I'm 12 and I want to run Away.

[Unregistered]

I'm 12 years old and I have a severe case of depression and anxiety disorder. My parents abuse me by throwing things or hitting me with things. I think I'm going to go insane if this keeps up, because I'm already believeing that since they said they will kill me, that someday, they're going to shoot me or something. My parents call me a ***** and a ******* prostitute or whatever comes to mind. They hate me for what I look like and call me ugly, say they wish I was never born, so and so on.
But, things aren't lifting for me. I'm taking my dog (which I bought with my own money, but it's obviously "theirs") and leaving. I'm going to find a job out there... and I was planning out my trip, until I found you.
Please help me NRS!

[ccsmod7]

Re: I'm 12 and I want to run Away.

Hello there,

Thank you for contacting us through our online forum. It sounds like a really stressful situation at home. No one deserves to be called those names by their parents. Home is a place where you should feel safe and comfortable. It’s understandable that you would want to leave that environment.

Your parents throwing things and hitting you with things is not okay either. No one deserves that. Have you ever considered filing an abuse report? That’s an option we can discuss with you in more detail if you decide to call or chat with us.

There’s a lot to think about when leaving home. Do you have anyone who would be willing to let you stay with them? How do you think your parents would react to you leaving? As a minor, some things to keep in mind are that your parents could file a runaway report with the police. In this case, if you are picked up by the police, they could return you home. It’s also good to keep in mind that anyone you stay with could be at risk for harboring a runaway. Fortunately running away doesn’t usually have any legal consequences, but harboring is often considered a misdemeanor.

We do hope that you reach out to us through phone or chat to discuss your situation in more detail. Our goal is to help you find ways to stay safe. We would be happy to look up resources in your area, talk with you about your options, or just listen to what you’re going through.

Stay strong,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I'm 11 and I want to run away

Hi! Your are not alone trust me I don't have problems at home but I have really bad anxiety and when I go to school I get picked on by year 8 and i just want to run away and escape with somebody my age if you want we can run away together I'll give u my social media acc so we can contact and obviously by voice and video so you know I am actually a real girl :/

[ccsmod16]

re: I am 11 and I what to runaway

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out. It seems like you are also experiencing problems at home. You may have had stressful situations that can be draining and making you want to leave home. You see anywhere to be a better place besides home right now.
If you are also experiencing any kinds of abuse you can reach out to a trusting adult to help with making a report, if you are comfortable doing so. You also have the option to call them yourself. The information line for Child Help USA is 1-800-422-4453 and they will locate the child protective service in your state. We can also support you through making a report if you would like us to do so. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and we can make a three-way call for you.
Running away can be a hard thing to do due to needing food to eat and a safe place to stay. Your parents could possible make a runaway report which means if you are found by police they will have to take you back home. We can help you locate safe places of you are needing emergency help.
If you are needing to talk about things in greater detail feel free to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), we are available 24/7. You may also chat with us at 1800RUNAWAY.com. We will be happy to talk through some of the things you are going through and figure out the best option.
Best wishes,
NRS

[LegendToEndure]

To go away

I am a 12 year old girl with big problems. Between self harming, bipolar, depression, stress, and suicidal thoughts I am pretty average. But when I show my scars I say "Oh I was shaving in the shower and my razor fell." Or something of the matter but I am screaming for help inside. I feel like my true self is drowning and burning all at the same time. My parents know nothing of any of this and I refuse to tell them due of ruining their expectations and fear of being sent to therapy. I have thought of running away for atleast 2-3 years now. I started to think about it to myself in 4th grade. Then in 5th I got 3 of my best friends which would be my ex and deep friend (male), a really understanding and crazy friend, then my lying backstabbing ********** of a cousin (female). Me and my 2 deep friends talked and planned it out then my cousin got involved then chickened out. We were supposed to do it awhile ago but we all got scared. Recently me and my ex have been talking about it, rarely, but it always is going through my mind. Mom got mad at me, I will run away to night, but I get really scared and then I don't. Then I end up writing about it and putting it on a index card, inside a envelope, in my closet. I don't know what to do anymore. I will either kill myself or run away, most likely out of state.

[ccsmod10]

I'm 12 and I want to run Away.

Hello There!

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It is a great first step to finding the information and help that you may need. You are very courageous for sharing your story with us. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now. You mentioned battling some very serious mental health issues. It seems as though cutting and having suicidal thoughts is how you have been coping with this. We hope that you are talking to a family member, friend, trusted adult, or teacher/school adviser/school counselor. This get help gain support, provide a de-stresser, and provided companionship so that you are not going through this alone. You can also call us at the National Suicide Hotline at 1800-273-TALK or us at 1800-RUNAWAY if you ever feel overwhelming emotions or thoughts of cutting/suicide. You are a strong person for having gone through so much already and you are a person that is worthy of living a happy and safe life.

You mentioned wanting to runaway and thinking about this option for quite some time. You are very intelligent for writing it down, finding a companion, and for talking to us about this. If you feel like this is the best option for you there are possibly some things to consider/ add to your safety plan for the future is if you will continue your education. How long do you anticipate on being gone or being able to stay where ever you may be? How will you support yourself or whom you will be staying with be willing to support you financially with food, clothing, other personal expenses/ allow you to stay rent free? What if things do not work out here in the future, what will be your back up plan? We could also help find some possible shelters in your area if you need another safe place to stay. However, sometimes this option brings up some other issues. Typically youth shelters may at some point ask for parental consent /check if a runaway report is filed and the time of stay is not typically long term. If you call us at 1800-RUNAWAY we could call out to these shelters for you or with you in advance to check on these aspects.

Another important detail is thinking about what your parent’s reaction will be. We are not legal experts here, but typically being under the age of what your state considers to an adult (usually 18 ), you would need permission from your parents to leave. It is not illegal to runaway or leave home without permission, but it would mean that your parents could file a runaway report. The police would then be required to return you home.

We hope this was helpful.
Stay Strong. Stay Safe
NRS

[Unregistered]

Re: I'm 12 and I want to run Away.

I have been very stressed lately with homework and just everything. My parents aren't helping my feelings about school either. I go to this catholic school
because my mom wants me to be safe, but the only time I feel safe is when I am with my best friend and or my dog. I need help, but I have a plan to earn money this
year and run next year. I just need some advice, please answer. If not I am on my own about this. It isn't like they are hurting me, but you know when you feel
like your wasting your life with something unimportant? That's how I feel right now. I was thinking about going to my Uncle's place or finding an old friend

[Ugh]

I wanna run away

My crush (Mike) was dating my best friend she didn't know neither did he and I’ve liked him since 2nd grade now I’m in 7th and they broke up a few weeks ago and he asked me out and I said yes he still liked her and said he loves her so I broke up with him now I regret it and he likes her but I still like my other ex (Sam) but people might think I’m a hoe and he might not like me and I just wanna die or run away but I’m scared and feel like Plz Tell Me What I should do.. Soon I might make the wrong decision.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I wanna run away

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you are going through an emotional and very difficult time.
Sometimes things can feel so confusing that you just don’t know which way to turn.
It was very brave of you to reach out tonight. Good for you.
During stressful times it can be helpful to have a family member or friend that you can reach out to. Talking things through might help to sort things out and bring some calm to the situation.
Does that make sense?

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
If you would like to speak more about your situation you can reach out to NRS at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org
You are free to talk about your situation and even discuss options.
We hope that sounds like something you might consider.
Good job reaching out tonight.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I'm 12 as well!

Hi. I've thought of running away since 4th grade. Recently I've been researching what I need to pack, and getting ready. I want to find a group or buddy to leave with, but I can't find one. I don't have access to a phone, and I can't come on the chat, because my parents won't let me. They only let me get on the computer if I'm doing school work, and I have no privacy. Any tips on how to find someone to run away with? My school blocks the experience project site. I would feel better and safer if I had someone to runaway with. Then we could bring half the supplies, and we would be safer. How do I find a runaway buddy? Also, HELP ME!!!

[ccsmod16]

Re: I'm 12 as well!

Hello,

Thank you so much for your post! We’re happy you took the time to write this. It sounds like you might be in an uncomfortable situation at home, and we’d love the opportunity to offer you resources and options. We aren’t an agency that offers guidelines or resources to help youth runaway. We focus on helping youth stay safe if they do runaway.

It would be great to get to talk to you on the phone. It’s completely normal that you feel the way you do. Sometimes it can be helpful to get to talk to someone. Maybe together we could come up with some ideas to help you with what’s going on at home. Or maybe we could think together of some options for you to be safe if you do decide to run away. We’re never going to judge you, we just want to help you think of options and resources.

You mentioned you don’t have access to a phone. Do you think you might have a friend who would let you use their phone? Or maybe someone at school would let you use their phone? We’re just trying to think of some options. It’s usually a lot easier to chat over the phone then on forums.

If you ever can, give us a call at 1-800-Runaway. We’re here 24/7, and our calls are always confidential.

Again, we’re really glad that you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good to see. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please don’t hesitate to call us or chat with us if you can. We’re here to listen, here to help.

[Guest]

Hey, I wanna run away from home

the reason I want to run away is from all the bad memories, the haunted dreams, and mostly because I'm scares of myself. I'm getting more aggressive and when someone talks to me, I go mad. But I'm obviously not crazy. Those bad thoughts of me killing people, it's getting worst, no one in my life understands me, not even my family. They thinks I'm fooling around, they think I want this. I don't. I don't want to kill, but the voice inside of me keeps telling me to. The thoughts, hallucinations, dreams, voices, it creeps the hell out of me. That is why I want to run away. I'm not really sure if I have bipolar cause my friends told me that my mood always swings from happy to sad to angry, and I'm seeing things, hearing things, the worst part is the delusions. I don't need medical help. I just want to run away.

[ccsmod14]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It takes a great deal of courage to reach out and we’re glad you did.

We’re sorry to hear about the inner conflict you have been dealing with lately. While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.

Unfortunately, we do not provide advice because of our non-directive approach but we do try to come up with some options that fit within the realm of the law. For example, because you mentioned having issues at home with your parents, we offer a conference call option where we facilitate a conversation between a youth and their legal guardian to discuss issues at home and come up with some agreements. Sometimes a close family member or family friend can do this in person to help communicate some of the feelings you’ve been having. We also can provide some resources to organizations as well like community centers that offer family counseling or free legal assistance.

You mentioned not wanting medical attention which is definitely your right to decline on. If you change your mind, you may want to consider talking to a mental health professional in case they have any advice or prescription to help you deal with the voice inside of you. This might be helpful because of the things you mentioned like thoughts, hallucinations, dreams or voices that may not be resolved if you ran away.
Sometimes it can be helpful to talk to someone about it. We are also available 24/7 as a resource and could provide some additional resources more tailored to your needs. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you would like to talk more in depth.

If you are at risk of any danger or feel someone else might be in danger, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi im 15 year old i live with my foster parent kin ship this lady has me sleeping in the living room she only has sink working she leaves me alone after school i stay home alone till she comes back from work at 8m and been away from mom brothers and sister for 8 years now and i cant help it i need to be with my mom now can i go to her and have her take me back guardian or even costudy

[ccsmod2]

Hello,

We're sorry to hear that you feel your foster mom isn't taking care of you like you feel she should be. If you are a ward of the state and someone other than your mom is taking care of you, it is unlikely that you can just leave and go back to live with your mom legally. That would probably cause problems for you and your mom might have legal consequences to deal with as well. It might help to talk with your caseworker if you have their contact information about your foster mom to see if there is any information they can give about your options.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I'm 11 and I'm thinking of running away with my friend

My friend and I are thinking of running away. Her reason is that her dad is a d*** but not abusive or anything. My life is too monotonous and stressful. I know how to run away except for a few things.
I have no way of making money and my friend still wants to go to school. Please help.

[ccsmod0]

Hello, thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). Thank you for sharing a bit about what is going on. We have found this post from a pervious user that we think might be of some use to you.
If you have any follow up questions you are more than welcome to contact us here at 1-800-786-2929

RE: I'm 12 years old, I want to runaway with my sibling.

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing with us some of your story. We are so sorry to hear that your parents are leading you and your siblings to become anxious and have thoughts of hurting yourself. No one deserves to be put in that type of situation and we are really glad that you have contacted us in trying to figure out what the next steps are to becoming safe. We are not legal experts, but we can speak in general terms on what could happen if you were to leave home.

We are unsure of the tracking of the IP address, but it sounds like you want someone to know what is being done to you. If you feel that you are being mistreated then you as a minor, have the right to file a Child Abuse Report with your state Child Protective Services. You can file this report with Child Help at 1800-422-4453 or you can call our hotline and we can make the report for you or with you.

We are not here to tell you what to do, but we do want to make sure that you are safe in what you decide. You are the only ones that can make the decision that is best for you. Again, we are not legal experts, but we can peak in general terms. Generally, you are an adult when you turn 18. If you were to leave before then, your mom would have the option of filing a runaway report with the police. Running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. This means that you cannot do it because of your age. If your mom files a runaway report, then anyone that you decide to stay with, could be charged with harboring a runaway and the severity of that varies from state to state.

You had mentioned that you are wanting to leave home and leave the states all together. It sounds like you are really putting some thought into what is best for you. Again we are not here to tell you what to do, but we want to make sure that you have some information so that you can make the decision hat is best for you. We are not experts, but general if you were to leave the US then you would need visas and passports. You had mentioned that you don’t have those, which is something that you would need parental approval to get unfortunately. Another thing to be aware of is that when you cross into another country, or are leaving the US, you have to go through something that is called customs. That is where airport security talks with you and asks questions such as what is purpose for leaving the US and other questions like that. If they see that you, being 12 and your sibling being 14, are trying to leave the US without parents or an airport escort, which most minors need in order to fly, then they can stop you and then contact your mom for more information. They will most likely return you home at this point. This is just something to think about when coming up with a plan to leave.

Some things to think about before you leave is

-Is where you are going safer then home?
-What would you do for food? Money? Shelter? Transportation?
-Who can you depend on if you want to leave home?
-Is this person willing to take the risk of harboring a runaway?
-What is your plan B in case your first plan does not work out?

Lastly, are sorry to hear that you are thinking that if things don’t get better that you may hurt yourself or kill yourself in order to end what is going on at home. It sounds like you are in a lot of pain and that you are looking for anyway to have a happier and better life. That is something that everyone deserves. We would like to offer you the National Suicide Hotline at 1800-273-TALK or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org . These are places you can turn to if you are feeling like you can not do it anymore. They are there to listen and support you in what ways they can, as are we.

We hoped this helped and if you would like to discuss your situation in greater detail then you can always give our hotline a call or you can chat with us on our website. We hoped this helped and we look forward to hearing from you.

NRS