Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen to support. It sounds like you're facing a really hard decision because your whole life is in Oregon and you want to get out of a neglectful household. It takes a lot to reach out and we're glad you did.
You are correct when you say now that being 16 and leaving makes it harder to leave your household. We are not legal experts but we can speak generally. While running away is not illegal, there could be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. And if you were located by the police you would most likely returned home. This would be dependent on whether your mom would file a runaway report or not. Even if you cross state lines you can possibly still be returned. One way to get more information would be to contact the local police where you live and also where you would be running away to.
It sounds like you are thinking of filing and abuse or neglect case case against her. One resource you can reach out to is the National Child Abuse Hotline where you can get advice and information about abuse reporting that is tailored more to your specific case. They can be reached at 1-800-422-4453 or at childhelp.org. Filing a report could make a difference with whether the police would return you or not, but once again the way to know that would be to contact the police directly or contacting legal aid. If you call into us we may be able to identify legal aid for you in your area.
No one deserves to be mistreated or feel unsafe in their home. Do you have another family member or trusted adult that you think could advocate for you with your mom? If you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we would be ale to walk through options and explore your choices of who you can contact and what to do next.
Don't hesitate to give us a call.
Good luck,
NRS
Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen to support. It sounds like you're facing a really hard decision because your whole life is in Oregon and you want to get out of a neglectful household. It takes a lot to reach out and we're glad you did.
You are correct when you say now that being 16 and leaving makes it harder to leave your household. We are not legal experts but we can speak generally. While running away is not illegal, there could be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. And if you were located by the police you would most likely returned home. This would be dependent on whether your mom would file a runaway report or not. Even if you cross state lines you can possibly still be returned. One way to get more information would be to contact the local police where you live and also where you would be running away to.
It sounds like you are thinking of filing and abuse or neglect case case against her. One resource you can reach out to is the National Child Abuse Hotline where you can get advice and information about abuse reporting that is tailored more to your specific case. They can be reached at 1-800-422-4453 or at childhelp.org. Filing a report could make a difference with whether the police would return you or not, but once again the way to know that would be to contact the police directly or contacting legal aid. If you call into us we may be able to identify legal aid for you in your area.
No one deserves to be mistreated or feel unsafe in their home. Do you have another family member or trusted adult that you think could advocate for you with your mom? If you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we would be ale to walk through options and explore your choices of who you can contact and what to do next.
Don't hesitate to give us a call.
Good luck,
NRS
Comment