Should I run away ?

[Lmxoxo]

Ok .... I'm 18 years old.. I'm not happy here at my parents house, my dad is a pastor so we are a religious family, very strict rules.
My dad abuses me, verbally and he stopped hitting me at 16 years old.
He has terrible temper.. When he gets mad he goes .... Nuts.
To the point where I'm scared of my own father, I'm scared to even say 1 thing wrong because I'm scared of what hell do to me. My mom, always on his side.
One time he got so mad at me for sitting at the movies with a boy( my brothers told) that he chased me with a pencil, another time my little brother got caught with a hookah pen that he left bruises on his neck and couldn't go to school for a week. He is my dad so we do talk but as a pastor he is very good with words and knows how to manipulate you using them, he always tells me he wants the best for me, he does tell me he loves me but he also tells me things like I'm useless, i'm egotistical, I'm a piece of **** ect.... And be completely honest I'm so scared of my own dad... I'm thinking about running away to my boyfriend family's house, they love me, I always feel loved there, and his mom is totally okay with it, should I go even though it might cause major problems with my dad ?
I'm scared hell.
1. Kill himself
2.hurt me if I try to leave
3. Call cops and sue his parents

[ccsmod14]

Re: Should I run away ?

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been experiencing a really difficult home life but you are trying to figure out all your options. We’re glad that you reached out, we’re here to help you the best that we can.

So it sounds like your dad really scares you in his actions and words. It is understandable that you would be feeling this way. Because you are 18 years of age, making a report to Child Protective Services is no longer an option but reporting to the police is still very much an option any time you are feeling unsafe.

You deserve to feel safe in your own home. We’re not legal experts here but generally speaking, in most states the legal age of an adult is 18. This means at this age, you are legally allowed to decide where you live. Often times it is more complicated than this if you are still dependent on your former legal guardians for any type of support. Do you think that your boyfriend and his family would be able to provide you enough support, financially and otherwise, to live away from your dad’s home? It sounds like this is somewhere that you feel safe, and that is a really great thing. That is always our priority, your safety. Again, we’re not legal experts but suing your boyfriend’s parents does not seem like a likely possibility as you are 18 years of age.

If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re here to support you in any way that we can whether it be providing you helpful resources or just listening and talking.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS