i want to move in with my friend

[Guest]

I'm 16 and i live in am extremely emotionally abusive household. i want to get out of here as soon as possible and i dont know what to even do anymore. ive tried over dosing three times because of my parents and i dont ever feel safe with them. my father is extremely emotionally abusive and sometimes even physically abusive. i cant even count the amount of panic attacks ive even had because of them.

the reason i bring up wanting to move in with my friend is because we've been planning to live with eachother for a while now and having to wait 2 more years feels like an eternity. he's like a brother to me and i love him so much and i know if i was with him i'd feel so much safer. but im scared to contact any social services or police because i dont think they would belive my abuse. im also worried that my friend's parents wouldnt even let me live with him. im just so scared and i want to leave my house and be with him.

i dont know what else to do, i hope someone can tell me soon.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We're sorry to hear about all that you have gone through and want you to know that your life is valuable and you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home.

We understand that it takes a great deal of courage to seek help. You mentioned experiencing emotional and physical abuse which may be reportable against your father. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at (1-800-422-4453) or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made. It's understandable that you would be afraid that they wouldn't believe you, so we and Child Help are here to make sure you feel heard.

We are not legal experts, but we can tell you that because you are a minor, if you leave home and your parents file a runaway report, you could be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for your friend and his parents or whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a runaway. If you want a liner to help you walk through other options like us mediating a conference call between you and your parents, thinking through possible adults that you could turn to or could advocate for you, or things like emancipation and legal aid numbers, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Stay safe,

NRS