if i runaway can my mom call the cops?

[iranaway12]

I ran away

I left home im 15 and I dont like being home at all because l have family issues if my mum already called the cops what happens if I show up to school do I get arrested?

[ccsmod9]

RE: I ran away

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like living at home has been difficult for you. We're sorry to hear that.

It sounds like you left home but still want to go to school. We commend you for wanting to continue your education. You stated that your mom already contacted the police. We're not legal experts here at NRS, but we can give you some general info on running away. Running away is not illegal per se, it is generally considered something called a status offense. This means that, though the police may find you at school or elsewhere, you generally won't be arrested. Instead you'll likely be returned home. Does this make sense?

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

Good luck,
NRS

[JBC]

I hate my current enviroment and I want to leave.

Hi, I want to runaway but I'm really scared of the consequences it might cause me if I'm caught. I read some other posts on here to see if there was some more answers from previous cries of help, however, I can't find one related to my current situation. I'm currently living overseas with my father who's in the United States Air Force. I know you guys are not legal experts but since I live on a military base in Germany I don't know what would happen if I ran away. All that can go through my mind is them putting up announcements, sending MP's on searches, and if they did catch me then I'm scared they'll send me to the base therapist. I don't know what they'll do, but perhaps you have an idea? I hate the Air Force, this base, and the people on it including my family. However, while I hate them I don't want to cause them anymore trouble then I have to and my worst thought is anyone finding out I'm depressed and suicidal because I don't want my family or myself to be sent back to the states and ruin my father's career.

Thank you, have a nice day.

[ccsmod7]

RE: I hate my current enviornment and I want to leave

Hello –

Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing a bit about your situation. It sounds like you are really frustrated with your living situation and not sure what to do. You would like to leave but you also don’t want to cause any issues with your dad’s job or have a bunch of people looking for you. It’s a bit difficult to know what would happen because you are on a military base in Germany so we don’t know if they would just make a report within the base or if the local German police would get involved. In the states if a youth leaves under the age of 18 it usually is possible for the parent/guardian to make a report so that could be the same case here.

You also mentioned that you are feeling depressed and suicidal but it sounds like you are concerned about your family knowing. Have you been able to talk with anyone about this or are you currently having any suicidal thoughts? It’s understandable you may be concerned about reaching out to the base therapist but they are certainly there to help you if you would like to talk with someone about those feelings you are having. We were also able to find a German Suicide Hotline that has English services if maybe you wanted to reach out to someone that way. They are the International Helpline in Berlin and can be reached at 030-44 01 06 07. We hope that information helps. Take care and be safe.

[Unregistered]

asking for a friend who wants to run away

okay my friend is currently in an abusive and generally unpleasant home and she desperately wants to leave. she is 15, will be 16 in february (about 6 months from now), and lives in new york. we learned that if you are 16 and you run away and the police find you, you can tell them you are being abused and you dont want to go home, and if the place youre staying at is safe, they will let you stay there. is this true?

we know of some (adult) friends in michigan who would gladly take her in, but is it legal for her to run away to a different state? also, she apparently cannot do this until she is 16 and she would really rather not wait (the stress of her family is taking a toll on her mental well-being and it gets worse every day) also, her parents would likely never grant permission for her to leave (she is too afraid to ask anyways, for fear of punishment)

so in the 6 months leading up to her 16th birthday, she wants to find a place to run away to. then once she turns 16, she will travel by plane to michigan and live with our friends until she is 18. she says theres one friend nearby that her parents don't know at all who MAY be willing to take her in temporarily. we havent talked to them yet. mostly because we're not sure if its legal or possible

is it possible for her to move from new york to michigan at 16 without parental permission? will the people she moves in with get in trouble? (apparently if the friends take her in before she is 16 they can be charged with harboring a runaway and risk losing custody of their son)

and is it possible for her to live with her local friend before she is 16?

thank you for your help, it is much appreciated!!

[Unregistered]

i want 2 leave now

Hi, I don't lik my home, I hate it here actually, it's all because of my step dad, I don't feel comfortable with him. He isn't home all the time because he drives trucks n b on the road but, his rules n ways of raising me n my little brother n sisters r stupid. Last year my step dad was in a way sexually harassing me, n it was going on 4 about 3years. It made me feel very uncomfortable n scared, n when I told him I didn't lik it a year ago he got mad n said he was finna do it anyway!? That's wen I finally told my mom n I'd think we'd leave him but we're still here, n he keeps telling me things lik i love u n stuff n tells me not 2 tell my mom. But 1 person that's been on my side is my loving boyfriend(finance) n he doesn't want me living with a man lik that n doesn't lik that my step dad use 2 touch me lik that n talks 2 me lik that, n is very mean 2 me. I want 2 run away n live with my fiance, I know that he'll take care of me. He also wants me 2 live with him. I don't tell my feelings 2 my mom because she doesn't seem 2 serious about how I feel about my step dad, but my fiance do. I'm scared that if I stay in this house my step dad will end up hitting n beating me just lik he use 2 do, because I'm pretty sure imma end up cussing him out 1day. I just don't want the police taking me back home after I left. I don't really no what my question is. I guess I just want someone 2 listen n give me advice.

[ccsmod14]

Re: asking for a friend who wants to run away

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your friend has been through a lot and we are here to help you out the best that we can.

So it sounds like your friend is thinking about leaving home because she is living in an abusive household. No one deserves to be abused by anyone. You have a right to feel safe in your own home.

You said that you have been told that if you don't feel safe at home and have a safe alternative place to stay, police will not bring you back home. We want to let you know that we are not legal experts here. We do not want to give you answers to legal questions and end up misguiding you or misinforming you. You deserve to feel safe at home for sure. If you are not feeling safe at home because you are being abused, you have a right to make a report with Child Protective Services. Here at National Runaway Safeline, we offer conference calling with youth. That means that if your friend were to call us at 1800runaway, we could make a call out with you to Child Protective Services of your state.

It sounds like your friend has a great supportive system. You are showing a great amount of support by reaching out to us on their behalf, and it sounds like they've got support in Michigan, too. Again, we are not legal experts but what we do know is that it is not illegal to runaway; typically if you leave home without your guardian's permission, and the police find you, they just bring you back home. However, if your guardian does make a runaway report, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged with harboring a runaway. You asked if she can live with her local friend before she is 16. As far as we know, the same laws/information applies to a friend who lives locally.

We are here to support you and your friend as much as we can. If you would like to explore her situation further, or pass along our information so that we can explore with her we would be happy to do so. We are here 24/7, and our line is anonymous and confidential at 1800runaway or through our Live Chat which is open every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST and can be accessed here: http://www.nrschat.org:88/chat/UserP...&d=&u=&bypass=



National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRSOnlineServicesSurvey

[ccsmod3]

Re: i want 2 leave now

Hello,

We're glad you reached out to us. It sounds like you've been dealing with a lot at home and we hope you know you don't deserve to be sexually harassed. It sounds like your fiance is supportive, but you are also concerned you will just get taken back home if you leave. If you are a minor and leave home without permission, your parents/guardians do have the option of filing you as a runaway. However, if you are being hit, beaten, or sexually mistreated you have the right to speak up to your local Child Protective Services (CPS.) If you are wanting to try and file an abuse report, we can help you with that process. http://www.childhelpusa.org/ may be a place for you to check out as well.

It's okay if you don't have a question right now, we are also here to listen and provide support. Hopefully, we are also able to help you come up with some options and even a plan.

Please remember you can reach us directly by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our Live Chat which is open every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST and can be accessed here: http://www.nrschat.org:88/chat/UserP...&d=&u=&bypass=


National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRSOnlineServicesSurvey

[guest]

i ran away 1 month ago

hi i am 16 and i ran away from home 1 month ago . my mom is threating me about calling the cops and putting my boyfriend in jail . but the thing is that i am actually going to be with my dad . i dont feel safe with my mom because she is to violent . can she put my boyfriend in jail and everyone who has just helped me with giving me a bed to sleep in just because i dont want to be with her ? i am very worried . im leaving to go with my dad and get an emancipation but i just dont like the fact that shes threating me with cops .

[ccsmod8]

RE: i ran away 1 month ago

Hello,

Thank you for getting into contact with us here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. From what you have told us about you are going through a very difficult time right now living at home with your mother. You stated that you feel that your mother might be too violent and that you don’t feel like living there anymore. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially at home where you’re supposed to feel safe and comfortable. You always have the right to report any abuse to your local police department or child protective service in your state. Has the violence that your mother has shown ever gotten to the point where you didn’t feel safe anymore?

Unfortunately, here at the NRS we cannot tell you in definite terms on what would happen for someone under the age of 18 years old to leave without parental permission because we are not legal experts. Laws on that specific subject vary from state to state, so our advice would be call your local non-emergency police number to get more information on that. Running away isn’t considered to be illegal and not punishable by jail time; it is more considered to be a status offensive. From the general looks of it and to our understanding, sometimes people who do help house runaways can be charged with “harboring a runaway” if the parent feels that the person housing the youth is withholding information in attempts to keep the youth from returning home. Again we really can’t tell you in definite terms what would happen because we aren’t legal experts.

Please remember you can reach us directly by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our Live Chat which is open every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST and can be accessed here: http://www.nrschat.org:88/chat/UserP...&d=&u=&bypass=



National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRSOnlineServicesSurvey

[Unregistered]

i wanna leave

My Mom Trynna Put me in a place where i dont want to go she said im on drugs when im really not she put me on home studies but me nd her are not getting along i have problems im not ganna lie im a suvicide person i cut myself nd i try to do things to hurt myself but its beacause my problems with my mom i am 17 ganna turn 18 in may if i run away with no one haveing a idea were imma be or cant find me will the copa look for me till im 18

[ccsmod10]

RE: I wana leave

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like you are having a lot of problems with your mom and want to be in a safe place. Just to let you know you always have the right to feel safe and wanted in your own home. You also mentioned that you have been feeling suicidal. You can always call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK if you are feeling like hurting yourself. Just to let you know, we are not legal experts. Technically it's not against the law for you to run away from home. In most places it's considered a 'status offence'. However, anyone you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with 'harboring a runaway'. Do you have someone willing to take this risk for you?

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we cannot tell you what you should or should not do. We can however help you come up with a solid plan and explore options. We can be reached at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm-11:30pm CST. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

- NRS

[Unregistered]

hey i am 15 about to be 16 in 8 month can i movie out an go stay with my grandma with out my mom stopping me

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,
It sounds like you are hoping to leave home to go and stay with your grandmother, but you need some more information about your legal rights. We’re glad that you reached out to us.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are not legal experts, but we can talk about some possibilities: If you leave without permission from your legal guardian to stay with your grandmother, your grandmother might be charged with harboring a runaway. Another possibility is that the police might return you to your legal guardian. Some options to consider: You might try contacting your local police with some anonymous questions about how they handle runaways. You also might consider talking to your mom to see if she could give you permission to stay with your grandmother—if you have your legal guardian’s permission to stay with a family member it will not be considered running away.

If you would like to discuss your situation and options in more depth, you can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If calling isn't your thing, you can talk with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

[Unregistered]

mom left me on side of road now wants to call the cops

Me and my mom was driving down the road got in to a argument and she told me to get out now after I got a friend to come get me she is saying she is calling the cops and I don't want my friend to get in trouble. Wouldn't she be held responsible for her actions or does it matter since I'm only 17