I can't live here anymore

[Guest]

At this point, I would rather be in jail than living with my mother. She takes off my door, goes through every/anything I have and every single day she accuses me of smoking inside the house. Im 16 and shes figured out that ive been smoking weed, but I dont smoke in the house. She blames every little smell on me smoking and calls me all types of names. Im constantly getting talked about by her to other family members, I get no emotional support, And I spend my day locked inside my room trying to stay away from her as much as I can. I do online school so thats already a part of me being depressed, and on top of that I have to deal with her and her BS every single day. Im sick and tired of this and I feel like running away. Any advice ? What can I legally do in the US at 16 years old ?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are very sorry to hear about the way your mother has been treating you. You don't deserve to be yelled at. It sounds like you are thinking about running away. Having a plan about where you would go and how you would take care of yourself is important. If you decide to runaway, your mother has the right to file a runaway report. With a runaway report, if the police find you they would return you home. Running away isn't against the law so you wouldn't get arrested, but if you decide to stay with a friend they could get charged with harboring a runaway. You could try asking your mother if she would allow you to stay with another family member. Another option that you have is contacting Child Protective Services if you feel unsafe at home. A final option that you may want to consider is looking into emancipation laws for your state. If you have any other questions or just want to talk, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

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