if i runaway can my mom call the cops?

[Guest]

Hi, Question.. If my Mom were to report me to the police but had no idea where I was or any leads, typically how long would they continue to search for me & to what extent? I am from Texas by the way.

[Guest]

Hi question... How long would the police department or any law enforcement continue to search for a teenage runaway? & to what extent? In Texas to be specific. Say the runaway has left the state of Texas already and is across the country as there would be no leads what so ever to his whereabouts.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hi, Question.

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
In most states 18 years old is the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. A person under the age of 18 leaving home without permission, a 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.

Generally speaking, a minor that encounters a police officer while reported as a runaway, may likely be detained until they can be returned home. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows a runaway to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call the non-emergency number of your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth. Does that make sense?
NRS is here to listen and here to help.

If you would like to speak more about your situation please contact us.
To contact NRS call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or live chat with us at www.1800Runaway.org

Take care,
NRS

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hi, Question.


Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
In most states 18 years old is the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. A person under the age of 18 leaving home without permission, a 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.

Generally speaking, a minor that encounters a police officer while reported as a runaway, may likely be detained until they can be returned home. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows a runaway to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call the non-emergency number of your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth. Does that make sense?
NRS is here to listen and here to help.

If you would like to speak more about your situation please contact us.
To contact NRS call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or live chat with us at www.1800Runaway.org

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello I'm 19 years old and am having family issues (I live with my grandmother) and all she does is complain about me and yell at more for going to my friends even when I say where I'm going and what I'm going to be doing also...... Its really starting to get to me even more to the point I want to take matters into my own hands..... And she even lies and says that she has papers saying I can't make decisions on my own.... So my question is do I still have the right to just leave?

[ccsmod10]

Hey there,

It looks like you emailed us this evening, sorry for the delay! We have sent you an response email.

[Guest]

I'm 18 in 10 days. I keep begging to leave and they won't let me. She just destroyed all my treasured belongings including a watch in which she smashed with a sledge hammer. I need to leave. Please help

[ccsmod1]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a really scary situation and it is understandable that you would want to leave. We are sorry to hear that your belongings were destroyed. 18 is generally the age at which a person can legally move out without permission from a legal guardian. However, since you are less than two weeks from your 18th birthday, it is less likely that the police would take a runaway report or force you to return home if you were reported as a runaway. This can vary depending on your location, so if you want to make sure you won't have any problems, you can always call your local police non-emergency number to ask if they would take a runaway report for someone that close to turning 18, and if they would make you go back home. Another thing to think about is where you would go. We can help you talk through your options and make a plan for how to deal with your situation and stay safe. We can also provide resources and referrals if you need somewhere safe to stay or if there are any services that you could use. Once you turn 18, there is nothing they can do to legally prevent you from moving out. Please don't hesitate to give us a call or chat with us online. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

I need some help, my father used to beat on me so u got placed with my grandparents nd my grandmother stabbed me in the eye and has kicked me out numerous of times and my mother has always came to my rescue but, my mother doesn't have a stable home we would jump from place to place, so where does that leave me?
My grandmother called the cops and they put a mission person out on me and my social worker is talking about sending me to juvie so what do I do?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you’ve been through really scary experiences and it was very brave of you to share some of your situation on our forum. We hope our response will be helpful.

We want you to know that the abuse your dad and grandmother put you through is not okay. Abuse is never okay, you don’t deserve to be hurt in any way. Also, being kicked out of your home is considered neglect. We believe you and you’re being treated. You have the right to report the abuse to CPS. We are always here to help you make that report, or make one for you. There is also the Child Help, the National Child Abuse Hotline (800) 422-4453. You can make the report there as well. As far as your grandmother making the missing person report, that is usually for adults (18 and older), she may have made a runaway report. We also offer to call out to local police with youth, so if you want to call them together and you can explain to them what’s going on at home, we can help you make
that call.

As far as your social worker threatening to send you to juvie, we’re not legal experts. We do have a database of resources including legal aid, they would better be able to answer that question. As far as we know, running away is not something that you can be arrested for. Plus, from what you mentioned, you didn’t really runaway, you were kicked out.

Again, thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you’ve been really strong through these stressful times. We are always here to help in any way we can. Our safe line is open 24/7, so if you want to call in to talk more about these options or just talk more about your situation, don’t hesitate to reach to us.

Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

If i write my own emancipation contract and my mom signs it will it still be a legal, working, contract?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We appreciate you taking the time to post on our forum!

Regarding your question on emancipation, unfortunately we are not legal experts, but we do have access to basic knowledge on emancipation and resources to legal aid resources. To be legally emancipated, you have to go through the courts. They have emancipation papers and a legal process to go through. After that, the papers usually need to be passed by a judge. If you’re able to call into our safeline, we can look for legal aid resources in your area. They are experts of the law, and would be able to better walk you through that process. If your mom is your legal guardian, and is okay with you moving out, that would be legally okay. That way you wouldn’t have to go through the court systems.

You are always welcome to call into our 24/7 crisis center, or use our chatting services via our website.

Best, NRS

[Guest]

My friend ran away. What do i do to help

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. That sounds stressful that your friend has run away.

If you haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, your parents, a worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support.

If you are in touch with your friend you could give them our number (1-800-RUNAWAY; 1-800-786-2929) and tell them that we could help them find resources, get to a safe place, or help them in any way we can.

There are also many resources that could help you deal with your challenges, and get ideas to help your friend, or help you with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Again, thank you or contacting us. It sounds like you’ve been going through a hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.

[Guest]

Hi I'm 16 and I was wondering if I can leave the house without my mom's concent

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. It seems like you have been thinking about leaving home at the age of 16. There are two options that you have for leaving home without your mom's consent. The first option that you may want to consider is becoming emancipated. Each state has different emancipation laws, but most states require you to prove that you can take care of yourself without help from your family. The second option would be to contact Child Protective services if you feel unsafe at home, they would do an investigation and if they determine that you live in an unsafe environment they would remove you from your home. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), or live chat. Good Luck !

[Guest]

Hi, I'm a 15 y/o girl, homeschooled, and live alone with my parents in Missouri. Me and my mother never get along, and the relationship me and my dad used to have is going downhill fast. At least 3x a month there seems to be yelling in the house and there's so much stress it's beginning to get hard to focus on school and especially sleep. Although I am thankful our family isn't as bad as some, I realize I need to put myself and my education first, and it seems in order to do that, I need to get away from my parents for a while to at least get some quality sleep. I realize how big of a decision even this is, and I'm smart enough to wait till I'm 16 and I have a job and a means of transportation, but I can't think of anyone that I could trust enough to keep it confidential. I live out in the middle of nowhere and the nearest decent sized town is about an hour away so that makes thing even more difficult, but I am confident in myself and my abilities that I'm at least emotionally prepared for something like this. I've always been mature and my grade level is equivalent to my freshman year of college last time I was checked. I have some funds in my bank account but I'm saving up to get a motorcycle (cheapest legal option) and when I turn 16 I plan on getting my motorcycle license so all I really need is somewhere to go. Any advice?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We are very sorry to hear that things at home have been very stressful. It sounds like you are very mature and have planned on leaving home when you turn 16. You do have the option of looking petitioning for emancipation with your local court. Since you are 16, your parents have the right to file a runaway report. With a runaway report, if the police find you they would return you home. Running away is not illegal, it is a status offense which is something you aren't supposed to do because you are a minor. You mentioned that you need somewhere to do, we can assist you with trying to find runaway/ youth shelters or transitional living programs near you. You could also visit (www.homelessshelterdirectory.org) in order to search for local shelters or transitional living programs. If you would like additional resources, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), or live chat.

[Guest]

If me and my 1year old brother had to move with my dad because my mom had got into it with CSD and is going to treatment if I run away will my dad be considered a unfit parent?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you and your brother have been forced to go through a lot with moving in with your dad. Here at NRS, we want to be a support for you during this difficult time.

We are not legal experts, but we can speak generally. To answer your question, your dad would not be considered an unfit parent solely if you run away. He can file a runaway report for you with local police if you are under 18 years old, and if you are found you would typically be returned home. For your dad to be considered an unfit parent, there would have to be severe neglect or abuse going on at home. You do have the right to report any abuse or neglect at home to child protective services (CPS). To learn more about your reporting options you might reach out to the expert child advocates at Child Help 1-800-422-4453.

It seems like moving in with your dad and your mom going to treatment is understandably taking a toll on you. If you ever need support, or would like to talk in detail about your situation please do not hesitate to call or chat us. We are 24/7 by phone and always here to help. You should not have to go through this alone.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Guest]

I'm 15 can my mom call the cops on me for running away from home

[ccsmod10]

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out on our forum

Although we aren't legal experts, we can tell you our general understanding of what happens in run away situations including if you're able to stay under wraps until you're 18 or are picked up as a runaway. Running away is typically considered a status offense, so if you are picked up police will most often just take you back home (if no other crime has been committed of course.) If you manage to stay away until you are 18, you might still need to notify the police you're okay so they no longer consider you a missing person.

Hopefully that helps answer your questions and please know we'll be here if you'd like to talk further.

Best of luck

[Guest]

I need help

[ccsmod10]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need. We have a database of resources and if you’re able to call in, we can try to brainstorm with you and get a better idea of your situation. If you need somewhere to stay, while on the run, we can try to find a runaway shelter for you. Unfortunately, we are non-directive at NRS, and can't give out advice, but we're always here to talk and listen.

Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS

[Guest]

Help my dad has been abusing me by hitting or choking me what would be my options im also considering running away

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through such a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. We want you to know that no one deserves to be abused, and you should not have to go through that.

If you ever feel that you are in danger, you could call 911 for immediate help. Also, if you haven’t already, you could consider reporting the abuse you’ve been experiencing. If you want more information about abuse reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 or you could call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

If you haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support. You could also consider having someone help you talk to your dad about how you’ve been feeling.

If you do decide to leave home, you could consider exploring where you would go and if you would have everything you would need to make sure you’re safe. You could think about who you would stay with, if you would still be able to go to school, and how long you would stay. You could think about how you would get food, money, and all other necessary things. You could also consider a backup plan in case something went wrong or something didn’t go as planned.

There are also many resources that could help you work through conflict at home, find a safe place if you’re in need of that, or help you with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Again, thank you or contacting us. It sounds like you’ve been going through a really hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.