I don’t want to live here anymore

[Guest]

my parents are strict to the point of cruelty and I want to live with someone else, anyone else. I am 16 and live in West Virginia. The only thing keeping me from leaving is concern over paying for college. I don’t want to lose the financial support of my parents. Please help, I’m miserable here and need out.

[ccsmod3]

Hi. Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing a part of your story with us. It can be challenging having to deal with strict parents because you are limited to doing some of the things you may wish to do. It’s understandable why you would want to leave an environment that you consider as negative. It may just be important to keep a few things in mind as it already appears you have put some thought into your situation. In most states, you must be at least 18 years old in order to leave home without parental consent. Therefore, if you did decide to run away your parent has the right to file a runaway report. If you are found, it is possible that the police will return you back home. It may be helpful to try and talk with your parents about how you feel. If you need help with wording things or would like someone there to advocate for you please feel free to reach out to our hotline and we will be more than happy to assist. If you happen to want to talk more about your situation in general or would like any resources please do not hesitate to give us a call at 1800-runaway or 1800runaway.org. All the best, NRS.