afraid to call or run away

[Guest]

Runaway Switchboard-

I'm scared to call because the number might show up on a phone bill of some sort and I don't want to get in trouble for that. And I'm scared to run away because I know my parents could and would find me and bring me back against my will, because I'm only 17 and therefore not a legal "adult". They control my money, personal documents, and other things I would need to support myself if I were to run away.

And at the same time I can't live in this perpetual fear of my parents anymore. Every time I do something wrong, even something little such as forgetting to get a phone number and , my parents yell at me, call me names and give me a slew of punishments. A week or less later my parents seem to be back to normal, leaving me with the emotional scars and fear of the cycle starting all over again. I still have nightmares of them locking me out of the house and making me beg to come back in.

I'm also scared for what they may do to my little sister if I leave, and I can't take her with me because she'd slow me down and then we'd both get caught.

I don't know what to do. I can't run, I can't hide, and I can't endure anymore. Help me.

[ccsmod8]

Re: afraid to call or run away

Hello,

We truly appreciate you taking the time to contact us at the National Runaway Switchboard. We are a confidential, anonymous, 24 hour a day organization that seeks to explore options with you while offering support. We are sorry to hear what is happening to you at home. It must be hard to deal with the constant fear and perpetual cycle as you described. You do not deserve this sort of treatment. Have you thought about reporting this to anyone? Have you talked to someone about what is happening?

Although we are confidential, we are also mandated reporters. We can report any sort of wrong doing in your home. Do you feel safe at home? We are not here to tell you what to do and we cannot give advice but we want to offer our assistance to do what you wish is best to remain safe.

Since we are confidential our number does not appear in on phone records. We work hard to build rapport with youth. Trust is very important to building a relationship with you. If you are afraid to call from home you can call us from a payphone if there is one in your area. It is free of charge.

It must feel overwhelming not knowing what to do. We wish to hear from you to explore the various options available to you. Thinking this over and still dealing with home life while trying to protect your other sibling must be hard but we feel by talking it over and getting some of it out, it can be useful to call someone about it. We hope to hear from you. Please stay strong. Good luck.

-NRS

[Guest]

Re: afraid to call or run away

i know how you feel. my parents are just like that. i've mentioned that i want to leave and my dads response was telling me that he will find me and drag me back. i want to leave like now, i cant deal withthe stress or anything. im never hungry and i barely sleep anymore.

im almost 17 (like within the next month) and living in new york. so id be labeled a run away. im not sure what to do being that i want to leave but cant. ive tried reasoning with them, but it is just a lost cause. can i get introuble for leaving? i know sometimes cant do anything about it because im almost 17 but yeah.

[ccsmod0]

Re: afraid to call or run away

Hi,
Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Switchboard. We are sorry to hear the way things are going and the way you are feeling. As far as getting in trouble if you leave goes, we aren’t legal experts so we cannot say for sure what would happen in that respect. If you decide to leave and stay with someone it’s possible they can get into trouble for harboring a runaway. Do you have any plans on what you would do if you did leave? Any way to make sure you can eat? Somewhere safe to stay? These are all things to think about before you go so you can have some sort of a plan.

You said you are having trouble dealing with all the stress. Have you figured out anything that helps you calm down? Cooking, reading, writing, walking, running, sewing, drawing etc…all these things can be very good to feel some relief. You can also try talking to a counselor about your feelings and your problems with your family. This can sometimes turn out to be very beneficial if you are open to trying it.

If you can call us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY we would be more than glad to talk to you about what is going on. We have many referrals for legal resources, shelters or counselors. Or we can just talk about how you are feeling and some options if you would like that. We also provide conference calling so if you would like to have a conversation with one of your parents with us on the line we are here to help. We are 24/7, confidential, and anonymous so you do not have to worry about anyone else knowing. We are also free from any payphone.

Please call us for any more information you may need.
Good luck and stay safe.
NRS