if i runaway can my mom call the cops?

[ccsmod9]

RE: Moving Out

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your living situation is not ideal for you right now. Your friend and his family sound very supportive of you, and we're glad to hear you've come up with a living arrangement that works for you and your mother.

We're not legal experts here at NRS, but we can tell you that if your father is one of your legal guardians, he does have the right to file a runaway report if you leave home without his permission before age 18. While this is considered a status offense for you, it may have legal consequences for your friend's parents, because they could be considered to be harboring a runaway. Is that a risk they are willing to take for you?

We can't tell you what to do, but we are willing and able to discuss your options with you. If you'd like to talk about this all further, please feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We're available on our safeline 24/7. You can also chat with us by going to www.1800runaway.org and clicking the red live chat button. Live chat is available from 4:30 to 11:30 pm Central time every evening. We hope to hear from you soon.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Runaway

I am 15 and I don't actually run away I just leaf my house for a day or 2 at the most to get away from my parents always never letting me go out because I am grounded for like coming home 2 mins late... I just can't win against then so I pretty much gave up trying to always do what they say but they were unrealistic expectations who no one could follow. They put so much stress and pressure on me I can't do anything right so i gave up and quit.

[ccsmod7]

Re: Runaway

Thanks for reaching out and telling us a bit about your situation. It sounds like you are upset with your parents and feel like they have unrealistic expectations for you. It’s understandable that you would feel frustrated about that. You mentioned that you have left the home before for a day or two just to clear your head. It’s not always bad to try and get out of a situation to let yourself cool down. When you leave do you usually let your family know where you are so they know you are safe?

We are sorry to hear that you feel like you just have to give up at this point. Have you been open with them about how upset you are about this situation? It may be good to reach out to someone, like a family member/friend/ counselor, to get some extra support. They may be able to help you talk through some of these issues with your parents as well. If you would ever like to talk more in depth about this you can also contact us at our 24 hour hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are a confidential crisis line and there is always someone available to discuss safe options and resources. We also have something called a parent/youth conference call, which means we can help mediate a conversation between you and your parents over the phone. You can also reach us online through our live chat available from 4:30p to 11:30p CST. There is always someone here to listen and here to help. Take care.

[Gone]

Im About To Leave

Hi, im about to runaway, so ive read all of your threads and i also have a few questions. When i leave, i do suspect that my parents will call the cops, i know where i am going they will not find me, but i read that it isnt exactly illegal to runaway. So the actual part that is illegal is being harbored by someone, where i was going is an friends house in another state, they were offering to let me stay and go to school, my parents and family do not know them, so in this case, i know i will be classified as a runaway, but will the family harboring me be breaking the law? And going to school is still possible whether i was a freshman or a sophomore or a junior?

[ccsmod4]

if I run away can my mom call the cops?

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We are not legal experts at NRS so we can only give you a generalization of the law as it pertains to your question about harboring someone considered a runaway. In most states it is illegal to aid or harbor a youth who is a reported a runaway with the police department.

While there are some allowances under the Federal McKinley-Vento Act for homeless students (unaccompanied Youth) (http://www.nn4youth.org/system/files..._Education.pdf ) being be able to attend a school outside of their district or state. This option may differ for youth that have run away from home.

You are welcome to call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or visit www.1800Runaway.org to talk or chat about your situation and explore options. NRS live chat is available from 4:30pm until 11:30pm CST).

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

[anonymous]

runaway

hi I am 15 years old and I'm planning on running away because my parents are just sick of me and I absolutely do nothing wrong. I ask for 2 dollars and I get yelled at and every little thing I do I get punished. They basically tell me to rot in my room. I have no privacy no freedom and when I mean freedom I can't even call my friends or have a phone or hangout with friends. I'm exhausted of getting completely nagged on and put down from my own parents and telling me I'm a p.o.s and I do nothing but cause them problems. And I try my best to be good and do all my chores and have a great attitude but it's just not enough for them. I tired of crying everyday and feeling horrible and it's affecting my social life as well as my self esteem. I was planning on staying with a friend and she is fully aware of the situation. And her family is as well. And they told me they would provide food as well as shelter for me. Is there a possibility I can stay there? and is it possible if the cops do find me they would send me straight back home and nothing would be done? Please answer I really need it,
Thank You

[ccsmod14]

Re: runaway

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been through a lot and we are here to help you out the best that we can. It sounds like you have not been treated very well at home and that has got to be tough to deal with. How have you been coping with this? Is there anything that has really been helpful to you?

You have taken a great step by contacting us to get some more information and support. It sounds like you have a lot of support from your friend and your friend’s family, which is a really good thing to hear. You have shared with us that you are planning to stay with your friend and their family. We want to let you know that we are not legal experts here, but we can share with you the information that we do know.

Leaving your home without your guardian’s permission is considered running away. If you were to do this, and a guardian filed a runaway report with the police, and the police found you, they would just bring you back home. Running away is not illegal; it is a status offense which is most similar to a parking ticket. However, anyone that you stay with has a possibility of being charged with harboring a runaway. In order to get more detailed information on this possibility, you can always call your local nonemergency police department and ask any questions that you have hypothetically.

We offer conference calling here at NRS. This means that if you were to call in, we could call out with you to either a guardian or an agency (i.e. police department). Sometimes it can be intimidating to call alone, but we can be on the line with you to support you if that is a service you would like us to provide.
We are here to support you the best that we can. If there is anything else we can help you out with, do not hesitate to call our 24/7, anonymous and confidential hotline at 1800 runaway. We also have a chat option through our website, 1800runaway.org, available 4:30pm to 11:30pm CST. We hope to hear from you soon.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Im the custodial parent...in CA

My 17 year old daughter, straight A, honor roll, principal's honor roll and student of the year (2014-14) junior, soon to be Senior has recently run away, out of state to her dad's NCP in WA. We had 50/50 until he moved away and arbitrarily took my daughters because I had no money and possibly facing homelessness. Then in March 2011, our oldest daughter was ready to give birth to our first grandchild and I flew up to WA to stay for 2 weeks waiting for labor to begin. Long story short, the night she was in labor I left the hospital to travel back to his house to get add'l baby clothes, he was drunk and a confirm,ed crack addict, decided we were gonna brawl...I ended up in the hospital ER (1st floor) with facial contusions and a concusion, while my daughter was delivering on the 5th floor in Longview WA with Security Guards at her door :/ My ex fled the County, they found him, he got a DUI, and the Judge ordered full physical, custodial to me of our #2 daughter, whom is the child in question, with a mandatory restraining order, NO CONTACT for daughter #2 and myself. We stayed at a shelter til my mom could send us airfare back to CA where she has been with me ever since. In the past 3 years she met a boy who has spoiled her beyond belief and basically ruined her sense of values. She was enlisted to go to the Air Force upon graduation, now that's out, she doesn't do drugs, drink etc...she's just outta control and dad has picked up where the boyfriend left off. I cannot compete financially with entertaining her. She has a 12 year old brother at home and things are peaceful, but I really can't accept this "Do what I want attitude" and it seems like her dad is just gloating and giving into her every whim. btw, he was the one who actually purchased the planeticket to WA with NO communication with me EVER!! 3 days later daughter #2 text me and said I'm so sorry mom, this was the biggest mistake ever, I wanna come home"

[ccsmod11]

re: Im the custodial parent...in CA

Hi and thanks for contacting NRS. It sounds like you and your family have been through a lot recently and we are glad that you were able to find us. From what you have shared, it seems like you are looking for services to help your daughter return home to you. We do have a partnership with Greyhound for a program called Home Free, but it requires the youth to initiate. We cannot guarantee that any one youth fits the program until we talk with them directly. If your daughter is interested in it, she can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY and speak with her more about her situation. Take care,
-NRS

[Unregistered]

sick of abuse

My mom would hit me with belts or anthing she starts arguements somtimes she scares me im want to runaway but ill be cought what should i do

[ccsmod14]

Re: sick of abuse

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you have been going through a lot and we are sorry to hear that. Have you told anybody about what has been going on at home? You deserve to feel safe at home. You have a right to call Child Protective Services to make an abuse report. Is this something that you have ever thought about doing?

You said that you want to run away, do you have somewhere in mind that you would go? We want to make sure that you are safe in whatever decision you are making. You said that you would be caught, do you mean by your mom or by police? We want to let you know that we are not legal experts here, but running away is not illegal. If you leave your home without permission, and your guardians make a runaway report and the police find you, they just bring you back home.

Have you talked to your mom about the possibility of living somewhere else, either with other family or friends? We do not tell you what to do here, so we cannot give you advice because you know your situation better than we do. We just try to help you weigh all your options the best that we can.
If you would like to talk further about your situation, feel free to call our 24/7, anonymous and confidential hotline at 1800runaway or join us on chat from 4:30pm to 11:30pm CST.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

parents rights

If a parent doesnt report their teenager as a runaway, what consequences do the parents receive.

[ccsmod9]

parents rights

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline with your great question.

When a parent reports their child as a runaway, they are not only taking the first step to locate their child, they are also protecting themselves. If a parent doesn't report their child as a runaway and something happens to the youth, the parents could face consequences. These consequences may vary, and one way to find out what the consequences may be is to contact your local police at the non-emergency number to ask them. Reporting your child as a runaway is an individual's decision. We're here to listen and to support you in any way we can while you make this decision.

If you'd like to talk further, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are available on our Safeline 24/7. You can also chat with us from 4:30 to 11:30 pm Central time by going to www.1800runaway.org and clicking the red live chat button. We hope to hear from you soon.

Good luck,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Hi this is a really weird story but here goes...

So I'm not a runaway but at the same time i am, i have no parents they died or left me after i was born and know one knows who i am, i dont even know my last name. Anyways I've been homeschooled and i just finished 8th and was gonna enter high school, i lived with people i dont even know..ive lived with alot of people in my life and honestly i feel like i was just a handful for them..
so the reason that im writing this is becuz 2 days ago i was in the car of this lady, her name is Rebecca idk if that helps becuz she never told me her last name, anyways she just dropped me off in the corner of a street and drove off, i am a city where i dont know anybody, I've been begging for money on the street to get food, and i came to this coffee place thing to get internet just to find some answers..ill get back on to see if i got an answer tomorrow, can i be in foster care or something? bcuz idk i was treated pretty well in my last homes .-. i have an ipad mini, and nice clothes, but now they dont want me and abandoned me...i guess they probably didn't want me to report them so i they treated me well. i dont know if it was illegal just to live with them with out no one knowing? idk i just need answers v.v cuz im lonely and i have no friends...and im in a place idek.
thanks ( btw im 14 years old, im female )

[ccsmod2]

Re: this is a weird story....

We are really sorry to hear all that you’ve been through! Our biggest priority is keeping youth safe and it definitely doesn’t sound like you are safe on the streets. The best thing to do would be to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (800-786-2929) so we can understand your situation better and help you figure out what your next best steps are. We can help you find a safe place to stay and provide other resources you may need: legal, medical, counseling, and so on. We are totally confidential and anonymous and are here 24/7. If you can’t get to a phone you can also contact us through Live Chat by clicking on the red button at the top right of our main page: www.1800runaway.org. Live Chat is available from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Time. We hope to hear from you soon! Good luck!