if i runaway can my mom call the cops?

[ccsmod9]

Re: Abused and want to runaway

Thank you very much for contacting us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are very sorry to hear that you are being abused by your father. You certainly do not deserve this. It’s great that you are being resourceful and looking for help.

Although we are not certain what the police near you would say, they are mandated reporters. Especially when your father is in the act of abusing you, calling 911 would be a great resource so that they can come out and protect you.

There is perhaps an even better number for those who are being abused to call. Abuse reports are confidential. This is the National Abuse Hotline. This number is 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Additionally, you can learn more about what it means to call and report abuse here: https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/resources-kids/. You can also access all of the local numbers according to your state by clicking this link: https://www.childhelp.org/wordpress/...ne-Numbers.pdf. They could definitely send you to somewhere safe.

Additionally, if you are looking for a safe place to go right now, try looking on this website to find a safe place near you: http://nationalsafeplace.org/ or http://nationalsafeplace.org/text-4-help/.

We invite you to call us at a 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). We can assist you with finding a safe place near you, and we could can support you through making the abuse report. Please know that we are here for you. We wish you the best. You are so brave for reaching out. We hope that you are able to get to that safe place that you need and deserve.

Best,

NRS

[Unregistered]

I want to leave my house

I'm 16 and my parents treat me like ******** and I can't take it anymore so I thought I could runaway but my dad said if I leave he will call the cops and I will never be able to come back what should I do?

[ccsmod0]

re: I want to leave my house

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out today. It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot with your parents right now. It’s wrong that they treat you poorly. You deserve to live in a place where you are valued and supported. It’s smart that you reached out today. Let’s see how we can help you out.

We aren’t legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally about this. In general, if you leave home without your guardian’s permission, then your guardian has the right to file a runaway report and the police would bring you back home. Now, if your parents file a runaway report, they would have to let you go back home. They are legally responsible for you until you turn 18, so that means that have the right to decide where you live AND that they have to provide you with a safe place to live. If you runaway, they have the right to have you brought back AND they are legally required to allow you to come back. So if you decided to leave home for a few nights or you decided to come home after a while, they would have to let you back. If they didn’t, you could file a neglect report against them.

What you should do is up to you. It’s not illegal to run away, but you could be brought back home. Thinking through the pros and cons of running and what you’re hoping to get out of running can be good next steps for you. Thinking through those things can help you determine what your next steps should be.

We hope that this is a helpful start for you. If you’d like to talk more about anything or to think through more options together, please call or chat with us. You can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm to 11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

[Mia 92]

Just wondering

I am 18 years old my birthday is on September 17 im an adopted child , my aunt adopted me when i was little along with my sister who is now 20 , my sister left the house at 20 she left without telling anyone anything. N left a note explaining that she was fine where ever she went . I want to know if my mother was to call the cops to look for me what would they tell her , from my understanding if she calls the cops n they ask how old am I they will tell her they cant do anything about it , my whole 18 years of living i been through alot of trauma an abuse i feel i need to remove myself from this family because its too much drama , i feel im their scape goat and there always reminding me that no one wanted to take me and my sister in ?
Ive already made up my mind what is your advice.?

[ccsmod6]

RE: Just wondering

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been through a lot of hurtful moments and are ready to break free from the pain. We are sorry to hear that you have had to endure so much heartache. Nobody deserves to be mistreated in any way. It sounds like you know what is best for you and you have made up your mind on things. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any advice on what to do other than doing what you feel is best for you as you know what you need and deserve. You mentioned having gone through a lot of trauma and abuse. It sounds like you have great strength. How have you coped with everything? If you ever feel threatened or in danger, it is your right to contact 911 for help.

Some general information that we can provide because we are not legal experts is that because you are 18 (even though you were adopted) you would not be considered a runaway minor and police technically would not be able to arrest you unless you were breaking the law. Anyone who reaches the age of 18 is generally considered their own legal guardian. Unless there have been certain accommodations made for you to stay with your foster parent beyond 18 you are allowed to leave home since you are your own legal guardian. It sounds like you are ready to leave and begin a new life that prioritizes your well-being. Leaving can be a big step, and it’s helpful to think about how you plan to provide for yourself, where you will go, who you will turn to for support, and how you will ensure your safety. If you would like to talk more about how you’re feeling and explore some ways to keep you safe, please call our crisis line at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

We hope that you stay safe in the decision you choose.

Best of luck and take care,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Can my mom call the cops if I runaway

Hey! I'm planning to runaway beaucse quite frankly I'm tiered of my mom belittling me and treating me so bad I have depression and Anxity as well as panic attacks but she thinks I'm faking it and that in crazy for years she's told me she wishes she had aborted me and that in the worst daughter

[Juli20]

Can my mom call the cops if I runaway

Hey! I'm planning to runaway beaucse quite frankly I'm tiered of my mom belittling me and treating me so bad I have depression and Anxity as well as panic attacks but she thinks I'm faking it and that in crazy for years she's told me she wishes she had aborted me and that im the worst daughter in the world and always compares me to other kids so just enjoys seeing me hurt like she's giving away my dog that we recently got and she keeps rubbing it in my face over and over so I got my stuff and was getting ready to leave when she said that in crazy and that she'll just call the cops on me.. Can she do that? I'm not underaged and I live in California

[ccsmod14]

RE: Can my mom call the cops if I runaway

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you have really been having trouble at home with your mom, and its making your depression, anxiety and panic attacks worse which has to be really difficult. We are really glad you reached out, we’re here to help.

It sounds like your mom has been saying some really hurtful things and we are sorry to hear that. You do not deserve to be told things like this. It sounds like you were ready to leave, but your mom threatened to call the cops. We’re not legal experts, so we can’t say for sure what would or would not happen regarding your situation. Generally speaking, if you leave before the age of 18 without consent from legal guardians, they would have the right to make a runaway report. If a report is made, and the police find you, they would just bring you back home. Running away is not a criminal offense, it’s a status offense. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring, which is a criminal offense.

You shared that you are not underage, so if you are over the age of 18 you do have the right to decide where you live in most states. To be absolutely sure, you can call local law enforcement and just ask hypothetically. Leaving at 18 can be difficult in some cases if you are not entirely independent, or are without a supportive alternative place to go. If you would like help exploring options, we can do that with you any time. We’re here 24/7.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat with us to talk about your situation more!

Best of luck,
NRS

[ccsmod14]

RE: Can my mom call the cops if I runaway

Hi there,

If you have contacted NRS today through another means (for example, live chat, email or bulletin) for the same issue, it would be helpful to let us know that you have already contacted us. NRS understands it takes courage to reach out for help; therefore, we would like to minimize the need for you to repeat your situation and avoid offering you duplicate services.

Thanks,
NRS

[anon]

i ran away came back but...

I ran away for because i got caughr with weed. My mother and stepdad called the police for a runaway and weed search i guess. I came back and settled everythingout with them . We are perfectly fine. Except the police. We dont know whether to call them or what. And school starts in 3 days so we're wondering if the police would look for me at school and arrest me. Im 16 by the way. Or what. Should we call them right now and say that i came back and to call the search offand return to normal. We dont know what to do, because we dont want me to get arrested or anything. Everything is fine but we dont know about the police.

[ccsmod11]

RE: I ran away came back but...

Thanks for reaching out to us and we’re glad that everything’s back to normal with your family. We aren’t legal experts but can speak generally and say that if a runaway report has been filed by your parents, they just need to call the police and tell them to take the runaway report off your name and tell them it’s not active anymore. Doing that just makes sure that if a cop ever picked you up for any reason you wouldn’t still have a report on your name. Usually it’s a pretty simple process to take a runaway report off of active. Because you are 16, you can’t be arrested for running away as it is a status offense. Just as long as your parents take that report off, you should be good to go and start school totally fine!

[Unregistered]

I'm 12 and I live in New York

I live in New York and I'm planning to runaway.My parents are always saying mean things to me and at the end of the day I'm basically crying.I don't feel like my parents love me.I might runaway for two days,and then call home for them to pick me up.But I'm 12.What will the police do if they find me first?

[ccsmod13]

re: I'm 12 and I live in New York

Hi there, thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. From what you shared, it seems that things are difficult at home with your parents. You don’t deserve to be treated poorly to the point they are making you cry. You deserve to feel safe and supported at home. It is great that you are asking questions before you take any next steps to make sure you are making the best informed decision. We want you to know that we are here to listen and to help in the best way that we can.

We are not legal experts, but can speak generally about your situation. Generally, if you are under the age of majority and leave without permission, your parents have the right of filing a runaway report, at which point police may begin looking for you, and may return you back if found, and potentially charge anyone that you stayed for harboring. The way this may be handled depends on the laws that apply to your state and the police’s discretion. One option you have is to call your local law enforcement department and just ask hypothetically how they may handle this. You do not have to give identifying information to do this. If you would like assistance, you can call us and we can make a call out with you or on your behalf. You can reach us at our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Running away from home can be a difficult process because there are so many factors to consider: How will I survive? Is running away safe? When I return home, what will happen? Regardless of the decision you wish to make, we want you be safe. If you do find yourself in danger, please feel free to give us a call and we would be more than happy to possibly help you find shelters or explore safe options with you. Our lines are open 24/7. If you feel that it could help, we could also help mediate a conversation with you and your parents. Here at NRS, we offer a conference calling service where we you would be able to initiate a conversation between you and your parents to try and talk about what is going on at home and see if there is a way that a compromise could be met. You can reach us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).You can also reach out to us through our chat services opened daily from 4:30PM – 11:30PM CST, which could be accessed through our website: www.1800runaway.org. We wish you the best of luck and hope to get your call or chat soon.

NRS

[Shaynna-B-Harper]

question...

I got pregnant at 16, I'm now 17. I moved out of my mom's when I found out I was pregnant at 16. I lost the baby 3 months later. I'm almost 18 and she now wants me back home. Can I fight thus in court. I haven't been there in almost 2 years. I am still going to school. I haven't missed a day yet. She said she is taking me to court but I'm living with my aunt. I also have a paper from a case working stating my a dress and that I live with my aunt. So question is do I have to go to my moms???

[ccsmod1]

RE: question...

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you have been through so much in the past year, between getting pregnant, moving out, and then losing your baby. It sounds incredibly frustrating that your mother expects you to come back after living with your aunt for so long. It is great that you are still going to school and it sounds like you are stable living with your aunt. Since you are under the age of 18, if live away from home without permission from your legal guardian you could be considered a runaway. This means that your mom could call the police, who might force you to return home. Running away is not a crime, however anyone who allows you to stay with them could risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway.
We are not legal experts. Laws are different from state to state, county to county, city to city. In some areas, police might not take a runaway report for youth who are close to turning 18, or they might take a report but not force a youth to return home. How a local police department responds to the situation can vary drastically. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are. Another option is to reach out to your case worker, since they might have more knowledge about the law in your area. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, so if you need to talk about your plan please give us a call. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.