Abusive Father

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 & planning on leaving home. I want to runaway bc of my father. He's abusive in a horrible way. My mother is aware & says it's my fault. I feel for my sanity if I stay in that house. I reached my breaking point. There is no safe place. I feel my option is to runaway for my safety. I feel I better off on my own. Then with him.

[ccsmod4]

Abusive Father

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
It sounds like you are thinking about running away because you are being abused by your father.
You don’t deserve to be abused and it is certainly not your fault.
You should be safe at home, what has happened to you is not right.

It’s great that you are thinking about your safety and if you would like to explore some possible options NRS is here to listen and here to help. We can try and assist you with locating a safe place or emergency shelter. NRS can also assist you with filing an abuse report with Child Protective services if or when you are ready. How does that sound?
Perhaps there is someone you feel confident over your situation with.
Can you think of anyone?

You are welcome to call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or visit www.1800Runaway.org for help locating services in your area. You can sign into NRS live chat to get our services as well.
You showed great courage and strength reaching out tonight. Good for you.
Your safety matters to NRS we are here to go over options with you on getting yourself safe.

We hope to hear from you soon.
Take Care and be well,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I don't think I can turn him in. He's a police officer. The other officer will take his side. I need help during him in.

[ccsmod1]

RE: Abusive Father

Thanks for getting back to us. It sounds like you are in a scary situation. It is understandable that you are worried about reporting your father for child abuse because he is a police officer. That makes your situation really tough. It sounds like you could use some help and support. You can call us any time to discuss your options, and we can work with you to help you figure out what to do next. Abuse reporting can be really scary, and we understand you have your reasons for not wanting to file. We respect your wishes and we can help you figure out other options, but we are mandated reporters, so if you do not want to make a report, just don't tell us your name when you call. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, and we hope to hear from you soon.

[Unregistered]

I want to turn him in but I don't think I can

[ccsmod1]

RE: Abusive Father

Thank you for reaching out again. We are here to listen and support you. If you don't want to make a report, you can still call and talk to us about your options. No one here will pressure to make a report if you don't want to. You do not deserve to be abused. For further support, we strongly encourage you to contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We wish you the best of luck, and we look forward to your call.

[Unregistered]

I ranaway. I'm on my own. What do I do.

[ccsmod13]

RE:

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounded like home was not somewhere where you wanted to be. We are glad to see that you are reaching out for some support. Leaving home can be a big step and we are here to support you in what ways we can.

You had mentioned that you have already left home and are on your own. You sound like a brave individual. It also sounds like you might have some questions. Here at NRS we are not legal experts, but we can speak in general terms. Leaving home without your parental permission is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. This means that you are not allowed to do it because of your age. Since you have left, your parents have the option to file a runaway report with your local police. Again this is not a criminal offense, just a status offense. If you are found you will just be brought back home to your legal guardian. However, anyone that you stay with could be charged with harboring a runaway, which is a misdemeanor offense for them.

Only knowing a little bit about your situation we would like to offer some questions to think about since you have left
-is where you are going safe? Do you need to get to a safe place?
-what will you do if things ever become unsafe?
-do you have someone that you can talk to about what is going on?
-do you have a trusted adult you can turn to if needed?
-how are you supporting yourself? Money? Food? Shelter?
-If you were forced to be brought back home, what do you think that would look like?

We hoped this helped and if you would like to discuss your situation in greater detail you can always give us a call on our hotline as well as chat with us on our website. We look forward to hearing from you and we wish you the best of luck.

NRS

[Unregistered]

Yes I left home. I got no where to go.
I'm scared on the streets.

[ccsmod1]

RE: Abusive Father

Your next step is to call us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY for help and support.

[Unregistered]

We're is a safe place to go.

[ccsmod3]

Re: Abusive Father

Hello again. At this time we have provided you with as much support and options as we can provide on our bulletin forum. We are unable to continue responding to you on our bulletin boards at this time. However, you are more than welcome to contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), and look forward to your call. If you are unable to call, please note that we offer a live chat via our website at www.1800runaway.org every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST.