consequences for running away for 2 years

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 and i hate living at home and i dont want to live with anyone else. My mom won't sign for me too get emancipated. somebody told me that if you get caught as a run away that you can go to jail for the same amount of time you was a run away. what is the consequences for staying gone that long. what is the max time that i could spend in jail and whats the minimum?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like you are going through a very difficult time right now and we’re glad that you have chosen to reach out to someone for help. We aren’t legally trained here but hopefully we will be able to provide you with some resources who will be able to help you.

You said that you hated living at home but you don’t want to live with anyone else. What makes you hate living at home? What is your relationship like with your mom? It sounds like you are trying to become emancipated but your mom won’t allow you to. Why do you think this is?

It sounds like someone told you that you could possibly go to jail if you run away. Generally speaking, running away is a status offense and isn’t illegal unless you are a minor. What usually happens if you run away and get caught or found is that they will contact your parents or legal guardians to arrange for you to return home. If you would like specific answers, you could contact your local police anonymously and ask them questions. Or, you can contact us here at anytime for further assistance or resources.

We at the National Runaway Switchboard are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We can help you make conference calls or find local resources for you. Again, thank you for contacting us and we wish you the best of luck with everything.

We look forward to hearing from you.

~NRS

[Unregistered]

running away

I was wondering the same but I mostly want to know how much trouble you can get in if you run away for 1 to 6 months? Or longer in Massachusetts?

[ccsmod8]

re: running away

Hi there. Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline through our bulletins. From what you are saying it sounds like you are thinking about running away and have some questions. Is there something in particular going on at home that is making you want to leave? Sometimes talking through how what you are feeling can be helpful in identifying ways that things can get better. Is there anyone that you feel supports you? It can be difficult to go through struggles alone and we want you to know that we are completely confidential and anonymous and here for you 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

You ask some really good questions about what can happen if you runaway. Because we aren’t legal experts, we can’t tell you what differences there might be if you were to leave for specific amounts of time. Have you considered calling your local police department for laws in your area? If you call the non-emergency line, you can ask about your rights and consequences of running away (often times anonymously). We can tell you that in most places if you are under 18 and runaway, your legal guardian can file a runaway report. Regardless of how long you are gone running away is generally considered a status offense, so if you are picked up by the police, you would be returned to your legal guardian. Have other legal questions? Laws can vary based on age and location so if you want to contact us either via phone or through live chat from 4:30-11:30pm CST, we can further discuss resources and options available to you. Thanks again for contacting us.

-NRS

[Unregistered]

what will happen if i runaway, leaving the state for two years?

I used to live in Indiana till I was 9, LOVED IT, IT WAS MY HOME till I moved to California. I suffer from depression, and anxiety, self harm and suicide attempts. My dad recently passed away, and my mom is cheating. She's threatening to hurt me multiple times a day, and I can't do it anymore. I am arranging to run away back to Indiana for two years, till I can get emancipated therefore I am ok. Advice/help?

[ccsmod14]

RE: what will happen if i runaway, leaving the state for two years?

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like things have been extremely tough and we’re sorry to hear about this. It has got to be unimaginably difficult to lose a parent, in addition to moving away from where you grew up. We’re really glad that you found our bulletin board, we’re here to help you as much as we can.

You mentioned that you have been suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming and suicide attempts. These are all very serious things to be dealing with alone. Do you have anyone that you have been able to talk to about all of these things? The National Suicide Hotline at (800) 273 TALK (8255) is available 24/7, and is confidential. We want to pass along this resource so that you know you have a support system with them, as well as us here at 1800runaway. The National Suicide Hotline also has a chat program that you can access at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. There is another website that might be helpful to you as well regarding self-harming, twloha.org.

Losing your dad has to be a painful thing to be going through. Have you been able to talk to a counselor or therapist at all about this loss? Or even just a close friend or trusted adult. If you are interested in receiving counseling services, we do have resources here and we could try to locate some closest to you. Our database is full of resources that are either free or low cost if that is something you want to explore further. You also shared that your mom is threatening to hurt you multiple times a day which sounds pretty scary. You deserve to feel safe in your own home. If you are feeling unsafe, you can always call the police or you can call Child Protective Services of your state. If you ever wanted assistance with this, we could make calls out with you here at NRS as well.

You state that you are arranging to run away back to Indiana, and stay there for 2 years. We’re not here to tell you what to do, we’re just here to help keep you safe. It sounds like you have thought through some of your plan which is good. You mentioned emancipation. We’re not legal experts, but generally speaking emancipation can be a bit of a process, and can be expensive in some cases. If you would like to talk more about this option, we’re here to provide as much information and appropriate resources as we can. There are a few things that can be helpful to think through when deciding whether or not to leave home:

Do I have a place to stay?
What about school? Would I continue to get an education?
Am I going to be gone awhile or coming back in a few days?
What would I do for money? Shelter? Food? Transportation?
Who can I depend on if I leave home?
Do I have a safe, solid plan?
What is my plan b in case my first plan doesn’t work?
What have I done to make things better at home?
What can I do to make things better at home?
Who have I reached out to make things better at home?

We’re here to support you in any other way that we can. Please do call or chat with us if you would like to talk or need any other specific resources.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

running away until im 18

hi, I live in florida and im 16. Recently because of my moms severe alcohol and pill problem she sent me away to orlando and I hate it so much. my family here are terrible people and I need to go home. I plan on running away very soon for 2 years (until im 1 and I am going o stay at houses of friends my mom doesn't know about so I wont be searched for there. I want to stay with my dad but if the police find me at my dads would they make me go back to my aunts or my moms? I want to live with my dad.. he doesn't have custody over me but my moms house is unsafe for me because she is verbally, and emotionally and sometimes physically abusive. my aunts are no better. I hate it and im so miserable I want to go home back to my friends and my dad and my grandma. please help and tell me which is the best way not to be caught for 2 years and for me to stay at my dads if I am caught???? please

[ccsmod16]

Re: running away until im 18

Hi-

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We are so sorry to hear that you are feeling miserable staying with your aunts in Orlando. It seems as if you are experiencing the same type of abuse with family in Orlando, as you were with your mom. No one deserves to experience any kind of abuse, it is not ok that they are doing that to you. It is completely understandable that you want to go live with people you feel safe with. We are glad you reached out to us and we will help you out in any way we can.

As you mentioned in your bulletin post, if you were to run away from your family in Orlando, and your mother found out where you were, she would have the right as your legal guardian to either make you go back home or go back with your aunt's. If she found out you were staying with any adult over the age of 18, she would also be able to press charges against that adult for ‘harboring a runaway’. From what you are saying you care about your dad, grandma, and friends very much, and do not want them to get into trouble, so going to them might not be an option. You could try to hide out at friend’s house until you are 18 years old. We cannot say how you would or wouldn’t get caught, or even guarantee that it would work out the way you want. If you still decide to run away, we just want to make sure that you do so as safely as possible. This can include making a plan of where you will go, how you will get there, and how you will survive once you get there. It would also help to have a cell phone with you at all times so that you can reach out for help in case of emergencies.

You also have the option to report abuse. As we mentioned, it is not ok that you are experiencing abuse. You can call the police to report this. You could also reach out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453. They are a hotline that can explain to you what the reporting abuse process looks like, and even help you report abuse if you are scared to do so alone.

If you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) you can talk to one of us for support. On the phone we can get more information from you that can help us try to find a way to assist you in the best way we can. We are a 24/7 confidential hotline, so you can reach us at any time.

We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.

[Unregistered]

Re: consequences for running away for 2 years

I was wondering the same but I mostly want to know how much trouble you can get in if you run away for 1 to 6 months? Or longer in Massachusetts?

If I ranaway in Michigan and lived in the woods would I go to Juvi?

[ccsmod10]

Re: consequences for running away for 2 years

Hello!
Thanks for reaching out to us and asking what would happen if you ran away in Michigan and lived in the woods.
We are not exactly legal experts here, but we could speak generally. First of all, if you are a juvenile and run away you can be returned home by law enforcement agencies, but you have not committed a crime. It is what is referred to as a “status offense,” and you should not be put in juvi if that is what you have done. So running away alone should not get you put in juvi.
State child protective agencies usually try to reunite families, and this is likely what would happen if you were to run away and live in the woods, but it is very difficult to say exactly what would happen, because every situation is different. If you would like to call us and talk to a live person we might be able to talk through in more detail what would likely happen. Our number is 1 800 RUNAWAY (1 800 786 2929). We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and what you tell us is confidential.
If you are thinking about running away it would be a good thing to talk through your options and how best to stay safe and able to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Living in the woods in Michigan sounds like it might be very tough, and if you call we can try to talk through your options. We won’t tell you that you should not leave home or live in the woods if that is what you really want to do, but we will help you try to figure out how best to deal with what sounds like it could be a difficult situation.

So again, thanks for getting in touch with us, and we would love to talk to you to try to help you figure out the best way to move forward.
Best Wishes,
NRS

[Unregistered]

What happens if you get caught running away multiple times in Oregon as a minor

I need help to know what can happen if you runaway multiple times in Oregon and get caught for it running away from the shelter they put you in

[ccsmod15]

Re: consequences for running away for 2 years

It must be stressful to be unsettled like this. We are glad you contacted NRS to explore options. This is a wise thing to do.

While we are not legal experts, the age of majority in OR is 18. It is hard to say in each state or community police department how they will handle things if you repeatedly run away and are picked up.

If they were to enforce your staying at the shelter or being returned to a guardian the process is called Minors in need of supervision MINS/CHINS which is administered by the local court. Again we are not legal experts so we suggest looking into this yourself if you need to.


You can call us 24/7 and we are here for you. We are good listeners and can explore more options with you. 1-800-786-2929

[Guest]

I'm in Tennessee. My mom is a pill user on a regular basis and she smokes weed also. My dad knows about it but doesn't do anything about it. We argue constantly and I have no freedom. Im thinking about running away until I'm 18. I'm 15 at the moment but ill be turning 16 soon and that is when I plan on doing it. If everything goes as I have planned I won't get caught. But I was wondering if when I turn 18 could I still get in trouble for this? And if I was to get caught under the age of 18 what would happen?