional abuse

by the way it's july 5th there and it summer for me
what what if for someone to come her and take me out of here

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension - you deserve to live somewhere where you are safe and secure. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

You mentioned some things about your brother hitting you with a charger and your mom threatening to put you in a life-threatening situation - this raises some concern for your safety and well-being. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody. Generally speaking, once a report is filed a caseworker from Child Protective Services will investigate to see whether the home is a safe place to be - we aren't legal experts but generally speaking, unless there is severe physical abuse occurring there will most likely not be legal charges against the person abusing you. This can vary from state to state though so it may be a good idea to reach out to your local nonemergency police line (you can usually just dial 311) to ask about local policy.

It’s important to consider all the possibilities that can occur if you leave home. You will need to plan out how you will cover basic necessities like travel, food, clothing, etc. If you have a place to go in mind, it’s good to see what the expectations of the living arrangement will be like; rules, the amount of time you’re allowed to stay, if you’re expected to contribute financially, etc. This can all influence your decision to leave.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi my name is Jaden. I am 17 and want to run away from home. Ever since I met this girl I really like, my mom and me have been fighting and I was even hit and thrown by my step dad when I wouldn’t unball my fist. I feel like when I try to be with her and be happy it makes it worse. I have never been abused verbally or physically unless you count what I said. It’s a nice home but I don’t want to stay. I have family in NY I can live with who have my social card and birth certificate. So could I stay with them even if my mom won’t let me leave? Would it count as running away?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now.
We are not legal experts but we do have general information on the laws. If you were to leave home without permission your legal guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. If the police do find you they most likely would bring you home. You can always contact the police in your city and state and ask them what could happen if you were to leave home.
We hope this information answered your question. If you have any other questions or would like to explore your options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS