I'm 12 and I want to run Away.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

Be safe,
NRS

I'm 12 I want to runaway. I've been thinking about it for awhile now. But now with coronavirus I need to wait longer until I could go. I asked all my friends if they wanted to join me they all refused. I'm adopted and I have no idea why I got put up for adoption. Was I not good enough? Am I not good enough? I'm pretty sure people will hate me more when they find out I'm non-binary and pansexual. They adopted me because my brother's wanted a sister. They didn't get one. But they don't know because I'm stuck in the closet. I plan to runaway after coronavirus. What should I do just now though?

[ccsmod15]

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out, it seems like you are going through a stressful and confusing situation and it makes sense to feel overwhelmed by it. That stress doesn’t excuse your mom to verbally abusing you like that though. It seems like having someone to talk to about this and help you work through this confusing time may be helpful. It may be worth talking to a school counselor, or another family member that isn’t directly involved and that you trust about what’s going on.
We are also here to talk if you wanted someone not involved in it at all. Or if you have more questions about your options. You can reach us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or use our online chat at 1800ruanaway.org.

Im 12 and Im thinking about running. My parents are getting a divorce my mom moved out. My dad has a gf but when we were at my moms today my dad was still kissing my mom and all that stuff and now Kyrie (my dads gf) is moving cause if it but I’m not sure if she knew they were kissing all she knew is that they kept disappearing together. It’s all just super confusing and I can’t handle it. My mom has also verbally abused me multiple times and uses me to watch my siblings.

[ccsmod2]

Hello Gracie,
Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen.
Wow it sounds like you are dealing with a lot right now, and have had to go through a lot during your life. It sounds like living with your mother may not be the safest option or healthiest environment. If you need resources for coping with your mother’s drug use you can contact SAMHSA (substance abuse and mental health association). They can be reached at 877-726-4727.
As far as running away, we are not legal experts but do have some information. Running away is a big decision and your safety is the top priority. If you were to leave without permission your legal guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. If you need someone to talk to you can always call us or NAMI (national association for mental illnesses) is a good resource. NAMI can be reached at 1800-950-NAMI.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS

Hi i am Grace and im 12 years old i will turn 13 in may let me just start out by saying my mother does drugs and hangs out with very bad people but I live with my grandmother I feel very lonley i have wanted to run away for about a year now but i dont know where to go and i have no money i want to run away with another person so i dont get scared my grandmother blames everything on me my brother gets all the attension and could get away with murder if he wanted to but he is only 8 i have already packed my stuff i just need to find someone to leave with and get money and i am waiting for the corona virus to go away wich is not doing to well i wish i could go live with my mom or rich aunt anywhere but here i hate people everytime someone similes at me or laughs it makes me sick anyway please let me know what i should do

Gracie-13-Girl

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are dealing with a lot right now, and we want you to know that you are not alone.
Being stuck at home especially with the COVID19 virus going on can be really overwhealming. You do not deserve to be abused, and we are sorry that you are going through that.
You do have the right to make an abuse report and you can do that a few ways. One option would be to call Child Help at: 1800-422-4453, and they would be able to help you make a report. You can also try telling an adult you trust and they would be able to help you with making an abuse report. If you are ever in immediate danger please call the police.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to run away, your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If he police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home. You could try some coping skills such as doing something you enjoy, or writing in a journal about how you are feeling.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support to you. Best of luck!
NRS

hi um im 11 im going to be 12 in may i'm stuck in a bad situation . I'm home all day and i cant go out due to COVID-19 . Both my parent hate me . And my real dad is abusive . i live with an annoying little brother and he is so annoying he alway's get it his ways . and i have an ESE brother i'm want tom runaway to my god mom please help

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at The National Runaway Safeline, and sharing a little bit of your story with us. Wow it sounds like you have been dealing with a lot lately, and we want you to know we are here for you.
You do not deserve to be told those awful things or to be abused in any type of way, and we are sorry you are having to deal with all of that. You do have every right to file an abuse report and there are a few ways you can go about doing that. One option to consider is calling Child Help at: 1800-422=4453 and they can help with an abuse report. You can also talk with a school counselor or a teacher and because they are mandated reporters they would be able to help with an abuse report. You can also call or chat online with us and we can help you file an abuse report. If you are ever in immediate danger please call 911.
You also mentioned wanting to die, we want you to know we care and you are worth living. Suicide is a permanent decision to a temporary situation. We know you mentioned not having a phone but you can go on suicidepreventionlifeline.org, and they have an online chat where you can talk to a professional about what you are feeling. You do not have to deal with these thoughts and emotions alone.
We are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave without permission your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police found you they may bring you back home, because you mentioned abuse they may do an investigation before sending you back. You could try and talk with your friends or family members about allowing you to stay with them.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

I wanna die or runaway
I wanna run away because my parents force me to do all the chores in the house I ask for a phone but they won't let me have one so I am typing with a computer. My parents threat to abuse me and kill me they said that they wish that I was kidnapped or not born. I am really stressed and have no option but to run away I don't know when I do but I wanna do it as soon as possible. If you get this pls don't tell my parents bc if they find out they will just abuse me. I just wanna run away. Pls Help

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out. We appreciate you taking the time to write to us and we are always here to listen and help.

It sounds like home is getting to be too stressful for you. We are sorry that your parents are terrible but we’re here to help think up some options for you. Please call or chat with us and we can see what else we can do. We do have a database of resources.

Again, thanks for reaching out. Please give us a call at 1(800) RUNAWAY or chat with us on our website www.1800runaway.org . We are open 24/7, so we’re always available. You’re not alone in this!

Best, NRS

I am 15 my relationship with my parents is terrible I want to runaway but I live in the countryside and there are no shelters near me

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,
Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension - you shouldn't be abused in any way. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do. You stated that your goal is to go to Europe. It should be noted that most minors (especially those as young as 12) are unable to fly without a chaperone. Additionally, due to COVID-19 and the US's sky-high rate of infection, many countries are considering shutting its borders to any foreign nationals.

You mentioned that you have been dealing with some severe anxiety and depression. It can be really hard to live with mental health issues and we want you to know that you aren’t alone in addressing them. If you’d like some additional support, an organization that may be helpful is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). You can contact them by calling 1-800-950-NAMI or you can text them by sending NAMI to 741741. Another agency that could be of great help is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), they can help you locate low or no-cost mental health care providers in your area. Their number is 1-800-662-4357 or you can go to their site at samhsa.gov.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Stay safe,
NRS

I'm 12 and I have enough money for a plane ticket to Europe.

I have made enough money to take a plane to Europe. My parents are verbally abusive, I have servere anxiety and depression. I have enough food, water, clothes, money to last a year. Please help me NRS!

[ccsmod15]

We are sorry you are having such a rough time at home. In no way do you deserve the sort of abuse your parents have inflicted on you. That is just wrong. One option for you to consider is making an abuse report. You can do this in a few different ways: 1) call your state's child abuse reporting hotline, 2) call Child Help (www.childhelp.org) at 1-800-422-4453, 3) talk to a teacher or school counselor about it, 4) call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. Of course, it's up to you if you wish to report the abuse or not. We never tell anyone what to do.

If you do decide to report the abuse this would probably lead to an investigation as to what is going on in the home and a determination would be made as to what is in the best interests of you and the family. It doesn't automatically mean you would be separated from your family, but it could lead to that, depending on how serious the abuse is deemed.

We are pretty concerned when you mention that you previously attempted suicide. Our biggest concern is for your safety, so please consider getting the help you need if you feel suicidal again. It's good to talk about what you are feeling to someone that you trust: maybe another relative, teacher, counselor, or anyone you feel comfortable with. You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org) at 1-800-273-8255. Since you mention anxiety and depression, you can also call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) to talk about what you are going through. Their number is 1-800-950-6264 or you can text NAMI to 741741.

As for running away: this is a big decision to face, especially at 12 years old. You might want to consider things like how you would remain safe, where you would go, how this would affect your schooling and your future, and the like. You also want to consider that your parents could file a runaway report on you if you leave home without permission. This means that the police would most likely just bring you back home when you are caught. (Of course, you could also tell the police about the abuse if you were found.) So there definitely is a lot to consider.

We'd like to assist you further but need some more information to see how we can help. The best way for us to do that is if you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are confidential and here 24/7. You can also chat with us via the portal at www.1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS