Harboring a runaway...

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hi, I was wondering

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 a little bit about what’s going on.
As of right now you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws. Okay.


While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.

We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

okay i have a question about harboring a runaway from georgia , if i do so will i face felon charges or what will happen before i do this because my mind is already made up that i wanna do this next week . please help

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. If a runaway report is filed on a minor, then you could be at risk of being charged for harboring a runaway depending on whether or not the parent/legal guardian is willing to pursue charges. We are not legal experts, but generally harboring a runaway is considered a misdemeanor offense and oftentimes results in a fine. It might be a good idea to reach out to local police or any legal services groups in your area to find out more precisely what the policy might be where you are located. If you would like help with reaching out to those resources or if you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY or on chat at 1800runaway.org.

[Guest]

Can I legally runaway if I'm 18 in 4 days

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are not legal experts but we do have general knowledge of the laws. If you were to runaway at 17 you could still be considered as a runaway. If the police found you they would most likely bring you home. Once you turn 18 the runaway report goes away if your age of majority in your state is 18 years old. You could consider waiting until you are 18 to leave home. If running away is your only option you could consider where you will go, what you would do about food and money.
We hope this information will be helpful in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to know more information please give us a call at 1800RUNAWAY, we are here 24. /7. Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Runaway from abusive Dad

I'm 17 years old, I ran away from my dad because he was abusing my brother & I. I moved to Texas with a love one, I've been here 7 months. In the state of Texas you are consider to be a legal resident after 6 months. I was placed on the "Missing and exploited children" website. My father is using his veteran credentials to find me. I will be 18 in exactly 1 month from today. The detectives are saying they will press charges for my Aunt cause she's harboring a juvenile. But in my Aunt's defense, this is what she do. She takes in homeless & runaways, no questions asked. Will I also be charged with a crime? My Aunt has filed a motion for the case to be brought from IL to TX. I don't want my Aunt to be in any trouble, that means she can no longer help those children in need. Please help

[ccsmod3]

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are very happy to hear that both you and your brother are in a safe and caring environment, and no longer being abused. It sounds like your aunt is a great support system not only for the two of you, but for many youth in crisis.
We are here to try and help, but do want to mention that we are not legal experts. We can tell you that running away- especially from an unsafe place, is not a crime that results in jail time. Running away is often classified as a status offence. The day you turn 18, you are considered a legal adult and cannot be charged as a minor. Having your aunt filed a motion is a great first step, and it sounds like she has taken a lot of the legal issues into consideration. You can always ask your aunt how she is handling the situation and if there is anything you can do to help. We can’t confirm that neither you nor your aunt will not be charged, but one resource you can reach out to is lawhelp.org. They will hopefully provide helpful insight on your situation.

You can always give us a call if you need added support or someone to talk to. We are 24/7 and can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Guest]

I live in Alabama and am 17 years old. My mother is a single parent but extremely abusive to me, I have tried many options to help fix things and running away is my last resort. As a 17 year old runaway, what can happen to me? Will police officers force me to go back home (i legally have nowhere else to go) or lock me up in juvie? If I live with someone (somewhere I will be taken care of and supported) will they be charged for harboring a runaway ? I tried to research this but couldn't find anything and have no way of contacting local police to find out. I know if I leave then my mother will freak out and call the cops but I can't live here safely anymore.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I live in Alabama and am 17 years old


Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. You don’t deserve to be abuse by anyone. It sounds like you made some efforts to get help. It’s not your fault that this happened. Running away seems to be something that has now crossed your mind. It’s good that you are looking for some information. 18 years old is generally (19 in Alabama) the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. In some states there are emancipation laws that can be one way of trying to gain your independence. . We are not legal experts, but we can help you get a general sense of how emancipation works. Our general understanding is some states offer formal emancipation statutes while others do not unfortunately. Laws vary depending on your location, but in many states a minor can petition the court for emancipation to take responsibility for their own care before they turn 18.

Generally speaking, courts are wary about granting emancipation. In most cases, Parents must sign off on the application. You would have to prove in court that you have an income and can care for yourself financially, and that you are able to live separately from your parents. It also helps to be in good standing at school. Usually your legal guardian would have to agree to this in court. It’s best to check your local court house to gain more information on this process.
Also you might check with your local police department to inquire about the runaway laws in your state or if someone that moves out of their parent or guardian’s home would without permission would be considered a runaway and forced to return home.
If you would like to talk more about your situation we are here to listen and here to help.

To speak with someone on our crisis or chat line contact 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800runaway.org

We look forward to hearing from you.
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to or seek emergency assistance immediately.
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.


Take care,
NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

Hi im 32 years old and I live in jackson mi I have been going back and forth to court for custody of my Children from my ex husband this was my court ordered weekend and my children grandma told my 2 oldest boys to run away from my house than my oldest son who is 11 helped her by breaking open my bedroom door and taking my 3 year old son out the house how can I press charges on the grandma and what can I do by law with my son who is 11

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out, we know that it takes a lot of courage to share what's going on. If your children left without your permission you can contact the police to file a runaway report. Running away isn't illegal per se but it's something that can't be done by a minor. If your kids are located by the authorities they will be returned to their legal guardian (either you or your husband).

Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

a friend of mine is in a very hard situation. She moved away from my state with her family to live with her uncle, parents, and brother in a very tiny house due to a bankruptcy. Her mother, whom of which shows signs of severe schizophrenia, refuses to see a psychiatrist. her mother has abused her physically years ago, but as of recently, the abuse is emotional/verbal ad heavily prominent. The uncle she lives with also emotionally abuses her and is extremely disabled, but she tries to avoid him. The uncle and her mother don't work. Her dad is somewhat out of the picture as he recently left her family, but also doesn't work. However he is her safe person, but he can't provide for her well. No one in her family can properly provide for her. Her grandmother, whom of which she does not live with, uses her. She treats her okay, but talks horribly about her behind her back and constantly criticizes her. She is depressed, but her mother refuses to get her help. I live in nevada and she lives in a different state, but am willing to drive to get her. She is 17 years old and in desperate need of help. She doesn't want to contact CPS due to their inability to help her in the past and lack of desire to live in the current place she resides. My parents and I can provide for her, but her mother may suspect she is living with me. Am I legally able to get her and have her live with me until she's 18? What consequences could I face for taking her in? Would they check for her at schools?

[ccsmod11]

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like your friend is in a really difficult situation, and she is lucky to have someone like you who is looking out for her. We are here to help in any way we can.
You mentioned that your friend is depressed and her mother shows signs of schizophrenia and refuses to get her or her daughter help. It can be very isolating to live with mental illness as well as live with a caretaker who struggles with mental illness. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and their website has resources both for handling one’s own mental illness as well as ways to cope with living with a caregiver/family member with mental illness. You can text NAMI to 741741, call 1-800-950 NAMI, or go to their website at https://www.nami.org/. Your friend can locate resources and support groups in her area.

You said that she does not want to contact CPS due to their lack of help in the past. That must be really frustrating to find that the institutions in place do not provide the help and services they should. Do you know if she has been able to report her abuse? Child Help is the National Child Abuse Hotline, and their number is 1-800-422-4453, website childhelp.org. Sometimes having recordings of verbal abuse or screenshots of text messages can help in “proving” a case of verbal/emotional abuse. If she would be interested in trying this (perhaps again), she can feel free to give us a call here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), and we are happy to make that call out with her.

In terms of legality of running away, we are not legal experts, but our understanding is that running away is not illegal, it is just considered a status offense, or something youths cannot do solely because of their age. You mentioned that she is 17 years old. Sex, ETC is a great resource to see what they different ages of legality/majority are per state: https://sexetc.org/action-center/sex-in-the-states/. Some police departments may not pursue a runaway so close to the age of majority, but this varies by department. One of the services we offer her is anonymously calling out to your local police department to try to better understand their exact procedures when it comes to runaways. If you are interested in using this service, feel free to call into us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We will discuss the situation further and then call out to the police department. You did mention that you are in Nevada. If this is not where the youth is from, that might complicate the police search a bit, as she might then be entered into a national database. This is also all dependent on whether or not you think her mom would file a runaway report with the police in the first place.

In terms of whether it is legal for her to live with you, we once again want to stress that we are not legal experts, however, our understanding is that the parent would have to decide to pursue charges of harboring a runaway. Considering the youth is near the age of majority and made the decision to leave of her own volition, this could be a difficult, time-consuming, and legally expensive charge for her mom to decide to proceed with. The youth might best know if she thinks her mom would go through with that.

It is great that the youth is thinking about her education. The National Center for Homeless Educational Helpline might be a great resource for her. Their phone number is 1-800-308-2145, and their mission is to ensure that all youths have access to the education they are entitled to, whether they are homeless or runaways.

If you have any other questions or want to discuss anything further, feel free to give us a call here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We also have a chat service on our website, www.1800runaway.org. We are a 24/7, completely confidential safeline. Here to listen, here to help. Best, NRS

[Guest]

My best friend lived with her mentally abusive dad then went to grandparents to live now she has to go back to her dads. She’s done a lot of moving back and forth. she and I always talk about if my mom can adopt her but I don’t even know where to start someone please help

[ccsmod9]

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 a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they mentioned being abused by her relatives. It’s great that your friend has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.
Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello so I am looking for someone to help my daughter whom is a runaway from her adopted mom. Shes been getting abused for so many years physically and emotionally and no one will listen to her. She was labeled a liar and very manipulative but I know she’s not a bad child. She is afraid to return home to her adoptive parent and wants to live with me. At this time I have no rights to her. I beed help on what to do. Please help me to protect her. What can I do?

[ccsmod15]

That's a really tough situation and we are so sorry this is happening to your daughter. She has every right to be safe. One thing you -- or your daughter -- might consider is to file an abuse report with the local police or your state's child protective services hotline. Having documentation of what's been happening is important and can lead to an investigation of the matter. We are more than willing to file a report on her behalf if she gives us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also file through Child Help at 1-800-422-4453. If your daughter has a caseworker you might also want to inform them about what's going on.

If your daughter's foster parent has filed a runaway report, you could be charged with harboring a runaway if you take her in. But if a report has not been filed, you cannot be charged. Of course, if the police are informed of the abuse it's possible they would not return her to her foster mom even if a runaway report has been mad.. These are just some possibilities you should know about. You might be able to regain custody of your daughter, but we cannot know this for sure. If you'd like numbers to free legal aid in your state just give us a call.

We'd like to help further but the best way for us to do that would be for you or your daughter to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are here 24/7 and are confidential, don't judge, and never tell anyone what to do. You can also chat with us via our website: www.1800runaway. Just click on "chat" at the top of the screen.

We hope this helps and that your daughter can be safe.

NRS

[Guest]

My niece have it good here and her sisters dont want her here I take good care of her but she runaway to there house dont want to come home and they harbor her police been told nothing happen yet I want to give up custody to the state now because I'm tired but I want her to be put in a foster home if I do because they living situation is always being homeless

[ccsmod7]

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline with your question. Based on what you've written, we believe the situation is as follows: you have custody of your niece. She keeps running away to her sisters, who are often homeless. The police have not been called yet about this. However, you would like to have your niece put in foster care so she has a solid home, given that it is difficult to take care of her (that you're tired, etc.).

Regarding calling the police: if you call the police to report a runaway, it is likely they would return her to her guardian, which is you. If you call the police, you would not be liable for anything that happens with your niece and the situation she finds herself in with her sisters.
Secondly, if you want to give up custody, you would contact the department of children and family services (DCFS) in your state. They can help you figure out your next steps on giving up custody. Clearly, this sounds like a very challenging situation to handle and it seems quite difficult to have to manage this.

If we have misunderstood your situation, please contact us again to clarify, if you can. We are available 24/7 at www.1800runaway.org or you can call us at 1-800-786-2929. Again, thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

[Guest]

so I went to visit my friend at this ranch for troubled girls and she told me she was allowed to leave and I said okay she asked me to take her to this place and I did the next day the cops showed up to my house asked to step inside I said yes because I had nothing to hide, well later that day I went to my other friends house and she was there well later on a cop drove by and seen my car and stopped and knocked and asked if my friends was there I said no because I was scared and she was my true only friend and I just wanted her home well now I have a court date for harboring someone and I’m scared I have never been to jail or on probation so if anyone has had anything like this happen to them please reply and let me know I’m making myself sick worrying about this. Please help me.

[ccsmod4]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you are in a tough situation and may be looking for some options to help cope with everything.
We understand how unsettling this must be for you. It seems you were just trying to help a friend. You might consider talking things over with your parent’s about how this is making you feel and if seeking legal representation is something of an option to explore.

NRS would like you to know we are here to support you at this difficult time.
We are here to listen and here to help.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of.
Let us know how we might help, please contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) orwww.1800Runaway.org (live chat).

If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello,
My 15yr old sons aunt just tried to help him run away to a different city. He is very troubled and has been in and out of facilities for mental health issues. He is on probation and has broken many laws and violated probation several times. He steals, lies, does drugs, drinks, becomes violent when repremanded. She is a drug addict with a prison record and has had her own children taken by the state and adopted out. Is there some kind of criminal charges I can bring upon her for this? We were lucky enough that the poilce fpund our son before she got here to pick him up.

[ccsmod15]

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out, this seems like a really stressful situation and it seems like you are trying to do the best to look out for your son and get him on the right track. It is good that at least the police got to him before she was able to pick him up.
We aren’t legal experts but generally the kinds of legal consequences you could look into would be aiding and abetting, harboring a runaway, or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. It seems like he never actually got to her house so it harboring charges might be hard. But aiding someone on probation in breaking that probation might be worth looking at, as well as contributing to delinquency for similar reasons. If you need some legal aid we can try to find some in your area if you wanted to give us a call.
You may have heard of this already given the circumstances but it may also be worth looking into a Minor/Child In Need of Supervision program if your state offers one. Usually this involves contacting your local child or family services but if you want a direct number we can help find it for your state if you call or email us.
Hopefully this information helps answer your question, if you have more thoughts, questions, or just need someone to vent to about the whole thing we are always here at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

[Guest]

Will a judge grant police a search warrant if someone says your hiding a runaway in your house

[ccsmod15]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you are in a tough situation. We aren’t legal experts but generally speaking if a police report is filed the police can bring you back home and whoever you are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway. You can find legal resources at www.lawhelp.org

NRS would like you to know we are here to support you at this difficult time. We are here to listen, explore options and provide any resources. ]Let us know how we might help, please contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) orwww.1800Runaway.org (live chat).


Take care,
NRS