I want to leave

[Guest]

I’m 17 years old and a junior in high school. My parents are divorced and my mom is remarried. My mom and her husband yell at me and he cusses at me. This happens every month if not twice. To me it’s verbal abuse because says f*** you and harsh words like that. I want to leave that house and go somewhere else. I can live with my dad but he’s two hours away and I want to finis my senior year at my high school. I want to be emancipated but I can’t because i have no money. I don’t want to live with my mom and my stepdad. or my dad. I want to live with my girlfriends family but she’s only 16

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

We're sorry to hear about what has been going on and want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home. We are not legal experts but generally speaking, if you leave while still 17, your parents could file a runaway report and you could be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. One thing you can do is reach out to your local police to inquire how they handle runaway reports for 17 year olds. Some cities and departments treat them differently because a 17 year old is so close to becoming a legal adult. The way to get the most accurate information would be to call your local police non-emergency number and anonymously inquire about their practices. If you need help finding this number or you want to walk through calling out to them, we can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). A liner could also talk through other options like a liner mediating a conference call with you and your parents or thinking about other adults that you could advocate for you to your parents. Don't hesitate to give us a call.

NRS

[Guest]

My stepdad threateings to take away my things that i bought. he says everything in the house is his but it isn’t. Yesterday they yelled and cussed me out because my pregnant mom needed medicine, like they couldnt get it themselves. this morning i got yelled yer because of the sweatshirt i had on. i just sat there and didn’t say anything because i get in trouble for defending myself. they act like i’m a piece of ********.

[ccsmod8]

Hello there –

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline and posting on our public forum. By helping you during your crisis, hopefully there are other youth that are in similar situations can read this for help as well. It sounds like you’re going through a ready difficult time at home with all the yelling and fighting. Seems like there’s a lot of tension at home and they might be taking it out on you.

It sounds like you might some specific questions that you want to ask us or maybe find a place to vent about what you are feeling right now. It’s hard to talk to just anyone one about what has been going on. Only you know when it might be time to leave home and no one can make that choice for you. Please rest assured that we are completing confidential. So anything that you share with us will stay between us. We don’t ask for any identifying information, unless you want to report any abuse. We certainly want to help you. If you give us a call on our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could help you find resources in your area and could potentially help you brainstorm a possible solution to the issues you are having. We would love to talk to you.