I'm 16 & I want to get emancipated

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 and I'm from PA. I live with my mom & my step dad. My step dad is an ex-drug dealer who has been in & out of prison since he was like 17. He's an alcoholic & when him & my mom argue he will sometimes get violent. When he does & he leaves my mom takes all her anger out on me she will yell at me & say other hurtful things to make me feel bad. I've been suicidal since I was about 12 but I've overcome my demons. I don't want to have to put up with this anymore. I have a decent paying job & I go to cyber school. I can't live with my dad because he's on the run because he doesn't pay child support & I don't have any other family that could take me & I don't want to go into the system I just want to be free

[ccsmod14]

Re: I'm 16 & I want to get emancipated

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have really been through a tough time and we’re sorry to hear about all of this. We’re here to help you out as much as we can.

You mentioned suicidal thoughts and it sounds like you have been overcoming this. We want you to know you’re not alone and you can call us at any time, we’re here 24/7 to support you. Additionally, there is the National Suicide Hotline at (800) 273 TALK (8255). This is a resource that’s also available 24/7, and they also have chat that you can access here: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline...elineChat.aspx.

You shared that your dad is an alcoholic and sometimes gets violent. This is a lot to be dealing with and it can be very hard on loved ones to have an alcoholic in your family. You deserve to feel safe in your own home. There is a program called Al Anon that is for families and significant others of alcoholics. You can find out more information here: http://al-anon.org/find-a-meeting.

It sounds like you want to leave home, but your options of places to go are limited. We’re not here to tell you what you should or should not do, we’re just trying to help keep you safe in what you decide. You said you don’t want to be in the system but just want to be free. It’s completely understandable why you would feel this way. If you call or chat with us, we could get you some legal resources that might have more information regarding emancipation options for your state. We’re not legal experts but generally this can be a bit of a process and can be pretty difficult to make happen as it is expensive. In the state of PA, there are a few resources we can provide that may be able to assist you: Youth Advocate at (814) 849 1237 and Legal Services, Inc at (717) 243 9400. Please do call or chat with us and we can talk more through possible options with you and try to come up with a plan to keep you safe.

Best,
NRS