I want to leave what can I do?

RE: I want to leave what can I do?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like you're going through a lot with your father abusing you. No one deserves to be abused. It sounds like your boyfriend’s dad is being supportive by allowing you to live with them. It is great that you have started looking for options.

It sounds like you are still 17. We are not legal experts however, we usually hear that the age of majority is 18 in most states. That means if you are under 18, then your guardian has the right to file a runaway report and make you come back home. In some places in the US, if you are 17, the police won't make you go back home, but they would still take a runaway report.

If you want to, you can contact your local police and ask them what the age of majority is for your state. If you go to live with your boyfriend and his dad, there is a chance that you all can get into some legal trouble for something called harboring a runaway. The consequences for that range from fines to jail time.

The real issue comes down to who your legal guardian is. If your stepmom has legal guardianship shared with your dad, then she has the right to also decide where you live. If your dad disagrees, he can still file a runaway report, but your stepmom's decision could be taken into account. If she doesn't have any guardianship, then legally, it doesn't matter what she says - it would be up to your dad.

We hope that this was helpful and began to answer some of your questions. If you want to talk more about anything, please call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us through our website from 4.30pm-11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

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