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Dang my mom hits me with chairs Crockett hammers and other things that will for a fact hurt me
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Hello There,
Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, it takes great courage to reach out and we are so glad you have decided to reach out to us today.
Oh wow you do not deserve to be treated like that and what you have described sounds like abuse. You do have the right to make an abuse report and there are a few ways to go about doing that. One option would be to talk with a school counselor, because they are mandated reporters they would be required to file a report. You can also call Child Help at 1800-422-4453 and they would be able to help with filing a report. Lastly, you can always call or chat with us and we would be able to help you with filing a report.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are available to you 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS
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Hello, I am asking you because this is the only place I know to ask...my friend has been kidnapped..what do I do..I can’t call the police...Comment
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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they may be in danger. It’s great that your friend has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them. We understand you don’t want to contact police, but if your friend has been kidnapped and you have valuable information, you may be able to help find them and bring them back to safety. If you don’t want to reach out, you could talk to an adult you trust or call us and we can help you call the police.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.
Take care,
NRS
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i’m 16 year old, and my parents are extremely emotionally abusive. i want to leave and stay with a family memeber for a short time, till they will talk with me and we can get this figured out. i truly love them but i cant be in this house but i am scared of what the laws will do. and to what extent they can take this. i have a scholarship on the line and don’t want to risk it but i can’t be in this house any longer. i live in nebraska and want to know my options.Comment
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Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to write us here at NRS and we appreciate you sharing a bit about your situation. It sounds like there is a lot that you are faced with at home and you feel leaving is your best option. It seems you want to know more about runaway laws. While we are not legal experts, we can speak generally on this.
The age of majority in Nebraska is 19 which is the age an individual is able to leave home without permission. If you leave home as a minor, your parents can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, and you would not be arrested. It is a status offense though which means your parents can ask police to return you home if they know where you are staying. In the event you were returned home, the runaway report would not go on your permanent record.
You mentioned wanting to stay with a family member only temporarily and plan on having a calm conversation with your parents when they are ready. This was a very thoughtful and well-planned out idea. If you do decide to pursue this plan, perhaps your family member can help you communicate your needs to your parents. If you are able to call our hotline, 1-800-786-2929, we can also facilitate a conference call between you and your parents and advocate for your needs. It might be helpful to consider both the pros and the cons, the benefits and the possible consequences, while considering if you are ready and wanting to pursue this idea. We are available 24/7 by phone and live chat if you would like to talk more!
Be safe and good luck,
NRS
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my stepmom threatens to kill me and i know i should runaway but i do not know if its legal for a 12 year old to runawayComment
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Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a really scary situation at home, and it’s really brave of you to reach out for help. We are here to support you in any way we can. You do not deserve to endure emotional or physical abuse.
If you feel like you are in immediate danger, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
If you feel that you are unsafe at home and need somewhere to stay, there is an organization called National Safe Place that might be able to help you find a safe place to go. Text the word "safe" and your current address to 44357 or go to www.nationalsafeplace.org for more information.
We may be able to help you better by hearing more details about your situation and how we can help specifically. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), or you can use our chat at www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
Stay safe and we hope to hear from you soon.
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My mom verbally abuses me and my little brother(calls us dumb, fat, stupid, etc.) He's 5 ( male )and I'm 11 ( gender non-conforming ) , i want to call the police but i don't want her to go to jail, and i'm not even sure if verbally abusing your children is even a crime. Running away with my brother seems like the only option, but im too afraid.Comment
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Hi there,
We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way.
You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against your mom. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
Be safe,
NRS
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My parents emotionally and physically hurting me, should I runaway?Comment
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Thank you for reaching out to NRS, it takes a lot of courage to seek help. It sounds like you are in an abusive situation and are considering running away from home. There are a lot of challenges that a young person might face when leaving home by themselves. It's very important to remember that you would need to find a safe place to stay, find a way to financially support yourself, and still be able to attend school. There are many resources for those who are looking to leave abusive situations. In order for us to suggest resources in your specific area it's best to call in to 1800-RUNAWAY or live chat at 1800runaway.org. We can also help with filing an abuse report if that is something you want to do. Child Help is another good resource that can also help if you would like to report, and they can be reached at: 800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org.
Stay safe,
NRS
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My mother and I have been getting into several fights everyday I just can deal with this anymore , as Im beginning to be a teen, Its too much , what can i do? Im scared to run away but my gut tells me to do soComment
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Hi there,
We are glad you reached out to us for help. It is so difficult to be fighting with your Mom all the time. It makes sense you feel hopeless and you don’t want to take it anymore.
You deserve a stable and emotionally stable home environment. We have resources to help you cope with all this stress and to support you with options besides running away. It is important for you to know that you have some control over your choices going forward and making your plan that works for you. You can still decide to run away and we can help you with that too.
You can reach out to us to talk more about your situation through a chat on our website or on our crisis hotline at (800) RUNAWAY. Both are available 24/7 and completely confidential. We would like to go through your options and help you come up with a plan. We can also conference call to the agencies and support programs so we can make sure you have the help you need to support your plan.
We hope to hear from you soon. Good luck.
NRS
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So I’m 12 turning 13 in 1 month I also have a abusive household and want to run away I don’t know where to go
(I live in ****************)Comment
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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can try to help you find some resources in your area as well.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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I am currently 12 years old. I am not ‘thinking’ of running away. I am 100% running away. I have been abused for my entire life. My parents are extremely racist, homophobic, and religious. They are physically abusive and leave marks on me, but I am forced to hide them away. I cannot live like this. I have had thoughts of ending it all but I have someone willing to hide me in a safe place. I was originally thinking of going to the police station and asking for child services, but I have learnt that they will just bring me back to my parents. I can’t do that. I honestly don’t know what to do. My parents are expecting to move house by the end of the month and I was planning on running away then. I need to get away from them. But you are telling everyone that if I get found, I will be brought back to my parents. Please, please, help me. What should I do?
LComment
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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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im only 12 and my family if falling apart and its just never ending arguing should i run away?Comment
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Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out, it sounds like things have been tough at home. We hope to help as best we can. Here is some information around running away that may be helpful if you're thinking about it. We can definitely discuss other options as well. 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.
If you want to talk about anything we mentioned in more detail or might have further questions, please reach out to us via chat or phone.
Stay strong,
NRS
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me and my brothers are struggeling wiht our horrible lifes from our dad he locks us in a room and threatening us to kill us with the guns he has in the safe in his room but me and my brother try calling 911 befor just for it to get canceled by our dad somebody helpComment
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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody. We can help you by calling police or reporting abuse if you call or chat with us.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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Everytime My mom abuses me my mouth bleeds.
Pls Help me pls
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Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline and sharing your story. You are very brave.
We are very sorry to hear your mom is hurting you. You do not deserve to be abused. If you have not already, it could be helpful to talk to a trusted adult, like a family member, school counselor, or friend’s parent, about the abuse. It could also be helpful to report the abuse, so CPS could investigate your mom. If you want to file a report we can help you if you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us at our website. You can also file one at www.childhelp.org.
Thank you again for reaching out to us. You are very strong. Feel free to reach out to us again anytime as we are available 24/7 and are completely confidential. You can also chat with us via the chat feature at www.1800runaway.org
Stay safe,
NRS
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I'm 14 and my mother and father are abusive mentally and physically they also neglect me. It's been like this since I was 10. I have a family member who said they would take care of me but I'm scared and don't know what to do. My friend also is abused and wishes to run away and i would like to help her. Please tell me what to do.Comment
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Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out, we hope to help as best we can. You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against mother and father. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
By all means, if you do fear for your safety either now or in the future, do not hesitate to take the necessary steps to regain your safety. Its great to know family is trying to be supportive. If you'd like to discuss reporting or other options, please reach out. As a minor if you leave the home without parental permission and you haven't been removed from the home due to abuse or neglect your parents can file a runaway report for you. You would not be in legal trouble but you would likely be returned home by police.
We hope this helps. Please reach out if we can offer any further support.
Be safe,
NRS
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I’m 11 years old and my mom physically and emotionally abused me I feel like I grew up too fast all the time. My mom calls me names belittles me and physically hits me with a metal cable. My brother isint at this house anymore lol bf my dad is always working I have no personal space and she is always telling me that I don’t mean anything and that nothing that I have is mine not even my own life.I’m scared to run away because I don’t want to be sent to the orphanage and I don’t want anything bad to happen to me but I just can’t keep doing this. It hurts so much and I would rather die than stay here.Comment
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Hi there,
Thanks so much for contacting NRS, it takes a lot of courage to reach out for help. It sounds like your situation at home is really difficult. No one deserves to be belittled or hit and we are so sorry that you are experiencing this. We understand why you would want to leave given how your home is unsafe for you and are here to support you in any way we can.
You mentioned feeling scared to run away and this is understandable as leaving home is a big decision. There are many things to consider, such as where you would stay and how you would take care of yourself. If you are considering running away, we can talk with you at anytime to help you create a plan that will help to keep you safe. We are not here to tell you what to do; our priority is to support you and help keep you safe.
Everyone deserve to feel safe at home and no one deserves to be mistreated. If you feel you are being mistreated at home by your mom, you have the right to file an abuse report. If that is something you are interested in exploring further, more information can be found at Child Help USA (www.childhelp.org/) which can also help make the report by calling 1800-422-4453. You could also consider speaking to an adult you trust, perhaps a teacher or counsellor at school or trusted family member, who may be able to support you.
We want to help keep you safe and it sounds like you are having thoughts of suicide. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a great resource to talk to when you have these feelings and are available 24/7 through their hotline (800) 273-8255. Additionally, if you are interested, we can help try to connect you to local counsellors in your area that could provide you with professional mental health support.
We are here to listen and support you 24/7 by calling 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or via chat through 1800runaway.org.
We will you all the best,
NRS
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Hi im 10 years old and im being physically abused by my mom and sexually abused by my dad, the sexual abuse started when i was 4 years old and the physically abuse was when i was 9 (last year). Ive been thinking a lot about running away but i'd have no where to go and im scared to ask my teacher if i can go to the counselor cause they usually talk to the person's parents about it. I just really need help or advice, Thank you.Comment
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Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We are sorry that we didn't answer right away, but that is because we work on live callers and chatters first.
You do not deserve to by sexually and physically abused. At all. By anyone. They tell you not to tell anyone to protect them, not to protect you. You can tell your teacher and they will begin the work of helping you to be safe. If you go to your friends, please tell them what is happening, or reach out to us from there.
You can reach out to us by live chat through this website or, if you get to your friends, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)
You deserve to be safe. You deserve help and we are here to help you. We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS
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