What will happen if I ran away and get caught

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out to NRS. We are here to help support you during these extremely tough times. No one deserves to be treated that way; especially by your parents who should always love and protect you. It sounds like you are doing your best to remain calm and non-reactive in these situations. However, your safety is most important to us, so here are some ideas to think about:

If possible, inform your case worker about the verbal/mental abuse you are enduring at home.

You may want to try to reach out to trusted friends and family to spend time with to help you cope and get time away from your mother. Additionally, for times when you feel unsafe or verbally abused, there’s a national resource called National Safe Place where you can text the word “safe” and your current location (address, city, state) to 4HELP (44357) and they will guide you to designated areas in your town/city where you could go that are safe (fire station, a library, local store). And of course, there is always your local police force with whom you call at 911 if you felt immediate danger and no one was there to defend you.

Another idea that you could implement into your daily routine is consider getting more involved with an afterschool program (sports, theater, debate club) that interests you. That way, you can limit the amount of time you spend at home and reduce your exposure around your mother. If you still have classes online at home, then consider looking for a YMCA or Boys & Girls’ Club which are places you could spend time with teens your age, study, play sports, and decompress after a long school day.

Also, a school guidance counselor is usually a service offered at every school. This could be someone you confide in about your home life and help provide you with ways to deal with what sounds like an extremely unsupportive home life.
It takes bravery to reach out and ask for help. We are a 24/7 service readily available to help you with further questions that you may have through online chat, forum, and email. Do not hesitate to reach back out.

We wish you the very best,
NRS

I'm only 13 and I want to run away. I don't want to go to juvie tho I already have a case on me and I have a court date coming up and I don't want them to think I'm running away to run away from jail I'm running away from my mentally abusive mother...

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help support and guide you. It sounds like you have been going through an extremely difficult time at home. You do not deserve to be treated that way by your parents based on your sexual and gender orientation. We all deserve respect and love.

It sounds like home life is becoming increasingly more unsafe and disruptive. You mentioned you attempted to look at bus tickets for safety but also mentioned you did not feel like you had a lot of people to go to in the event you got hit or left home. For the immediate time, one resource to consider is the National Safe Place where you can text SAFE and your current address and location to 4HELP (44357) for immediate help or check out https://www.nationalsafeplace.org/ to find locations in your area. If you are ever in need of emergency shelter (a place to stay for a night), perhaps consider reaching out to 180 Degrees Agency at www.180degrees.org or phone: (612) 813-5006 which can provide options in your local area. Another consideration is Childhelp Agency (www.childhelp.org/ or phone: (800) 422-4453) which is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and may provide further support and resources. And always, there is law enforcement which can be accessed by calling 911 if you feel your physical safety is in severe harm.

If these options are not doable for you, perhaps one option is to consider participating in extracurricular activities (sports, theater, writing clubs, etc) at school which would allow you less time away from your parents but still allow you to have a home to go to at the end of the day. Depending on your geographical area, a local Boys & Girls Club (website: www.bgca.org; phone: (404) 487-5700) may be another option that is a safe after school program. Or, consider any friends that you trust and have your best interest that may allow you to stay with them after school before you return home to lessen exposure time.

Lastly, you mentioned prior suicide attempts. We are sorry you have felt such pain that made you consider ending your life. If you ever feel that severe hopelessness again, please consider contacting the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-(800)-273-8255.

If you should have any other questions or concerns, we are a confidential, available resource 24/7 through the forum, online chat, or call anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

We wish you the very best,

NRS

Hi,
I wanted to reach out since I have planned on running away soon. I am a transgender male whos 13. Almost 14 soon. I love drawing and playing the piano and stuff like that.

My mom (and my entire family) are homophobic/transphobic, and my mom is verbally abusive, which has resulted in her calling me slurs, names, etc, which is most probably turning physical. She grabbed me by the chin/throat today and the day before because I had stolen my old tablet so I could look at bus tickets safely. We've argued for days, she flipped me off my mattress so I'd get off the bed and ended up hurting my back.

I have nothing. She ripped my tv out of my room, my tablet, and phone (which has already been gone for over 6 months), ps4, even my plushies, my piano, she pulled me out of school when she found out I was trans, she threatens to hurt me- or "whoop my ***," per se. All I have is my clothes and my bed pretty much.
I've always never really felt safe around her, she's bipolar and my dad left. I'm really scared- terrified since, well if I do get hit or anything or when I do leave I won't have anything to contact anyone with to tell them what's happening.
I've also dealt with past suicide attempts, the most recent being an overdose on AD. I'm scared that's gonna happen again too, though I promise myself It won't.
I wanna talk to someone but I can't call anyone, and it's unsafe to even text. My internet history is watched like a hawk.

Please help me.

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,



Thanks for contacting NRS. We hope this message reaches you well and that you have ended up in a safe place. It's hard to tell from here what you are running away from and what you are going through.



Keep in mind that we are not legal experts, but in most states your parents can report you as a runaway and have police return you home. If you are trying to run away to escape abuse, then making an abuse report might help you get placed in a more healthy living situation without the possibility of being returned home. A report could possibly justify you not feeling safe at home, but that is not always guaranteed.



If you ever feel like you're in a crisis and have access to a cell phone, you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. Please don't hesitate to contact us 24/7 at 1-800-runaway or through a live chat on our website www.1800runaway.org.



Wishing you very good luck, NRS.

i am running away from school in 2 min

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for reaching out it shows a lot of courage to take that first step. We are by no means legal experts or tech experts. While they might be able to track your phone depending on the phone provider especially if it is your guardians or parents who are paying on it, the police might be less likely to follow up if you are close to the age 18.

Talking to your girl might be something worth pursing before driving to go see her and finding out her thoughts before going there is important. She might have certain expectations if you plan to stay with her. Also, you mentioned getting a new cheap phone after a while a monthly phone bill can be expensive and if it is something that you plan to do long-term thinking about how you plan to pay for it is something to take into consideration. It is important to remember that running away is not illegal, but you can still be return to your parents and taking that in to account is important to remember.

If you feel that you are not in safe place right now you can always use National Safe Place (http://www.nationalsafeplace.org) you can text, the word "safe" to 69866 and provide the location that you are at, and it will return nearest safe place to your location. It's important to remember that you are not alone, and you can always reach out to us for help we are here to help and to listen and we can talk in more in about what’s going on. We are 24/7 and can be reach either through chat, at our website (1800runaway.org), or at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Be safe,
NRS

ok so my girl lives about 10 hour drive from me im 17 and ********s not going good right now. i was wondering if they could track my phone through our data provider or no? if not i can just get rid of my phone and get some cash to get another one with data for cheap. but if you can gimme any advice you have on this stuff

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes a lot of courage to reach out for help and we're really sorry you're going through such a challenging situation - it sounds extremely frustrating to have to be called names and compared to your cousin. You don't need to be compared to anyone else and you deserve to be accepted for who you are. Please know that we are here to support you however we can during this difficult time.
If you need any immediate mental health assistance, feel free to call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They are a national organization that specializes in providing confidential, 24/7 mental health services. Additionally, if you'd like to talk more about wanting to run away, we are here. We can look for nearby shelters or other resources you may need. NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance, so 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). 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 and take care,
NRS

Hi my name is Emily I haven’t ran away but I’m considering it I don’t want to say my life is horrible I’m just really tired of the things my mind goes thru everyday. I don’t know what to do I’ve had counseling and things like that but I’m just really tired of being called names and being compared to my cousin who lives on the streets. I know that if I run away I’ll get compared to him once again but I can take it anymore.

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing a little about what’s going on. We are sorry you’re going through this breakup without being able to talk to friends or family as much as you like. It is definitely helpful to have support during these times. Although there may be ways you can communicate through the iPad, it might not be ideal but having support can make a great difference at times.
You mentioned running away, 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. 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).

Be safe,
NRS

Hi I’m 17 and have gone through a recent break up my parents won’t let me have my phone or truck so I can’t do anything but be alone with no phone with no one to talk to. I want to run away and start a new life I’m using an i pad btw. If I get caught will I go to A mental facility

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time and we want you to know that you are not alone.

We are sorry to hear about your mother’s passing; we cannot imagine that pain. You do not deserve to be abused in any type of way. You do have the right to file an abuse report and there are a few ways to go about doing that. One option to consider would be to call Child Help at 1800-422-4453, and they would be able to help with a report. Another option is to speak with a school counselor about what you have been going through, they can help with filing a report. You can also call or chat with us at any time and we can help you with filing a report.

We know you mentioned suicide, that is a scary thing to think about or try. We are so glad that you survived and are able to share your experience with others and help others who are feeling the same way. There is always someone willing to listen and willing to help, please reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at : 1800-273-8255.

We know you mentioned wanting to run away, we are not legal experts but we do have some information on what could happen. If you were to leave home without permission your legal guardian could file a runaway report and it is a possibility that you can be brought back home. It is a possibility that your cousin can get in trouble for harboring runaway, but it varies by state.

We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are available 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck! Stay strong
NRS

I'm 13 and my mother died when I was 10. I stay with my abusive grandfather who calls me names and wishes I didn't stay with him. I've tried multiply suicides by overdosing, if a runaway to my older cousin's house, can she get charged? Please I need advice.

[ccsmod15]

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. Running away is a huge step in one's life and there are a lot of things to consider before taking off. Here at NRS our real concern is safety so hopefully you understand the importance of it on your end as well. Having a safe place to stay, a way to earn money to provide for yourself and a source for communication are all important things as well. Depending upon your age and the state you live in, there are laws regarding running away which will determine if you get returned to your parents should you run into problems.

NRS is able to assist you in providing resources to provide ways opening up communications with your parents (our Conference Call Service) as a way to give you a more comfortable home life to finding a safe place to stay close to where you live should you decide to leave. We really encourage you to stay in touch with us by calling us at 1800-runaway (1-800-786-2929) 24/7 so that we can talk to you about what's going on that's got you thinking about running away. You can also chat with us via our chat feature found at www.1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS