i'm 12 and i want to runaway in winter

[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

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

[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

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

[ccsmod3]

Hey girl same , I have gone through years of depression and suicidal thoughts , my dad left me at 8 , my mom is an alcoholic and has toxic boyfriends and often she abandons me for a few days and it’s winter and I don’t know where to go when I run away with my friend and my dog , im thinking about squatting in abandoned houses or getting a tent
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Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can be difficult to share tough details about your personal life, so it's incredibly brave of you to reach out for support.

It sounds like you're going through a lot, but you don't have to navigate through any of it alone. If you're continuing to have suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a great resource that you can call for 24/7 confidential support at 1-800-273-8255. They also have a live chat available through their website (www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org), as well as resources to help find a therapist or support groups. The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) is another organization that you can reach out to for support and referrals at 1-800-950-6264 or by texting NAMI to their crisis text line at 741741. These might be good options for you to utilize during those times when you're feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts.

You also mentioned that your mom often abandons you for a few days at a time. If you're under the age of 18, your mom should be making plans for another adult to take care of you while she's away. If that isn't happening, it might be a good idea to talk to a safe adult (a teacher, social worker, therapist, etc.) about what's going on at home. They may be able to help you figure out another place to live, or file a report with Child Protective Services (CPS). You can also give us a call at NRS to learn more about filing a report with CPS and what that might look like. In thinking about running away, developing a plan (and a backup plan) is always a good idea. If squatting or getting a tent aren't regular options, you can utilize the Homeless Shelter Directory (homelessshelterdirectory.org) to find shelters in your area.

This is a lot of information, so if you need any additional support in going through it or thinking through any additional options, please feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat us through our website: www.1800runaway.org. We're confidential, available 24/7, and always ready to help.

Take care!

NRS

Hey girl same , I have gone through years of depression and suicidal thoughts , my dad left me at 8 , my mom is an alcoholic and has toxic boyfriends and often she abandons me for a few days and it’s winter and I don’t know where to go when I run away with my friend and my dog , im thinking about squatting in abandoned houses or getting a tent

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

We are so sorry to hear you are getting bullied by your sister and that you feel like you are getting singled out for blame. That must be very frustrating and it makes total sense you want to change the situation. Please know that you don't deserve to be bullied by anyone. Perhaps one thing you can do is to try to get help from an adult you trust and confront your sister. Here is a good website that gives some tips on how to handle bullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/kids

We know this is a tough time for you and that it may seem like you don't like the way your life is going right now or how you may look. Please know that many things will change with time and things can -- and usually do -- get better, especially if you can try to express your feelings out to friends and adults that are worthy of your trust. Maybe there are relatives, teachers, school counselors, or even friends that can listen to you, provide support, and even stick up for you. Of course, we are always here for you and we welcome you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via our chatroom at www.1800runaway.org. We are here 24/7 and anonymous. When you call or chat we can talk about what options you have instead of running away or how running away might affect your life. We want you to be safe, so please try to reach out to us via phone or chat soon!

Take care,
NRS

hi [name edited for confidentiality] im 11 i want to run away im not abused or anything but i get blamed for everything and my sister likes to bully me i dont like my life im ugly and i need some tips and pointers on where to go

[ccsmod2]

Hi, we are glad you reached out to us. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. It must be very challenging to deal with bad anxiety and it certainly creates a lot of stress for you. We understand your feelings of sometimes wanting to run away. We are a non-directive, non-judgmental hotline service. That means we are not trying to talk you into or out of anything. We are here to listen and help you come up with an action plan that is right for you. Helping you understand all your options and developing a safe course of action is our goal. It is difficult to give you tips without knowing the details of your situation. There are many options we can discuss with you on our 24/7 phone hotline at (800) RUNAWAY or on an online chat at 1800RUNAWAY.org. Both services are completely confidential. We are here to help you and we look forward to hearing from you. Good luck.

Hi, I’m 12 years old almost 13. I suffer from very bad anxiety and sometimes I want to run away. I know you can’t help me but could you give me some tips.

Please,
Anonymous

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

It’s important to consider all the possibilities that can occur if you leave home. You will need to plan out how you will cover basic necessities like travel, food, clothing, etc. If you have a place to go in mind, it’s good to see what the expectations of the living arrangement will be like; rules, the amount of time you’re allowed to stay, if you’re expected to contribute financially, etc. Living on your own can also bring about many safety risks. You will need to consider ways that you can protect yourself from physical harm as well as the possibility of sexual and labor exploitation. This can all influence your decision to leave.

It seems like your current family dynamic is really tough and others may not realize how this blame has been affecting you. It could be a good idea to work with a local family counselor or have a conversation mediated by a school counselor/social worker, trusted friend, or family member to help clear the air. If you'd like, you can also call us directly and we can conduct a conference call with your family so you have a safe environment where you can express yourself.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

Hi im 12 and wanna run away bc im tired of being blamed for every thing i just wanna leave and be alone with some of my friends can u help me run away plzzzzzzzz

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thank you for reaching out to us; we are glad that you did. We are sorry that you are going through this and you are very brave for reaching out for help.
We combined both of you posts and will answer them here. It sounds like you are in a really hard situation and it’s understandable to want to be away from it.

You don’t deserve to have stuff thrown at you or to have your face smacked. We are here to listen and help, and the best way for us to help you is if we can talk to you directly to help you discover all of your options.

We hope that you’d like to talk further about this and you can reach us either by phone at our hotline, 1-800-786-2929 (1-800-RUNAWAY) or live chat via www.1800runaway.org We are here 24/7 to listen and help.

Sincerely,
NRS

I am 13 and I get the blame for everything and it’s making me feel depressed because my parents call me a liar and they would yell at me a lot. My mother would throw stuff at me and would smack me across my face

[ccsmod4]

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 your feelings about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. It is not your that you are being abused. You cannot control what others do, say or feel. The situation sounds very tense and stressful. Here is something you might consider as an option. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to be safe. Reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.
We understand if you are unsure about taking this type of action.
If you’re looking for a safe place to go and talk to someone, you may wish to visit The National Safeplace website (www.nationalsafeplace.org). This organization provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for youth in need. You can look up your city and state to see if there are any safe places near you listed. So that is always an option if you feel like talking to someone in person about what has been going on or if you just need of a safe place to stay.

You also may use your phone to text the word “safe” and your current location (city/state/zip) to 69866. If there are safe places and shelters nearby, a list of those will be sent to your phone and you may have the option to text back and forth with a trained counselor as well.

NRS is here to listen and here to help. Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. 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 at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929), www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in.

Take care and be safe,
NRS