Nothing good has happened since.

[Unregistered]

Hi I'm 17 years old and will be 18 on October 31st. I currently feel there's no other option for me than to run away. I'm a senior in high school and this year is a major struggle for me because last year I was in an abusive relationship and couldn't get out.
Now that I am free from him I was able to meet a new guy that is everything I could ever ask for but I'm not running away to just be with him. I'm running because I can no longer cope with abuse at school and mind control from my parents. I've been raped twice since school started and now it's getting harder to school with the boys that
did this to me. I have a place I can go but I'm currently waiting for the green light to make my move.
I figure since my birthday is really close, I shouldn't get in that much trouble if I get caught. I'm just looking for answers. Please help me.

[ccsmod9]

RE: Nothing good has happened since.

Hello There,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline today. You’re so very brave for telling us your story. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. We’re so sorry to hear about the assaults you’ve suffered from boys at your school and how your parents don’t seem to be supporting you at this time. It all sounds really difficult. You’re very courageous for taking a stand and trying to make your life better for yourself.

It sounds like you’re worried about what could happen if you’re caught running away. We get these kinds of questions a lot. Unfortunately we can’t speak in definite terms about the law, but generally running away isn’t a crime. The police would only be able to return you back home. That is, if your guardians choose to report you. Sometimes whoever you stay with can be charged with “harboring a runaway”, which is a misdemeanor offense. You can find all this out for certain if you called your local police non-emergency phone number and asked them what could happen in your situation. If you’re uncomfortable making that call, we could do that for you. All you’d have to do is give us a call here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and we’d be happy to make that call on your behalf.

We’re so sorry that school is hard for you right now. It’s understandable given the circumstances. It doesn’t sound like you’ve reported these assaults to the police. If you still wanted to, you could. We don’t want to pressure you if you’re uncomfortable doing this, it’s a personal choice. However, if you wanted to talk to someone who specializes in these types of situations, please give the national hotline for survivors of rape (RAINN) a call at 1-800-656-4673. They could let you know what options you have at this point and if there’s anything else you can do to keep yourself safe from your abusers.

We’re so glad you have a supportive partner that is willing to take you in. That sounds really important at this time in your life. If you need additional support, please give us a call here and we’ll help in any way we can. We’re 24/7 and confidential here.

Stay Strong,
NRS