I just need some advice

[Guest]

Hello, I'm 16 years old turning 17 in June this year. I'm looking to study abroad in college or just take a one way flight to a country and see what happens. I just need a new change of pace and to get out of my emotionally abusive relationship with my parents. I currently have a job and am working on graduating high school. Where should I travel to? I have been considering Switzerland for it's quality of life, Canada for it's health benefits, Korea as I have some long lost relatives there, or Germany for it's college tuition rates. How much money should I save up? Should I go to college in my home state and THEN travel abroad or travel abroad and go to college in a new country. What steps would I need to take to get there? I literally don't know anything about passports, visas, credit/debit cards, rent, mortgage, vehicles, etc. Honestly I feel like I'm rambling like a dumb kid with unrealistic hopes but I think I could make it work. I'm still so unsure about a lot of things but I would really appreciate some advice and insight.

Thank you.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us and sharing a little bit about your goals. It takes a lot of courage to tell others your thoughts and feelings. We aren’t legal experts here at NRS and unfortunately, we can’t tell you much about life abroad as we are located in the US and work with organizations across all 50 states and territories. If you are looking to live/study abroad it may be a good idea to speak with officials from the countries embassy regarding visas and other travel requirements for entering into/living/working in a foreign country. You also mentioned tuition rates as a reason for why you are looking to study abroad. Often times, countries only offer free/low-cost tuition to residents/nationals. If you have a particular school in mind it might be best to contact them directly about admissions and tuition. It also may be a good idea to talk with a school counselor or advisor about your plans to see if they can provide any input.

All the best,
NRS

[Guest]

im 14 and i don't wanna live with my parents or siblings, they give me a hard time i'm not going good mentally i have problems with my mom dad & siblings, my dad abuses me one chocked me 2x , he punched my nose and made it bleed, he always threatens me and says " i'm gonna go to jail one day because of you.
my mom she makes me feel so unloved i truly feel like i don't even have a mom , she calls me out for everything she's calls me a bunch of rude names you wouldn't even imagine . my siblings all they do is name call me and never leave me alone i tell my parents but. they don't care . my whole family just calls me stuff that actually hurt the other day one of my siblings told me i'm fat and overweight and i should just starve myself i did . i starved my self for 2 days but stopped i really can't be happy mainly bc of my family i need help please .

[ccsmod3]

Hi there, Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and sharing a little bit about what is going. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and especially in a time where you have a really tough and complex situation at home. We are sorry you are experiencing abuse, no one ever deserves to go through that. You do have the right to report the abuse to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453. You can either do it yourself or call into us directly and we can support you through it. It is hard to say the result of reporting, but if you call in you can ask what the process might look like.
It can be difficult to know how to talk to your parents and express your feelings about how you are feeling. We would encourage you to reach out to a trusted adult, teacher, relative, and friend that you can talk to and potentially help you mediate a conversation with your parents about your current situation. At NRS, we do offer a service call conference calling, where you can call into our hotline and then we would reach out to your guardian and help advocate for you, help you express the needs you have to your parents.
Your mental health is important. You can also look at SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at samhsa.gov (call them directly at 1-877-726-4727) or NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI to help you find the support that you need. If you do ever feel in direct danger, to yourself, or some else makes you feel that way, please call out to 911 or reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255).
We aren’t legal experts, but we have general knowledge about running away. In most states, running away isn’t illegal, but what is called a status offense. You can’t get arrested for it but it will mostly likely go on your record until you are 18. The police will only know if you have runaway if your parents/guardians file a police report. We can’t say for sure how the police will respond, but we hear a lot that police will take potential places you might be and will actively search for you. If they come across you, the most likely will return you home to your parents. Sometimes we hear that if you are staying with someone who knows you are a runaway and are not actively trying to return you or finding shelter for you, your guardians/or police can press charges against the people who are housing you, with something that is called harboring. One of our main goals is to make sure you are safe, so if you ever seriously decide to run away and need shelter, resources, or a safe place to go you can find safe locations at nationalsafeplace.org or reach out to us directly and we can find local resources in your area.
We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Please feel free to call into us directly as we can talk further about your situation and find resources that are best for you in your area. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our hotline ( 1-800-RUNAWAY) and chat are open 24/7.
-NRS