I don't want to get my friend in trouble if I run away and stay with her

[Unregistered]

For awhile I have been unhappy with my life in general. I have lost most of my friends due to my anxiety preventing me from going out so I stay at home. My mom and me don't really get along, she pushes her beliefs down anyone's throat that doesn't agree with her. She is very hard to get along with. I think I resent her so much because my sisters ex sexually assaulted me and when I told my mother she told me he did the same thing to her and when she confronted him he claimed he didn't remember and must've been sleepwalking. My mom told me not to tell anyone but if I needed to talk about it that I could talk to her. She often refers to him as her son and even though my sister broke up with him he continues to live with us. She yells at me often for being rude to him and says that I need to accept the fact that he is here to stay in our home. My mom also fights with my older sister often, they disagree about everything and my mom will drag me into the drama and when I remain indifferent she says that I am heartless and that I need to stick up for her. In the past I have told her how unhappy I was in our house and she told me that I should just move out then and find a family less dis functional than ours. I want to run away but I worry that the people I have in mind to house me would get in trouble for harboring a runaway. My dad and I have a decent relationship but he works a lot and when he is home he is often in a bad mood due to my mom and him fighting. Sometimes I wish that someone would kidnap me so I could get away from it all without the fear that I'll get in trouble.

[ccsmod14]

Re: I don't want to get my friend in trouble if I run away and stay with her

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are in a really tough spot right now and we are sorry to hear about this. It has got to be difficult living in a home with someone who has sexually assaulted you, as well as someone who has not allowed you to speak out about it. It is so brave of you to speak about it here, it takes a lot of courage and it shows just how brave of a person you are. What happened is not your fault. You deserve to feel safe in your own home.

We want you to know you do have the right to make an abuse report with Child Protective Services. You can do this by either calling us here at (800) RUNAWAY (786 2929), or you can call Child Help USA at (800) 422 4453 and they can help connect you to CPS of your state. If you do not want to make a report, that is totally okay. It is your decision to make. Another resource we’d like to pass along that may be helpful in getting you the support you may need/want is RAINN at (800) 656 4673 or you can chat with them here: https://hotline.rainn.org/online/terms-of-service.jsp.

Things at home have to be extremely difficult if you are feeling like getting kidnapped would be a better situation for you. We’re really glad to hear that you have supportive people that would be willing to take you in. We’re not legal experts, but generally if you leave without consent from your legal guardians and they make a runaway report with the police, anyone you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring, though this is not always a guarantee. Sometimes, calling your local police department and asking hypothetically about how they would handle this situation can be helpful. We can help make that call, too, if you decide that’s an option you’d like to explore.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat. We’re here to help in any way that we can, 24/7. We are confidential and always here to listen and support you.

Best,
NRS