i'm 12 and i want to runaway in winter

[Guest]

I'm 12 and want to run away I live in washinton wenatchee hate it here my mom is making me feel worthless not wanted and alot more I wanna run away to texas where my dad is and I wanna go with somone like in my friends shed I would bring a jacket clothes food drinks prolly a flashlight phone if possible sleeping materials and yeah. I was told I'll go to jail n alot of police come to my house more than 1 time a week bc I have thoughts of hurting myself or other different things, thanks

[ccsmod15]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear that things at home are so hard right now, and we are glad you have contacted us for help.
It sounds like you are not being treated with the respect you deserve by Mom. This must be very frustrating. From your post, it sounds like you want to run away. It is always important to consider where you will go, how you will get there, and what you will do to survive once there. Your idea to stay in a shed sounds a bit dangerous given the harsh conditions of winter. You might consider running away to a place where you can live and sleep indoors. We can connect you with a runaway shelter resource if you ever want to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. It might be important to think about whether or not your parent will call the police, as they can become involved in bringing you back home if you run away and are reported.
You mentioned hurting yourself. We want you to know that you are not alone, and that you can talk to people about this. Friends, family members, even a school counselor might be helpful for you. There is also an amazing website called To Write Love On Her Arms at twloha.com, which contains stories from lots of people who have self-harmed and have considered and attempted suicide. Their stories are real and hopeful.
We hope you find some of this information helpful. We are always here to help, if you ever want to call us. Stay safe and stay strong.
Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

can you help me im 11 and i want to run away because im ugly and i have to much school that i cant do and it it winter and i just dont know where to go because i live in the contry

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult situation and we are here to help.

It is understandable that school may be stressing you out, especially if you are doing school virtually. One option to consider would be to talk with a teacher and they may be able to help or provide extra credit. Also you may talk to a school counselor for additional support and resources.
We are not legal experts but if you were to run away your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home.

You can always give us a call to talk in more detail about your situation. We can offer you support and explore your options with you. We are available 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi... I am 11 years old and I think I should run away but I have know where to go my mom doesn’t like me at all and my bother calls me fat and my step dad is sick in a hospital bed in are living room and every day I feel worse I have a iPad i draw maybe I cloud sell those and have a bracelet kit maybe I can make them and sell them and have nail kit so that to and I don’t fit in I think I have depression but I don’t know can someone help? Please

[ccsmod15]

Hello!

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It’s great that you reached out for help, and we are here to help you in any way we can. It sounds like you’re having a tough time at home. You don’t deserve to be put down or made to feel bad in your home by your family. It can also be so hard to feel like you don’t fit in and need to sell your belongings to run away and escape. These sorts of thoughts and feelings can contribute to feeling down and depressed and can make everything feel worse. A good resource that can help if you’re feeling like you may have depression and are struggling is the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). NAMI has a helpline you can call at 800-950-6264, or you can text “NAMI” to 741741 to get free crisis counseling services. Additionally, if you would like to discuss more about what you are experiencing at home, it could be helpful to call us at the National Runaway Safeline. You can call 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) to speak with someone directly, or you can also use the “chat” feature and chat with someone live at www.1800runaway.org. We can also help match you with resources and create a plan if needed. We are always happy to help, don’t hesitate to reach out!

[Guest]

Hi my name is ———— I won’t say because I don’t want my parents to see and I’m 12 btw I want to run away because my dad is quite dramatic and hurts my dog and mentally hurts me like he compares me because I’m really skinny and my mom is rude to me and is always on my sisters side I don’t have much money I wanna take my dog with me but I don’t know if it’s the right choice so please help me should I run or not?

[ccsmod3]

Hey there! Thank for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad that you took that step. We're sorry to hear that things have been tough at home, especially with your parents. While we can't tell you if you should run or not, we're happy to chat with you about your specific situation, try and help you come up with some options, and otherwise think of a plan. It sounds like you have done some thinking about running away already, and are currently weighing the pros and cons of doing so. That's a great decision. Having a plan that you've spent some time thinking through will definitely be helpful. Considering where you'll go when you run, how you'll get there, and how you'll survive when you get there are also useful things to think over.

If you'd like to talk in more detail about what's going on at home and what your plan is if you decide to runaway, please feel free to reach out to us by phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY or through our live chat at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 through both, and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS

[Guest]

My brother is bullying me so much bu i have literary thought about sucicde but it is so scary im 12 it is cold and winter i wanna runaway i just love my parents so much i have 15 dollars alot of suppiles i would live in an old house i am taught to cook and clean i know how to take care of myself my brother makes me cry for 1 hour like 5 times a week

[ccsmod15]

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out to us and sharing a bit about what you're going through. It sounds like your brother is treating you very badly and this has really traumatized you. That's a rough thing to go through and it makes sense that you would want to figure a way out of that situation. Of course, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Your safety is the utmost priority. If you ever feel suicidal you may want to call 911 or reach out to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ online or by phone at 1-800-273-8255. Of course, you can also always call or chat with us as well.

It also sounds like you are considering running away. That's a pretty big decision to face. Providing for your own physical and emotional needs and staying safe would be extremely complicated at 12 years old. Fortunately, there are other options besides running away for you to consider. One idea would be to talk to someone you trust about what's going on: a parent, another relative, teacher, school counselor, pastor, or pretty much any adult that you are comfortable with. You may also consider writing a letter to your parents explaining exactly how you feel about what's going on. Perhaps they can intervene in a way so that your brother doesn't bully you anymore.

There are probably lots of other options as well. We would like to discuss these with you. The best way for us to do that is if you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us via our website: www.1800runaway.org (just click on the "chat" feature). We are confidential, open 24/7 and welcome your call any time.

Stay safe, stay strong,

NRS

[Guest]

Hi, me and my friend want to runaway. My friend wants to cause her parents tell at her all the time, her brother abuses her, and her dad hasn’t threatened to hurts her. I want to runaway cause my mom left me when I was four, I feel like my stepmom hates me, and my grandma just died. We have a plan, our plan is to either stay a night at my bff’s and then ask her mom to drive us to a town 4 hours out of town or just walk there. My aunt lives in that town so we’d have a place to stay but is that a good enough reason to runaway? I really want to help my friend we also have 130$
Please help us we need to know if we’re doing the right thing

[ccsmod3]

Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step. It sounds like both you and your friend are going through a lot, and we're sorry to hear that.

Running away is a pretty big move, and it's important to spend some time thinking about it and trying to develop a plan if you decide that's what's best for you. It definitely sounds like you've been trying to think things over, but aren't quite sure if running away is what makes the most sense for you. While we can't tell you if your reasons are good enough reasons to runaway or if you're doing the right thing, we do think it's important to be aware of a few things and thinking through others before making a decision.

If your bff's mom lets you stay with her and drives you out of town, she could get in trouble with the law. Walking out of town for a drive that takes 4 hours is going to be a really, really long walk. If your aunt is willing to take you and your friend in, do you think that she would pick the two of you up from somewhere? If you haven't discussed this plan with her, it's probably a good idea to do that before trying to go and stay with her. It's also important for you to know that if either of you do end up staying with her and neither of your parents agree, your aunt could also get into trouble with the law for allowing you to stay there.

That said, it sounds like you both might be open to exploring additional options other than running away. Wanting to leave home when things feel really tough is normal, but it's always a good idea to try and think about some ways that we can work through what's in front of us. In reading over what you're experiencing, it sounds like you're working through some loss and not feeling supported by your stepmom. It might be a good idea to try and talk to your dad about how you're feeling, or consider talking with a therapist or a counselor. Not only do they give you the opportunity to vent, but they can also be incredibly supportive, help facilitate any tough conversations between you and your stepmom, and otherwise just be a safe person for you to talk to. You also mentioned that your friend's brother abuses her, which must be really scary for her to have to deal with. Abuse isn't okay, and Child Protective Services (CPS) may be able to help. If she's being hurt or feels unsafe at home, she can make an abuse report with CPS. She can also disclose the abuse to someone safe at school, like a teacher or the principal, and they'll file it for her. We can also file a report with her or for her here at NRS.

If either of you would like to chat in more detail about what's going on at home, share more on your thoughts on running away, or be connected with resources/referrals that might help, please feel free to reach out to us directly by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS

[Guest]

hi im 13 and my parents are treating me like BS what do i do.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Please Please help! I'm 11 and my life is screwed... I've lost MANY (5 in like 4 yrs) animals and my family is all like idek... no joke but my sister(15 yrs old) wants to run away but please tell me what to do

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. It seems like your sister is wanting to run away. It might be a good idea to talk with her about what she is thinking of and how she wants to go about it to plan for safety if she did leave. Some important information that might be helpful to think about is basic runaway laws. Typically a youth cannot leave home until they turn 18 if they do parents/guardians have the right to file a runaway report with the police. From there the police would be looking for your sister. Anyone who houses her has the potential to be charged with harboring a runaway. If you would like to find more information as to what can happen we would be happy to call the police on your behalf and ask what can happen if you choose to run away. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

so my dad always hits me and pulls my hair and throws me to the ground and he calls me a theift and a liar and when he thinks i am lying he hits me and leaves bruises and marks and he always says he is gonna call the cops and i said well i am going to tell them what u do and he said they wont care

[ccsmod15]

First of all, thank you so much for reaching out. We know it can take a lot of courage to do so especially in such a scary and difficult situation. It is absolutely not fair that you are being treated that way.

Our main priority is that you stay safe. If you do not feel like you are safe at home, we want to make sure you get into a safe situation. If you do feel like you want to report your dad to Child Protective Services, you can go to childhelp.com and reach out to the ChildHelp National Abuse Hotline. Another option to report your dad is to reach out to us and have us help you make a report.

If you do not want to take this option and you still feel like it is not safe at home, it is not illegal to runaway from home. However, if you do run away, your dad may decide to file a runaway report. If this happens, the police may decide to look for you and bring you back home. If you decide to do this and need somewhere to go, you can look into https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/ for your area.

We are available 24/7 to talk more in depth about your situation and offer additional resources for places you can go if you do decide to run away. You can reach out to us through live chat at 1800runaway.org or by phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929).

Best of luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

hi i am 14 i hate my life i am physically and mentally abused everyday by my mom and her boyfriend ive tried suicide multiple times i dont know what to do can i runaway

[ccsmod9]

Hello,
Thank you for contacting NRS. We appreciate you reaching out to us and trusting us with your situation. We understand it takes courage to reach out for help. We are truly sorry to hear that your mom and her boyfriend are causing you harm. We want to be clear and say that is not okay and you do not deserve to feel hurt or be hurt in any way. Your safety and well-being is important. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255); www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org is also a great resource to reach out to in addition to our crisis services.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. This may be an isolating and lonely time for you, but you are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.

If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe and stay strong,

NRS

[Guest]

I’m 12 years old and I rill wanna run away
plans
run away to nyc or California
I’m so scared to get caught but u know
life is life and it’s short so I have to enjoy it
while it’s now,ofc I’m going to miss my family but
all they do it judg me and body shame me so
yah ofc I love them but I can’t handle this.
im going to bring…
food.water.money.pads.act
i really need to do it after Christmas lol
so I can have more money to get a flight to Cali
ill prob stay out ther for like 8 months and then. I will
ask to go in a foster home. I love this to get my feeling out

[ccsmod13]

Hi- Thank you for reaching out to NRS and telling us a little about what is going on and what you are looking to do. We know it can be difficult to reach out but you are taking a great first step to get support.

It sounds like you are looking to leave home and get space away from your family. There are a few options we can look at. The first and easiest option is to get your parent’s permission to leave and live somewhere else. If you are looking for options for a foster home, you can contact Child Protective Services at childhelp.org or calling 1-800-422-4453. Another option is emancipation and this is often a lengthy and difficult process. Most states require the youth to be at least 16 years old and able to demonstrate they can support themselves financially. There are other options NRS can assist with like searching for legal aid resources so you can obtain advice from a lawyer.

If you would like to go over more in depth about what is going on and explore options further, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us through 1800runaway.org. We are available 24/7 and here to listen and support you anyway we can.

Thank you, NRS

[Guest]

im 12 almost 13 I wanna run away because i tired of being blamed for every thing I do and being bullied at school.

[ccsmod15]

Hello! Thanks for reaching out to the NRS. We're sorry to hear that you're struggling at home and being bullied at school. You deserve to be somewhere that makes you feel wanted and safe.

It's good that you had the initiative to decide and reach out to us about safety (and even legal) considerations before taking action. One thing that you already brought up is the fact that winter is coming and finding yourself without a warm place to stay can be very dangerous. Are you going to stay with family? friends? Other things you should keep in mind include where you will find food as well as where you're going to get money in order to buy the other things you need. Additionally, if you do have a place to go, how are you going to transport yourself there? In these sorts of situations it's important to consider all the variables that come with a big decision. One way to best flesh out one of these situations is talking to a trusted adult or even a friend about what you're feeling and what you are planning to do. Finally, while we aren't legal experts here at NRS, because you are 12, you are still a minor. We want you to be aware that it is within your parents' rights to file a missing persons report if you go off the radar, and it is possible that if you stay with another adult that they will be in trouble for harboring you.

That said, if you are still committed to running away and do not have place to go, there are youth homeless shelters we can help you find if you connect with us over call or chat. However, thse locations are not usually long-term. If you have more questions or just want to talk about your situation more with one of our representatives, feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us at 1800runaway.org.

NRS

[Guest]

My real dad and My mom got a divorce when I was 3 and I now have a step dad and haven't seen My real dad in years.
something tells me to leave my home while the other says to stay. Mi don't know what to do parents fight often and its at night so I have lack of sleep but they blame it on my phone but I don't use my phone at night also I am 12 and I feel numb sometimes and I sometimes feel nothing but emptiness . last night I cried my self to sleep and thought about tuning away but I have no money and its fall and I want it to stop to just all to stop for a while because I can't take it much longer and I have thought about this since Summer of 2020 and I want to escape but how?
things I would bring
Tent
Sleeping bag
Pocket knife
clothes
My phone
my comfort stuffy
backpack
Face mask
Trash bags
compass
Flash light with extra batteres
Matches
A pan
my bike
And my survival guide book

I'm scared and I want this to end
Questions are
what else should I bring
What should I leave at home
Should I really do this
Can I go to a homeless shelter
will the cops make me go back home
Can I get a job?
Also im in indiana , America in Evansville
please help me i don't know what to do .

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 12 and I want to run away right now

[ccsmod15]

Hi! Thank you for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. We understand it take a lot of courage to reach out for help with what is going on, and we appreciate you for taking that step. It must be difficult to be living in a situation that is making you want to run away.

Running away from home is a big decision to make, so it can be helpful to work through how this would look for you. If you would like to talk in more detail about what has been going on and work through what options would be best for you, please feel free to call us on our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or join a chatroom on our website https://www.1800runaway.org/youth-te...#get-help-chat. We are here to support you with what you are going through.

Good luck!

[Guest]

hi my name is Alexis i am 12 years old and I want to away every day my dad is not abusive physically but verbally and he makes it worse everyday u see i tend to be my own little person and do what i want to do from time to time but when he tells me to do something i tend to do it but then he calls me every 3 min and i literally set a timer and the second it goes off he calls me but whenever i have i bad day he makes it worse. and he has threatened to kick me out of the house so i need som help and info on what i should do

[ccsmod6]

Hi Alexis,
Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like things are really challenging at home right now. You don’t deserve any type of abuse, verbal or otherwise.
While specific laws vary from state to state, 18 is generally the age which a child can legally leave home. Up until that point, your father could file a runaway report. This means that if the police found you, they’d be required to return you home. This also means that any adult who you stay with could be charged for harboring a runaway.
However, I understand that staying with your father has been extremely difficult for you. Your situation may be reportable to Child Protective Services, especially considering the fact that your father has threatened to kick you out. We can’t guarantee how Child Protective Services would respond, especially since emotional abuse can be harder to prove than physical abuse, but if they opened an investigation and found that you were at risk they might remove you from the situation. If you’d like to learn more about this option, you might reach out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or at www.childhelp.org. They can tell you more about how Child Protective Services might respond to your situation. You can also reach out to us by phone or by chat if you’d like help making a report.
If you need a safe place to go, National Safe Place (www.nationalsafeplace.org) is a network of locations that can provide immediate help and supportive resources for youth in need. You can look up your location on their website to see if there are any safe places near you. You can also text the word “safe” with your current location (address, city, state) to 4HELP (44357) in order to immediately receive a message with the location of the closest Safe Place site. For immediate help, you can then reply with “2chat” to text with a trained counselor.
If you’d like to explore more options or talk in greater detail please reach out to us by chat or by phone. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or click on the “chat” button at www.1800runaway.org. We’re here to help 24/7. We hope to hear from you soon.
Stay safe,
NRS