My family kicked me out and now want me to come back

[Guest]

I got kicked out of my house and was told i needed to find somewhere else to stay, so I did, and i’m supposed to move in around october. I got a message from my father and he told me to come home but I didn’t because I got kicked out, I’m 17 and I work 2 jobs which is enough for me to be okay on my own (at least where i’m from) and I wanted to know if I could be considered a runaway even though I was told to leave. My family has been abusive all my life and I’ve been planning on leaving anyways, I just don’t want to get into any legal trouble.

[ccsmod15]

Hello, and thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. You sound like a very thoughtful and responsible person who has had to look out for a take care of yourself. It’s a good thing that you’re reaching out for support right now, and it makes sense that you’re wondering what you can do next to keep yourself comfortable and safe.

We at NRS are not legal experts, and we cannot predict how your family might react if you do not come home. They could report you as a runaway to the police, and the police could potentially find you and bring you home, or they might not. But just so you know, it is not illegal to run away from home, and you will not be arrested or charged with a crime for running away—it is a status offense, not a crime, meaning that if you were reported missing and the police looked for you and found you, they would most likely bring you home.

It makes sense that you don’t want to go home. No one deserves to be kicked out of their home, and no one deserves to experience abuse from their family. It must be awful to be coping with that experience, and it sounds like you are taking care of yourself, working two jobs and asking the right questions around how to find support and look out for yourself right now. If you would ever like to talk to someone about what you’re going through, or look for specific resources around housing, legal help or mental health resources, we at NRS are always available to talk. We are 24/7, confidential and anonymous, and you can contact us t 1-800-RUNAWAY. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Good luck!