I am 15 and i want to go live with my friends family

[ccsmod4]

Hello Emma,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
It seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them.
It’s great that your friend has your support and concern, especially since this time is probably quite difficult for them.
We are not legal experts and only can provide some general legal information when it comes to someone running away or someone assisting/aiding a person running away.
Someone under 18 that leaves home, the parent/guardian may file them as a runaway and if found they may be returned home. Also, those that a reported runaway stays with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. Anyone found to be assisting or aiding someone to run away may also find themselves at risk legally.

Being abused is not the fault of your friend. They don’t deserve to have this happen to them.
There are laws to protect minors against abuse. If Sara would like to file an abuse report she may do so by contacting Child Help USA at: 1-800-422-4453.
This is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone trustworthy for consideration of transference of custody.

You did a great service to Sara by reaching out. She is welcome to contact NRS if she would like to talk about her situation. We are here to listen and here to help.
Contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runaway.org

Take care,
NRS

I'm 11 and my name is Emma. I don't want to run away, this is for my friend Sara. Yesterday she was on the bridge or crying and was taking about how things are bad at home, I understand because her parents have given her threat's in the past and she's like a slave. They used to say " I can't wait till you're 18, so I can slap that pathetic smile of your face " and " I'm gonna rip your head off your shoulders". I worry for her because she talks about how great my parents are and how she wants to run away, die her hair, dress like a goth chick (like me) and move in with me. I live in New York and I want to know the price of harboring my bff from her parents. Please help my friend
Emma

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now.You mentioned wanting to know how you can leave home before turning 18. The easiest way to leave home is with your legal guardians permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to your aunt. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.

Please reach out soon so that we may offer support and resources to you. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Be safe,

NRS

Please get back to me . I am 14 years old ( almost 15 ) and my father passed away 3 years ago . He signed the will to my aunt . I hate living with her and I feel like killing myself all the time and I hate feeling like that . I don’t want it to get to that point but I can’t take it anymore . I’m always getting in trouble and screamed at and before my dad passed he had this girlfriend for 4 years , I never had a mother figure in my life so I consider her my mom . Her and her husband said I could live with them so I could finish out school at a school I actually wanted to go too because I hate where I live . I have always been closer to the one I consider my mom than my aunt . I really wanna live with her but I don’t know if it’s aloud since she technically isn’t blood . My life would be so much easier . I was just at her house this weekend and just came back today . I had a great weekend and then when I got home my aunt was screaming at me and it got me so worked up to where I was gonna run away . Please help .

[ccsmod4]

Hi there,
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 what’s going on.
We are sorry that things are not going well with your mom and dad. It must be pretty hard for you. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed emotionally by things at home right now.
You don’t deserve to be mistreated or put in the position to be care giver to your younger brother. It sounds like talking with them is something you are afraid to do. That’s too bad.
Sometimes when communication breaks down with those you are close with it makes it difficult to know just where to turn. You did well reaching out today. We would like you to know NRS is here to listen and here to help. Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You spoke of a counselor at school. Perhaps you might consider asking if they would help mediate a conversation between you and your parent’s. Talking at the school may be a place to provide you with a safe space to talk about your feelings. NRS also offers mediation through conference calling.

Just something to consider.
Reaching out to NRS was a very brave thing to do. Good for you.
We are here to listen and here to help. If you would like to speak more about your situation, please contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runway.org

Take care,
NRS

I am 12 years old, and my life has been stressful on me. My parents constantly yell at me, and say hurtful things about me. School itself is very stressful, because my grades been failing, cause of home. I do chores on a regular basis, when I come home from school, I don't wanna do anything. Like last night my mom said calmly "You might not seem anybody is there for you, but one thing that’s there for you is laundry" and my dad says "If you don't finish laundry in time you’re gonna get paddled". I talked to a guidance counselor today at school about it, but she didn't tell me anything, that would help. I am the only one in the house that does chores, and sometimes I have to cook food for me and my 5-year-old brother. I understand that my parents might be stressful at work, too. But, I can't have them put it on me cause my life is already stressful, itself. I want to stay down my friend’s house, for at least a week, to think things through. We go to the same school, and I feel it will help me with everything happening. I'm always scared to talk to my parents cause they yell at me telling me I'm wrong. Half of the time, I feel like a servant, just doing everything. I don't wanna be their "little servant" anymore. At this point, if they're not showing me respect then I'm not showing them respect. I need suggestions on how to talk to them about staying with my friend. I'm just so scared to.

Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS! We understand you feel alone and not heard. Know that we want to help. We are sorry that you are being treated that way and are told to do things you do not want to do. If you wish to talk about things we would love to talk and figure out options for you to get away from as home seems like it is putting you in danger.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

hi im 15 and i currently live with my grandmother because neither of my parents are in the picture i want to leave my grandmothers house and move with a close friend of mine . i have alot of issues with my grandmother what should i do ?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds as if you have been dealing with something very difficult, and it is good that you are reaching out.

We are not legal experts at NRS, but we can try to answer some of your questions. You mentioned moving out of your aunt’s house without your mother’s permission. The legal age of majority in Alabama is 19. This means that if you are under that age and leave without a legal guardian’s consent, a runaway report could be filed. Similar to staying out past curfew, this would be a status offence. If you runaway, the police could pick you up and take you back to your original residence. If you were to get your legal guardian’s consent, you could stay at a different location. Similar to how you are currently staying with your aunt.

It is great that you have a self-care system in place that involves meditation and walking. It is always good to prioritize your mental well-being. You also mentioned that you have been talking with a friend about what has been going on and how you are feeling. It is great that you have someone in your life that you can share things like that with. If you feel as if the burden might be too much on you, you can always reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (1-800-950-NAMI).

If you have any other questions, or if you would just like to talk, you can reach out to our 24/7 hotline (1-800-786-2929). Thank you again for reaching out.

-NRS

Hi,
I'm 15 and I live in Riverdale, Georgia.
I'm currently in Phenix City , Alabama my mom sent me her to get a break from her and my brother because i dont feel like i get treated equal to him to her everythin i do is wrong and i get punished and i get blamed for everythin and credit for little they never see the good things i do they only see the stupid things they claim is bad and im not happy there so i ccame to my aunt house and she stresses me out as well she gets mad about the stupidest stuff saying that what i watch is annoying to turn it off and that i cant take my walks and meditate because my family treats my wrong to keep me sane i take walks my brother is glad im gone my mom is too she dropped all my stuff off here but i have a friend that invited me to stay with them and im homeschooled . What can i do? i feeel like i have reached my limits with my family. So since im not living with my mom can i go live with my friend without her permission?

[ccsmod9]

: Thanks for contacting us. It’s definitely ok for you to reach out. It’s super important to have people to talk to when you’re in a tough situation. And it makes total sense that you find what your parents are doing really hard. The isolation, and the way your mom talks to you, both sound like really difficult. That they are not supportive of your identity also sounds really hard. It sounds like you want a reasonable amount of freedom and some support, but at the same time you are trying to be understanding of them. You mentioned that you love them, and some ideas about why your mom might be acting this way.

So, going to stay with another family member could be a good short term or long term solution. We are not legal experts, but our understanding is that if a guardian approves of a youth staying elsewhere, they can stay there. Families do this all the time. It can be a way to give everyone space.

If you think this is something your parents might approve of, think about what a good time to talk about something like this might be. Think if there is a time of the week when you and your mom are less stressed when you might talk. Perhaps it might be more constructive to talk to your dad first one on one if you think he might be a good source of support. Or think if there might be another adult who might understand your point of you, and who your parents might listen to, who could be there when you guys talk it out.

We also have a database of resources for things like family counseling. Family counseling might be another way to approach this, to help your mom understand how her language is affecting you, and find a way that you could all live together more happily. If you can, feel free to call us or start a chat, and we could find resources like that for you. Also, there might be resources for counseling or even family counseling at your school, so reaching out to people there might be a helpful step.

Both the LGBT Hotline, and the LGBT talkline are confidential lines where you can talk to a supportive person about LGBT issues, including unsupportive parents. LGBT Hotline: 1-888-843-4564, LGBT Talkline: 1-800-246-7743.

Lastly, we want you to have the number for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This isn’t just a number for emergencies, but also a place to call if you are feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. Their number is 1-800-273-8255.

We hope some of these resources and ideas are a help to you.

Hi I’m 14 years old and I want to leave my parents’ house. I constantly get degraded by mom and sometimes it gets so bad that I want to end my life. I’ve been having depression for about 2 years now and they won’t do anything about it. I love my dad and he really has nothing to do with this but I just can’t stand living with my mom. She was emotionally abused as a child and she likes to blame me and degrade me on so many things. We are Christian but at this point I feel like my mom has gone out of hand with it. I’m currently grounded from everything for being bisexual and I just can’t stress enough how I don’t want to be here anymore. They wouldn’t let me listen to anything other than Christian music and I could not watch anything “blasphemous” like lgbtq related things. I know this sounds ridiculous and like I might just be a big baby, but I hate it here. The few privileges I had like having a phone (which all I had was YouTube and no other social media) and going to the only thing that kept me from hopelessness was drama club. It was a place where I felt free and I could express myself and now it’s all gone. All my hard work. They even said they might put me in homeschool to make sure I would always be within their grasp. I immediately answered them by saying that would be controlling and I was not their property. But they said they could do whatever they wanted because I’m their daughter. I love them so much, their my parents after all, but at this point they feel like my prison guards. I don’t know what to do I want to move into my 20 year old cousin’s house but idk. Maybe I should just wait. This isn’t to make them look bad. I just want someone to tell me what to do. They really are good people.

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS! We understand you feel alone and not heard. Know that we want to help. We are sorry that you are being treated that way and are told to do things you do not want to do. If you wish to talk about things we would love to talk and figure out options for you to get away from as home seems like it is putting you in danger.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

Hey, I am 15 years old, and my life is really messed up..... my mom emotionally abuses me by always comparing me to my brothers because their smarter than me..... my brother goes up to me and hands me blades and knives and asks me if I want to use them..... I'm constantly getting yelled at for things I didn't do or because of im just not as good as my mom wants me to be..... I don't know what to do......

[ccsmod16]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been in a really tough situation at home. We are so sorry things are like this for you, and we commend you for seeking help.

It sounds like you might be considering trying to get away from home and the abusive situation you are facing. It is important that you know that you do not deserve to be treated this way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY. For many young people, leaving home is their best option. If running away is feeling best for you, we can also talk through that with you. Young people do need parental consent to leave home, but the ways by which this can happen are numerous. We would love to explore it with you.

We hope you find some of this information useful, and that you are able to find a more peaceful and supportive living situation. We are here 24/7 to listen and to help. Stay safe and strong out there.

Sincerely,
NRS

hey there,

im 15 and so i wanna go live with my friends family because ever since September of 2019 i get screamed at and hit by my mom. She has put me in woodridge for something i did and now since i came back from there it has been worse. my friends family treat me like there own daughter. my parents talk about how im a worhtless piece of crap and cant wait until i move out cause they dont want me at there house. PLEASE HELP ME.....