I want to run away and live with my boyfriend

[Guest]

Im 16 years old, 17 in March, I live with just my mom and my life is full of being screamed at for small things, being slapped for talking back, and being forced to obey all rules regardless of stupidity without question. She threatens to cut off my WiFi because I have clothes on my bathroom floor or have a box left unpacked from us moving. I was even kicked out once in 100 degree heat for several hours because of an argument, I was brought home by a cop and mom didn’t even answer the door until he called her. She also took my WiFi For a week after it all. Its just.. I haven’t been happy in years and moms made my life hell. Now onto the other ********. I want to run away, I’ve been with my boyfriend for 10ish months and he and his mom have said they’d let me live with them. I have money from a job that I was Gonna withdraw before I left so I can help pay my share of the bills, take as much of my valuables I can, and try to get some of my identification stuff from mom. I just don’t know another alternative. Mom would never let me leave, she doesn’t even give me driving lessons cause I might just drive away until I’m so far she can’t get to me. I’m here to vent and also maybe get advice? Sorry it’s so long

tldr: im 18, my mom is emotionally abusive always has been, I wanna run away to my boyfriend and live with him. Help?? Advice??

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out. It sounds like your relationship with your mom may be filled with a lot of tension and confrontation. It makes sense why leaving could feel like your only option. We understand that deciding on whether or not to leave home can be a big decision and asking for help takes a lot of courage.

We are not legal experts, however, we do have some general knowledge on what it means to leave home before you are 18. Running away or leaving home before you are 18 is not illegal, but your parent/guardian would be expected to file a runaway report with the police. This means that if you were to end up in the custody of the police, they would most likely return you home. There are also laws called Harboring a Runaway that are set in place to hold folks you stay with accountable. There are some instances in which the police may not return you home. One of them is if your life is in danger, in that case it could be a good idea to consider child abuse reporting. This is an option we would be glad to discuss with you further. Another is emancipation, not all states have this option and most youth have to be 16 or older and be able to support themselves. This process can be expensive and lengthy, but if it is something you want to think about more, we would be glad to connect you with a local legal resource.

By giving you this information we hope you can make a decision that feels good and accessible for yourself. We would be glad to help you in anyway that we can. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you want to discuss your plan, your options, or any resources further. You can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or live chat us through our website https://www.1800runaway.org/. We are open 24/7/365!

Best of luck,
NRS