I want to run away but have no where to go

[Guest]

So my parents, they don't listen. The kids at school talk about me in bad ways. They all emotionally abuse me, and my little brother will hit me no matter what I do. Today he told me he wish I had lived in someone else's family and not in his. See I don't have any full siblings. My step dad will yell at me for asking for a little break with stuff, they treat me diffrent, and I think it's because I'm a child molesters daughter.

[ccsmod5]

Hi there, thanks for sending your post. It sounds like you have been dealing with a lot, so hopefully we can provide some helpful information.

You mention your parents not listening to you and treating you differently, maybe because you are a "child molester’s daughter." That must be really hurtful for you. It may not apply to your situation, but you can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), or the Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN) at 1-800-656-4673, to talk to someone about things that may have happened or just how you are feeling.

Maybe there are things your parents can do to make you feel more supported. We can link you to affordable family or individual counseling resources in your area to talk about how you feel with someone who may be able to help you feel better and help you communicate with your parents.

It sounds like the kids at school and your brother can say and do some hurtful things. One thing you could do at school is tell a teacher or school counselor what is happening. Sometimes people don’t want to tell a teacher they are being bullied because they may be embarrassed or afraid of what their classmates might do, but this might also help you feel better at school. There are also some helpful things you can do to stop bullying at school on this website: https://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/wh...-do/index.html.

We hope some of this information is helpful and we encourage you to give your honest feedback of our forum service at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think. If you have any questions on anything we sent or just want to talk to someone over the phone, please give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

Hi i dont get beaten or any thing but i always argue with my sister and all the time i have head aches i try to tell my parents but they wont listen and i have a tough time in school. I dont know if i should run away i know it would break their hearts and if i came back they would love it but they would be mad also. i just cant take anymore

[ccsmod11]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out. It takes a lot of bravery to come forward about your situation online, and we hope we can help.

It's unfortunate that you argue with your sister and your parents aren't listening to your concerns. We also regret hearing that you're having a difficult time in school. It sounds like you're handling a lot right now, and we want you to know that we see all your effort. It makes sense that you're thinking about running away. We're also glad that you've already started thinking a little bit about what the consequences of running away might be. We encourage you to call in and talk with us about your plan for running away so we can prepare for your safety in the event you leave. We also encourage you to call us if you think you would like to explore other options besides running away. We're here 24/7 to listen and help.

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:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I want to run away bc my mom and dad are always rude and cruel to me. My mom keeps shouting me. And even if i try to open up to her about my mental illness she would just tell me you are lying or ignore me. I tried to commit suicide but i love my parents i dont want to make them sad or something so i just didnt. I hope they dont find me when i leave the house
I live in mumbai, india

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear that your mom and dad are rude to you. You mentioned that you have thought about committing suicide, the International Suicide Prevention website (http://www.supportisp.org/) is a good resource for support.

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. Since 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: http://www.childhelplineinternationa...where-we-work/





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.

[Guest]

This is not going to be a long paragraph. I want to run away because I don't want to live at my house anymore. It's everybody that lives in the house except my auntie

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

We are not legal experts, but if you are under 18 and you run away you would most likely be returned home if found. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. If you leave your home and need help, don't hesitate to give us a call and we could look up shelters and safe spaces for you. A liner could also walk you through your options and what you think would be the best for you. Give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) so that we can hear more about your situation and be able to better help.

Stay safe,

NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis 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: We care what you think

[Guest]

I have a family who I think that don't love me because my mom always say don't take it in your own hands but when my siblings hit I tell my mom and she ignore me and I go cry and my room. My dad like he ignores me and he always getting on me when my siblings hit me or yell at me. He say "you better keep your hands to yourself and you better stop all that arguing with your siblings." And last Monday (I live in a ghetto neighborhood so these kids always buly and jump me.) I was at the park with my siblings and my friend and then I got into a fight with a boy then later on these two boys started messing with me and I got mad so I ask one of my sister's can she give me my phone so I can call my grandma but she started arguing with me and she threw my phone and the boys said you better leave your sister alone or she going to beat you up again. So, I got mad then I started getting sad and started walking home and calling my grandma. And my grandma took me to her house for the whole spring break. That's why I love my grandma. Then tonight I was hot so I turn on the fan and my sister took it away from me and then my dad hit me but I don't have a bruse. And told me to sleep on the floor in the other room. And, I want to live with my grandma but I don't know how. Cause he might go over to my grandma's house. Can y'all help me please help try to live with my grandma please please y'all and my grandma is all I got? Please let me know right away.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

We're sorry to hear about what you have been facing recently and want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home. We understand that it takes a great deal of courage to seek help. You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse and neglect which may be reportable against your parents. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at (1-800-422-4453) or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made. They also would be able to talk to you about having guardianship transferred to your grandma. We can also be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you want to walk through this option or think through other options you may have. Is your grandma able to advocate for you to your parents or to allow you to live with her? If you are under 18 and you leave, your parents could file a runaway report and you could be returned home. The ways to avoid this would be if you were allowed to live with your grandma or if you reported abuse in the home. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you need help with anything discussed above.

Stay safe,

NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis 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: We care what you think

[Guest]

I’m 13




My family is always mean to me and at school kids bully me and I’m just done and I’m always getting played by boys I’m sick of it I want to run away but I have no where to go or I don’t have any money.. but I’m planning to do it tonight so...

[ccsmod5]

Hey,
Thanks so much for reaching out. It can be really difficult when there’s tension going on at home and school. That must feel really isolating and stressful for you. It makes sense that you’d want to think about your options. We’re here to support you. While we’re not legal experts, hopefully we can share some general information and give you some options.
It sounds like you’re planning on leaving home tonight. Before you go, it might be helpful to know general runaway laws. Generally speaking, you need to be 18 years old to leave home without parental consent. If you leave before then, your family would have the right to file a runaway report and if the police are able to locate you, they will return you home. That being said, if you believe leaving is the best option you may want to consider where you’ll go—like a friend, another family member, or possibly a runaway shelter. It sounds like you don’t have money—you might want to consider where you’ll get food and other necessities while you’re on the run. It can be very dangerous to leave home without a plan, and your safety is our number one priority. If you’d like to talk more about your options and figure out a safety plan, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
It can be really difficult when your parents are mean to you, especially because they are supposed to be the ones who love and support you most. You deserve to be supported. One option is talking to your parents about how their behavior affects you. Sometimes parents aren’t aware how seriously their words can impact their kids. A conversation might help clear up some of your frustrations and you all might be able to develop strategies for them to support you better. It could also be helpful to have another adult there while you have this conversation, like a guidance counselor or a therapist. Here at NRS, we are also able to help you have that conversation with your parents; we’ll do our best to make sure the conversation stays calm, productive, and fair.
You also mentioned that you’re being bullied in school. That’s never easy and you don’t deserve to be treated that way. An option to consider is talking to a guidance counselor or one of your teachers about how your peers are treating you. They may be able to create a game plan with you and support you. Your friends at school can also be a resource to you; perhaps you could ask your friends to step in when they see others bullying you. Often, bullies back down when many people step forward.
Thank you again for reaching out. We hope this was helpful and we encourage you to reach out by phone if you need additional resources or need help figuring out your options. Our number is 1-800-786-2929 and our lines are always open. If you have a moment, we'd appreciate your feedback of our crisis services at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Stay safe!

[Guest]

hi im 13 and i wanna runaway from home i need a place to stay i live in TX and i dont have no money no phone just clothes and a dog where can i stay?

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re having a difficult time as a runaway in TX. We really would love to help you find a shelter or another safe place to stay. Unfortunately it is not safe for us to give local resources to people who reach out on our forums because our forums are a public platform. Please call us at 1-800-786-2929 or email us at [email protected] and provide us details about your location, your age, and your gender so we can help you locate a shelter. We do want to let you know that your age may prevent you from accessing shelters in TX. However, we can see if there are shelters that accept people your age in your area. Additionally, we can look for pet-friendly shelters, but such shelters are very rare. You may not be able to stay in a shelter’s care with your dog. We understand how hard that is, and invite you to call us if you need someone to talk to in such a difficult time.

Hopefully this helped point you in the right direction today. 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: **https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I want to runaway but have no where to go I have thought about the mountains a island another country my mum abuses me my dads in prison my family are feared everywhere so what can a 14 yr old girl like me do I mean I’m breaking my life is upside down my friends are moving away but I still have some great ones but I’m only 14 and too young too have a job so I don’t know but I know I need to leave for a while but no where to go can I really just run away and knock and a strangers door and say I ran away can I live here so I can forget everything and start a new life

[ccsmod7]

Hi, thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We’re sorry to hear what you’re going through at home and with your family. It sounds like a really difficult situation, especially since you’re so young.

If you are thinking about running away, it’s important to make sure you have a plan and are able to stay safe. Some good people to talk to might include the friends who are still nearby, any relatives besides your parents, or a trusted teacher or school counselor. We definitely want you to have access to food, clothing, and money as needed, and to keep going to school if possible.

You mentioned that your mom is abusive. This is never okay and you deserve to feel safe at home. Please call the National Child Abuse Hotline if you need someone to talk to or are ever in danger at 1-800-422-4453, or go to their website at www.childhelp.org to learn more about your options.

Are you living in the United States? If so, we suggest calling us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) so we can talk more about reporting child abuse, making a safe plan to leave home, or anything else that’s going on. If not, you can go to www.childhelplineinternational.org to find resources and hotline numbers in your country.
Good luck with everything, and please call or chat with us if you need anything else.

Best wishes,

National Runaway Safeline

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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I’m 14 and me and a 13 year old girl are running away together we’re not boyfriend or girlfriend we were just both involved in the same thing that caused us to run away that reason was we got caught with weed at school and now we both have criminal charges and have to go to alc (alternative learning campus) which is basically juvie and my mom is making me move from my dad house to her and she’s moving my schools and than making me go to Georgia she’s beat me when I was younger and I don’t even think she’s loves me anymore now we’re just trying to find a good place to go what do you think

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are sorry to hear that you have criminal charges. You mentioned that your mom use to beat you. If you don't feel safe with her, you have the right to report her to Child Protective Services. It sounds like you want to runaway with a friend. Having a plan about where you would go and how you would take care of yourself is important. Since you both are minors, your parents have the right to file a runaway report if you leave. With a runaway report, if the police find you they would return to the ALC. There are youth shelters and that you two may be able to go to but they may require parental consent because of your age. You could contact (nationalsafeplace.org) for local safe places to stay. If you have any other questions or just want to talk, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.


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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I'm 18 years old now and I want to run away from home. I know I'm legal to leave home. But I don't want a hassle of having cops on me for running away. I can't stay there anymore. I don't want to look at my older sisters face when she hurts my mother. Now my mother punishes me and told me that I can't have a life anymore over a guy. I don't feel like I'm treated as equal as my other siblings. My older sister always picking fights with me. Always calling me grown adult just because I stayed at my friend's house for a week. She always trying to get me in trouble stating how she didn't get what I had always to my mother. I'm always depressed and depressed for deeper reasons that I just can't type. and I hate face to face communication, so I never got help. They always think they understand when they don't. I'm always arguing with my family that it causing me chest pain that I haven't got checked for yet. It's getting to the point that I don't feel like I'm wanted and thought of suicide, but I rather run away then commit that. what do I do? Can I leave home without getting in trouble with the cops? I don't want my friends family for getting in trouble for letting me live with them

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline (NRS) through our public forum. It sounds like you are dealing with a tough situation at home. We appreciate you reaching out to us for support. You mentioned that you are not being treated fairly at home and would like to run away from home. Generally speaking, we can not advise you on what you can and can not do. However, it sounds like you are a legal adult and you could make the decision to leave home if you wanted. Here at NRS, we want to support you through this difficult time. If you are interested, we offer conferencing calling here at NRS where we can conference call with you and your mother to facilitate a conversation between you and her to let her know how this has been making you feel and if she would be willing to compromise with you. If our conference service is something that might interest you or you want to talk through more options, you can also call us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

It sounds like you have thought about suicide. If you haven’t in the past, you might want to also reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Here at NRS we want to help you think through things safely. You also mentioned that you have been feeling depressed. We are here to support you through this difficult time. If you would like additional support regarding your depression, you could speak with a therapist directly. You can reach out to SAMHSA at 1-877-726-4727 or www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov to find services in your city and state.

If you would like to reach out to us other than bulletin and email, we have a 24/7 hotline and are always here to listen and help 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you can’t call in, you can chat with us through our website (www.RUNAWAY.org) from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Time. We look forward to your call or chat.

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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I am an adult 24 year old and life since being a pregnant has not been the same...I got pregnant at 16 and didn’t get to live the life that I dream of everyday.. I know it’s not her fault and it didn’t take 1 person to get pregnant and I absolutely love my daughter to death but I’d rather run away for awhile than end up hurting myself and my daughter never having a chance to see me again...i am a single mom I take care of a hot headed 7 year old all by myself 24-7.....I know she’ll miss me and wonder and worry but I can’t make her happy if I’m not even though I try so hard every single day to be so strong and show no emotion just so she can look up to me and know she can be just as strong as me no matter what...but lately I’ve been breaking down in front of her and she knows somethings wrong...I always have twin boys...4 years old I had when I was 18 or 19...someone I was with hurt my kids when they were 5 months old...I was not home the courts cleared me of being guilty...but because the person that I think did it is very close to me(within the family) I could not have my twins back...I’m very greatful for their father because even though he didn’t have to take my boys he did and he is the greatest father in the world...I think about my boys everyday and I want them to know I didn’t mean to leave them in harms way if I would’ve known I wouldn’t have...I love them to death...so yea life has really beaten me up since 16 and it’s only getting worse...I’ve decided I want to run away for maybe a couple months just to get to know myself again and become level headed and at peace for once in my life...

[ccsmod7]

Hello, thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your story.

It sounds like you have been enduring a lot, and we admire your strength for continuing to be a figure for your daughter to look up to even when times have been hard. We understand your frustration and encourage you to do what’s best for yourself.

We want to let you know that since you are a legal adult, you would not be considered a runaway if you were to leave home. In addition, you may benefit from talking to a counselor about your situation as a way to cope with everything that has been going on. SAMSHA has many resources available by state; their website is samhsa.gov and their phone number is 1-877-726-4727. Also remember that you can reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline any time to further discuss your situation and options. We are open 24/7, and you can reach us at 1-800-786-2929.

Stay strong, we believe in you! Best of luck.

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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.

[Guest]

i am 11 years old and i cant take it any more i want to kill my self but like the first guy i'm afraid of the pain. my dad keeps thretinig to slap me my mom side he had been threw a lote he was in the navy my mom said he was not like this befor he went in the navy every time he gets mad he takes stuff away. i have no ware to go if i run away my friend like his life so he would not want to lave.

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through such a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. We want you to know that you are worth it and that there is hope for you. We also want you to know that no one deserves to be threatened, and you should not have to go through that.

If you ever feel that you are in danger of hurting or killing yourself, you could call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255; suicidepreventionlifeline.org) or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Also, if you haven’t already, you could consider reporting the way you’ve been treated. If you want more information about abuse reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 or you could call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online. If you ever feel that you are in danger, you could call 911 for immediate help.

You mentioned that you had some thoughts about hurting and killing yourself. If you would be interested in getting information about mental health resources, you could check out the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); 1-877-726-4727; samhsa.gov; findtreatment.samhsa.gov/.

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. 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 find a safe place or 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.

[Guest]

I'm actually running away today too. It is a hard decision and I think it is definitely the last step. My step dad had physically abused me ever since he came in to my life. The other day I told the school that I have been popping pills (dxm) and now they are trying to send me to rehab. But I stopped on my own. I have in the past smoked weed and they think I need rehab!!! I'm 16 and perfectly functionable. I just think the stricter the parents are the more sneaky the teen is. In your situation I would run away because who wants to be afraid of being home with someone that hurts you and breaks you down in every way?? I think you should try calling dhs and see what they can do but if you are going make sure to pack the things you need. I'm sorry you're going through this it must suck. I have nobody to run away with either ://

[ccsmod7]

We appreciate you reaching out as it can take a lot of strength to do so. We understand from your post you are dealing with significant amount of stress. From your post it was unclear if you were quoting someone or if the whole message was intended for us. We can however help with the process and the general pros and cons running away brings.

Your immediate concern in your email appears to be running away. Running away can be a difficult process and many unplanned circumstances can come up. If you feel you need support with this you could call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or 1-800-780-0394 or we also have a chat service, however that is not 24 hours like our phone line. We could help in finding services for shelter or emotional support if you find you need it. Also you mentioned pills or other substances that you have been able to manage but may be causing some distress. A resource for this would be the SAMHSA hotline (or website SAMHSA.org) which you can reach at 1-877-726-4727. They can help find services for substance use or just mental health services if you want support in your area.

We appreciate you reaching out and having the strength to ask for help. If you find you need support even if it is just someone to listen please do not hesitate to reach out to us. You deserve support and we wish you the best of luck with these challenges.

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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think.