Standing up for what's right.

[Guest]

Hi, I'm Avery. I'm 16 years old, almost 17 in March. Recently my boyfriend had hit me (barely touched me) and the cops were called and I was pulled apart from him. He has been facing many issues with himself lately, and my parents hate him. I don't hate him. Up until this point, he had never laid his hands on me or abused me in any way. We have been together for almost a year. He has made me more happy than traumatized and I've forgiven him. My parents tell me that I'll never see him again, over their dead body, but I love him. We would talk about our future, what's going to happen after high school, we were and still are in love. I'm not crazy, I promise. It's just a type of unconditional love where all the happiness he has brought me overrules the one mistake he had done. He is in the hospital to change for me, and we plan on keeping our relationship a secret if we can't be together until I'm old enough to take action. To the point, I live in Mattoon, Illinois. When I turn 17, am I allowed to just up and leave? Will the police file a runaway report if I do it under my own decision? I want to be happy with him, and I believe in my boyfriend because he is so strong. My family doesn't understand.

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are dealing with a stressful situation at home. We are not legal experts and cannot advise you on what to do. You mentioned that your boyfriend physically abused you once and now your parents hate him. Furthermore, it is never okay for someone to be physically abused. If you haven’t in the past, you could reach out to the National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or visit their website at www.loveisrespect.org. Calling or visiting this website could potentially answer some of the questions or thoughts you may have concerning abuse. It sounds like you really love your boyfriend and want to be with him. It takes courage to reach out for help and here at NRS we primarily care about your safety.

We appreciate you reaching out to us to help guide you through a difficult time. You mentioned that when you turn 17 that you are thinking of leaving home. Again, we are not legal experts but generally speaking, if you were to run away your parents could file a runaway report which is a status offense. If the police finds you then they can call your parents and have you return home due to you being a minor. In addition, the person you are staying with could be potentially charged with harboring a youth and other legal crimes. It sounds like you just want to be happy. If you want, you can call us directly to discuss further options and we can help you reach out to local police to determine what could actually happen.

We hope this information is helpful to you and appreciate you reaching out to NRS for help. We are non-directive and non-judgmental and you can contact us directly through our 24 hour hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) to discuss more options.