I'm 12 and I don't know how to run away

[Unregistered]

My mom is physically and mentally abusing me. My dad doesn't care what she does. My siblings all hate me and they can't help me. I'm homeschooled so I don't have any friends to contact. I'm bisexual and my parents are homophobic, but I haven't come out yet. I'm afraid if I do they'll hurt me even more. I need help. I want to run away, but I'm afraid of the nights in the city. What can I do?

[ccsmod3]

Re: I'm 12 and I don't know how to run away

Hello and thanks for sharing a bit about your situation. We’re glad you felt comfortable opening up on our forum. You don’t deserve to be abused – physically or mentally by your mom. If you are interested in trying to make an abuse report we can help you through that process and there is also https://www.childhelp.org/. You have a right to feel safe at home and we imagine its hard being homeschooled and not having friends to contact.

Please know we are not here to judge you and give you credit for being true to yourself and your sexuality. It is understandable to afraid about coming out and we’re very sorry your parents are homophobic. We want you to know we’re here to listen and support you to the best of our ability. There is also the Trevor Project, http://www.thetrevorproject.org/.

In terms of running away, it can be difficult at age 12. Some cities offer temporary runaway/homeless shelter; however, some have minimum age requirements. To prevent from getting into trouble for harboring runaways, they will likely need to speak to a parent/guardian. We say these things not to try to stop you from running away. They are more to give you information before making a decision. We also care about your safety and there can be safety concerns while on the run. You mentioned being afraid of the nights in the city, so it sounds like you might have some concerns as well. If we know your city/state, we can try to find resources that might be helpful. Our Live Chat is currently open so we encourage you to give that a try to keep talking about your situation and hopefully come up with a plan. Best of luck!