Kicked out

[Unregistered]

Im 15 and was kicked out last night. I have a place to stay and people who care. But now my guardian wants to report me as a runaway. Is that legal. Will i be taken home or to Juvinal Hall for that. There is verbal abuse and neglact involved in the home towards me and none of the other children. Will the other children be taken if the police get involved in my leaving??

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Switchboard. We are a confidential and anonymous hotline for youth in crisis and their families. We’re glad that you have reached out and contacted us for assistance.

You said that you were kicked out last night but are currently staying in a safe place. What happened that you were kicked out?

Since you are 15, your legal guardian does have the right to file you as a runaway, even though you were kicked out. You also have the right to file a report against your guardian for neglect and verbal abuse. There are a few different ways you can do this. One way is to call Child Protective Services in your state and ask to file an abuse report. There are also two different hotlines that may also be able to help you out; Justice for Children and Child Help USA. Justice for Children’s hotline number is 1-800-733-0059 and Child Help’s is 1-800-422-4453; both of those numbers can help you file a report or answer questions you may have about reporting. They may also be able to answer your question about the other children in the home. We are not legally trained and sometimes the police response varies from state to state.

It is not illegal to run away but it is considered a status offense. That means that if your guardian files you as a runaway and the police find you, they will contact your guardian to return you home. Unfortunately, the people you are staying with could also get into trouble if your guardian were to file a runaway report. They could be charged with harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Another option that may be available to you is if we can locate a shelter or another safe place for you to go. There is an organization, National Safe Place, that may have a location near you and they have a couple of different ways to contact them. You can call them at 1-888-290-7233, go to their website (www.nationalsafeplace.org) or text them at SAFE (69866) with your current location (street address, city and state)

Again, thank you for contacting us during this stressful time. Please remember, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 day a week at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you would like to discuss other options or to try finding resources. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

~NRS