I want to run away but am unsure

[Guest]

Hi I am 16 tears old and things at home are not okay my mom emotionally and in the past has physically abused me. I am thinking about running away but I don't know where I would go. And I don't want to get social services involved due to having a younger brother and sister. I just want to be able to be myself again and not get bashed for it. I have money and food and transportation figured out. I just don't know where to go.

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out. It can be hard to ask for help and you are making a great first step to see your options. It sounds like your mom and you have a difficult relationship. It must be hard to continue living with that. It’s not ok for your mom to treat you that way. You don’t deserve that.

Running away is a big decision and it can be scary to make that leap. It sounds like you have put thought into your plan and have many parts of it figured out. There are some resources that can help you find a place to stay. 211.org is a great place to start to find housing. You can call into our hotline or chat with us and we can give you more specific shelters in your area (1-800-RUNAWAY or www.1800RUNAWAY.org). That’s thoughtful of you to worry about your siblings and want the best for them. If you would like to get more information about what could happen with your siblings if you did file a report, we suggest contacting Child Help (1-800-422-4453). This will let you speak with someone who is knowledgeable about the process of reporting abuse. They could answer any questions about what could happen to your siblings. There are a lot of things to think about when you are considering running away and it’s great that you thought about money, food, and transportation, another thing to think about school.

Thank you again for reaching out. If you would like any more information feel free to call or chat with us. We are available 24/7. We wish you luck.

-NRS