Can I leave me family at 13?

[Guest]

I’m almost 13 and want to kill myself due to my family. I live a few states away from my grandparents. I want to move in with them but I can’t ask. I fight with my dad and mom. I want to runaway so bad. What can I do? Please help me? I also have a service dog in training which doesn’t help.

[ccsmod10]

Hello,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about your situation.

We want you to know that you’re not alone in this, and your future is important. Your life has worth and our top priority is your safety. It’s understandable to feel hopeless when home isn’t a place where you’re happy being. That being said, your safety is very important to us, and you mentioned that you have thought about suicide. If the thoughts of wanting to end your life are getting too overwhelming, the National Suicide Hotline could be a good resource for you. You can check them out at www.youmatter.suicidepreventionlifeline.org, or you can call 1-800-273-8255 for help and support any time (they also have a chat service).

Since you’re a minor, you aren’t able to move out without your parent permission. Like we tell a lot of our callers and/or people that email us, the laws on that specific subject of just leaving home and/or running away vary from state to state. Now we aren’t legal experts, but what generally what typically happens if a minor runs away, is that your parents would be able to make a runaway. You can’t be arrested for running away. A good way to find out exactly what the police protocols are in your city, would be to reach out to your local non-emergency police. You can ask them hypothetical questions about running away. We can help find runaway/youth shelters in your area, so you can stay safe. If you’re interested in having us look into the shelters, please call our safeline. We also have legal aid resources in our database. While we’re not law experts, we can try to find one in your area, there may be legal ways for you to be able to move out of your house to your grandparents. We’re here to try to brainstorm options with you.

We hope our response is helpful. We’re here to try to brainstorm options with you. Also, talking to school counselors and teachers about what’s going on at home could provide you with great support. You are not alone in this. You are always welcome to call into our 24/7 crisis center if you'd like to talk more about your situation.

Be safe, NRS