My boyfriend wants to run away

[Guest]

My boyfriend is 16 and thinking about running away. He is in a very unsupportive situation at home, he is lgbt and his parents are threatening him because of it, and he feels as though if he does not run away, things will get violent or he may commit suicide.
He and I both know that if he runs away, contact between us two would have to be cut off a considerable amount, so as there would be no chance that he would be able to be found and returned home.
I want to find a way to help. Whether it be support him running away, or another way. I want to call CPS on his parents, but he fears that if they can’t do anything with the evidence at hand, he will be hurt and never able to talk to me again.
In PA, if he were to run away and stay hidden until he was 18, would he be returned home if found at that point of legal age? Would there be any charges that could be pressed against him or anything left on his record? I hope posting here could help us figure something out. All I want is for him to be happy, healthy, and as safe as possible, and I know in the situation he currently is in, he is none of those things.
- Yours Truly,
Concerned Boyfriend

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. You made a great first step to finding the help that you may need. It sounds like you are going through a lot and the people around him are not being supportive. They deserve to be treated with respect, to experience acceptance and to feel safe.

We want them to know that they are strong for having gone through so much already. It is perfectly okay to deviate from what others or the common population believe to be “normal”. Their bravery and resilience is so admirable. They are so strong for having gone through so much without having the acceptance that they deserve for just being them. Remember that they are not alone. If they ever want to talk more about what you are experiencing or get additional support we are here 24/7 at 1800-RUNAWAY or our live chat service. The GLBT National Hotline at 1888-843-4564 is another option to gain great support from those that are familiar with the issues and experiences of those that are also a part of the LGBTQ community. He can access their website link bellow to utilize all the other possibly useful resources they have to offer: http://www.glbthotline.org/

You mentioned that you were considering the options that may be best for him. By all means, if he does fear for his safety either now or in the future, do not hesitate to take the necessary steps to regain his safety. This may mean calling the authorities or possibly reporting the things he may be experiencing. Other options to think about may be other family members, friends, or a trusted adults that would be able to provide him with support or a safe place to stay. It is great that you are thinking ahead. Should he feel like leaving home is best, it may be a good idea to think about how you both will provide necessities for yourself and him such as food, clothing, showers, healthcare and other basic needs. You may want to also consider how his parent’s will react to him leaving without permission. We are not legal experts here, but typically as a minor (under the age of 1 you need permission from your parents to leave home. It is not illegal to runaway, but it would mean that your parents could file a runaway report with the police. This is usually done in an effort to try to return you home as the police are required to do so.

If you can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or reach out through Live Chat we can try to find some youth shelters that may be near your city and state by utilizing our database of resources. We can also try to call out to shelters with you or on your behalf to advocate for you.