19 year old "running away"

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out to NRS. We are glad that you are seeking help and we are sorry to hear that you are facing this extremely difficult situation with your daughter leaving. We would imagine you feel very scared and uncertain of what to do next. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to help locate her and keep communication open with your daughter in the event that she decides to reach back out to you. Remaining in contact with her friends is a great idea in the event she decides to ever reach out to them as maintaining a neutral and safe space for her with her friends may provide valuable information to know if she is safe and well.

Although we are not legal experts here at NRS, if your daughter is 19 years old, she is considered in many states to be within the age of majority (technically, a legal adult). Although your daughter may be considered an adult in many states, you can always try contacting your local police department to determine if there are additional courses of legal action that you can take to ensure your daughter’s safety. If that does not help, perhaps try reaching out to the Youth Law Center Agency at (800) 728-1172. You may also try reaching out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at (800) 843-5678 and also try Team HOPE, a support system for parents with missing children, at 866-305-4673.

Should you have any further questions or wish to speak with someone directly to brainstorm additional steps of action, feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We are here for you,
NRS

Hello, I am 51 years old and I need some advice, anything help please. My daughter age 19 left my house when I wasn’t here. she left her car, phone, laptop, everything. When I arrived at my house I saw a note that said, she got her own place and that she is safe. I know that she left with someone that I have never met. I have contacted her via Facebook she did respond. However I haven’t said anything about how I feel bc I am to scared to drive her even farther. My husband and I don’t know what we should do. This is alway her first time doing this. I think she had planned this in advance bc she has change a lot in the last two week. I even contacted her closest friend and she also thought she wasn’t acting like her normal self. Please anyone help me

[ccsmod10]

Hi Ahmiya, I'm thankful you contacted us. It sounds like your relationship with your mom has been complicated and not always fulfilling. It is definitely plausible that she is controlling because she wants to live her life through you, and she might not even know it / realize it herself. It's good that you're looking out for yourself, and looking to make a change.

Living in a new environment with different people could be a really positive change. We are here to help as best we can. Moving to a different state can be exciting, and it is often useful to arrange for somewhere to live, and how to earn an income before moving. Moving with a friend, or getting in contact with people in a new city through social media can be a useful way to settle into a new city.

We can talk more about your options if you text chat us at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-786-2929. You don't have to figure this out all on your own.

Hi, my name is ahmiya and I’m 19 years old. My mom tries to control me and it feels like sometimes she is trying to live her life through me. We argue most times and then we collect ourselves, but I still feel like I’m not able to make any decisions on my own and I’m considering leaving home. What if I want to move to another state? Any help?

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are glad that you are reaching out for help—that takes a lot of bravery. It sounds like you are going through an extremely difficult time right now with life at home. We are sorry to hear that home isn’t a place where you feel entirely supported and seen for the intelligent young adult that you are. You deserve to feel safe at home and to feel like you can make your own decisions.

You ask very good questions. We are not legal experts here at NRS, but since you are legally the age of an adult in most states (over the age of 18 years old), you may be able to leave mom’s home without her permission. If you are considering leaving home, you may want to consider is how you will support yourself if you do leave home. Do you have a relative, a trusting friend that would help pay for your food, housing, and all other living expenses? Do you have an idea of where you may go once you leave family? If so, is the place or person that you will be staying with someone that you can fully trust? If you were to leave, would you continue attending the school you go to (if you are in school)?

We can offer temporary youth shelters for you in your local area. If you call us (1-800-RUNAWAY) or reach out via chat at 1800runaway.org, we’d be happy to provide those resources for you. We also care about your safety, so if you ever feel unsafe, you can text the word “safe” to 4HELP (44357) to receive a message of the closet Safe Place to go.

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 forum 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). We are able to help call out to local shelters in your area with you, as well as offering conference call and messaging services should you decide to leave and wish to leave your mom a message. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

Hi, my name is ahmiya and I’m 19 years old. My mom tries to control me and it feels like sometimes she is trying to live her life through me. We argue most times and then we collect ourselves, but I still feel like I’m not able to make any decisions on my own and I’m considering leaving home. And help?

[ccsmod3]

Hi there, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like there are some issues happening at home and that’s making you want to leave. It also sounds like not many people can help you get where you need to go and that there is a safe place you can go in another state. We want to help as best as we can so if you would like to talk more about what you are experiencing, please call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. If your focus is on how to get to your friend, we would not be able to directly help, but can always look for alternative resources as well. We can also help with looking for safe places in your area as well so you are not feeling stuck at home. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

I'm 19 I'm stuck at home I only have 200 dollars I don't have an ID, license, or really anything. I've got my birth certificate that's it. No one in my family can help and none of my friends the only person that can help me is in another state, but I don't have a way there. I'm running out of options fast and I don't know what to do. I don't want to live like this.

[ccsmod10]

Hi, thank you for posting this question. Running away is not a crime. You cannot get arrested or charged with a crime for running away from your family, even if you are a minor (under 18 years old). That means that the act of running away will not get you in trouble with the Department of Homeland Security. Having said that, we cannot confirm whether or not running away would have legal implications in a particular case, as it would depend on the person's legal status in the US. If you want to know more, you can always give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 and we might be able to refer you to legal resources that can help. Best of luck!

Hello. I have a question. So If someone does not have greencard and he/she run away from house, is it gonna have big problem like causing deported or something?

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did.
It sounds like things have been really hard at home for a long time, but you made it through with your diploma. Great job, for sure!
If you call our hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY, or chat us through this website, we can determine whether there are any long-term options for young adults. These are called Transitional Living Programs (TLP's).
We do work best when we can have a conversation with you, so we hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS

I want to leave without anybody knowing because of physacal and mental abuse but I have nowhere to go. I have my SSID,State ID, diploma and birth certificate. Then again I don't want to be homeless. I'm in California so what should I do any ideas?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). You’re very brave for sharing your situation with us and we thank you for opening up about the issues you’re facing at home. We’re very sorry to hear that you’re experiencing these troubles with your family and the anxiety it’s causing you. Please know that you deserve to be loved and cared for and that your life is worth living. We are here to support and listen to you to the best of our ability.

Since you are 19, in most states you are considered a legal adult and if you left home, there’s very little your family could do about it in terms of legal action. You would be able to continue going to high school where you are and go stay wherever you’d like. This could be with a friend or separate family member. If you are struggling to find a place to stay, please chat or call in and we can try to locate a shelter nearby. We understand things are difficult, but again, your life is worth living and you will be able to make it through this. If you ever have thoughts about or are wanting to attempt to kill yourself again, please know that there are people who can help you through it. You don’t have to face it alone. You can always chat in with us or reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). They are a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you, 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 wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe and take care,
NRS

Hey My name Is Daisha and I am 19 and I am having family issues and I am planning on running off sometime because i am A loser to my family and because I am always into fights then I try to kill myself due to me feeling like a burden to my family and to myself. I am wondering I am a senior in high school what would happen if I ran off tonight or sometime soon???

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS, we're sorry to hear that your son has not been answering your calls and that he did not come home for his college break. Because he is over 18, he is most likely considered a legal adult, and therefore does not need permission to travel or go anywhere independently, but we understand your concern that he has not been in communication with you for a while. If you believe that your son could be in an emergency situation, we suggest that you contact your local police department or the police department that serves the area that your son's school is in. We hope that your son is safe and that you hear from him soon. If you want to discuss more about the situation we suggest live chatting with us at www.1800runaway.org; or calling us at 1 (800) 786-2929.

Stay safe,
NRS