17 year old wants to move out

[ccsmod8]

RE: soon to be 17 need to move out, lives in Idaho and needs information

Hello there –

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to get into contact with us here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. From your message to us, it sounds like you have are going through a very hard time right now and seem to be very overwhelmed with everything that is going on. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially at home when you deserves to be treated with love and respect. You stated that your mother has been dealing a lot with suicide and that she even attempted a few times to take her own life. This much be really hard on you to be dealing with all of those thoughts and feelings. Has your family done anything to help your mother deal with those suicidal thoughts that she has been having lately (i.e going to counseling)? It must be hard on the whole family, so many even some family counseling might be helpful as well.

Unfortunately, here at the NRS we cannot tell you in definite terms what would happen if you were to leave home without permission because we are not legal experts. Laws on that specific subject vary from state to state, so our advice would be call your local non-emergency police number to get more information on that. What typically happens in state though; your mother would be able to make a runaway report in the event that you do run away, but since it’s only considered a statues offense the only thing that would happen is that the police will pick you up and bring you back home. Again this does depend on your specific state laws and police policy.

If you ever feel that you need to talk to someone about what is going on a little more or even about those depressed feelings that you’ve been having, you can always reach out to us here at NRS. There is always someone here to talk to you, we are 24 hours. We could also help you reach out to different resources that might be in your area that can help in your situation.

[Unregistered]

Help needed!!

My name is Natalie and I live in colorado. I am 16 almost 17 in 2 months. I start collegevin August and am dying to move out of my moms house. I am dating a 24 year old, which is very much legal here. My mother has attempted to ruin my relationship many times now by taking my stuff away and making threats to my boyfriend. Does anyone know when I can legally move out?

[ccsmod5]

re: Help Needed!!

Natalie,

Thank you for reaching out to us! It sounds like you have been experiencing quite a stressful situation. While we are not legal experts here we can provide some general information about the age of majority and options in your area. According to the Juvenile Law Center, the legal age of majority in Colorado is 18 years old. This means that until you turn 18, you are considered to be a minor and your parents or guardians are still legally responsible for you. So if you were to leave home without permission your mom would be able to file a runaway report with the police. A runaway report is not a criminal offense, does not go on your permanent record, and would not get you into trouble; it is considered a status offense. That basically means that if you were reported as a runaway, a police officer would be able to find that information if he were to look you up. Unless you have personal extenuating circumstances (currently on parole, active court cases, etc.) there is no legal penalty for running away.

Many places do have laws about harboring a runaway. Generally such laws can penalize adults who let a minor known to be reported as a runaway stay with them. However, specific laws and how the police choose to enforce them can vary among different cities and counties. As a result, contacting the local police is the best way to find the most accurate information for your area. If you would like to contact your local police, you can look up the non-emergency phone number for your area on www.usacops.com. In addition, emancipation could be another option to legally move out of your mom’s house. However, because emancipation is legal process that goes through the courts it can take a long time and ultimately would require your mother’s participation. If you would like more detailed legal information or to speak with a lawyer in Colorado you could try contacting Colorado Legal Services at 970-493-2891 or Boulder CO Legal Services at 303-449-7575. Hopefully these resources can help you find some answers. If you ever need help, have more questions, or just need to talk please feel free to contact us 24/7 by email, chat or phone. We wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you decide to do.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Bank]

17 the old boy left home

My 17 year old son is a junior in high school. He asked his sister (my daughter) if he could move in with her and her husband. They agreed and while I was at work, he moved his bedroom to their house. They now want the child support that his father pays me. He is nasty, disrespectful and has an attitude of entitlement. I've agreed to let him stay, allowing him his truck and I've agreed to pay his insurance, phone and buy his groceries if he will go to counseling. He has to work and maintain his grades. I have constant interference from family members who undermine me in every issue. At his age, what are my choices?

[ccsmod3]

Re: 17 the old boy left home

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like your son's behavior has made things really difficult for you to the point where you've agreed to let him stay with your daughter and her husband. We aren't legal experts, but as the legal guardian of a minor this is typically within your right. It sounds like you've created a plan that allows him to stay under the condition he'll go to counseling, work, and maintain his grades. In return, you've agreed to let him have his truck, have his insurance, phone, and groceries paid for by you. Even though it sounds stressful, it seems like you've worked out this arrangement outside of the court system with the exception that your daughter is still asking for the child support you receive. We imagine that's frustrating if you are still retaining legal guardianship of your son rather than transferring over guardianship to your daughter through the court system.

As far as other choices/options, if you change your mind and wish to transfer over guardianship over to her until your son reaches 18 we'd imagine that would require meeting with a lawyer or some other type of legal professional. Some states do offer emancipation which can be a process too and would more than likely involve you and your son going before a judge to analyze your son's ability to provide for himself independently (income, staying in school, approved living situation, etc.) If these are not options you are comfortable with, then unfortunately it sounds like a situation where you might just have to wait until your son turns 18. We do have a large database where we can look up different types of resources such as counseling, family mediation, alternative housing for youth, legal aid etc. If resources are something you're interested in, please don't hesitate to contact us directly either through our Live Chat or by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929.) Best of luck!

[Lexi]

17. Move out.

Hello!

My name is Lexi and I'm 17. I love in North Carolina and I would like to move out. I would be moving to Georgia, where being 17 you are already qualified as an adult. When I move, I would be moving in with my friend's grandma who has already said that it is fine with her if I do, so I would be stable and not just wandering. My parents in North Carolina would never say yes though, but since I'm moving to Georgia where I'm qualified as an adult, would I be able to move now even without my parent's consent?

[ccsmod0]

re: 17. Move out.

Hi Lexi,

Thanks for reaching out this morning. It’s great that you’re thinking through your options about where to live and are asking questions about how to make it happen. Moving states can be a big deal, so it’s good that you’re trying to figure out what rights you have. So let’s see how we can help you out.

We aren’t legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally. If you decide to leave home before you are 18, and without your legal guardian’s permission, then your guardian has the right to file a runaway report with the police. It sounds like that’s something that you’re familiar with. It doesn’t necessarily matter if you are going to a state where at 17 they wouldn’t make you go back. Basically you are bound by the rules of where your legal guardians live. That’s the general answer. How close you are to 18, if you’re still in school, if the GA police want to get involved – all those factors can matter in terms of how the police would respond.

We hope that’s helpful start for you. If you’d like to talk more about anything else, please feel free to call or chat with us. You can call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you aren’t able to call, you can chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Montana

I'm 17 years old and I am looking to move out. My dad is emotionally and mentally abusive and I have recently moved with my mom, which is not going any better. I have another parent who has offered to take me into those their home, but my parents will not agree. Is there anyway to get past it?

[ccsmod14]

Re: Montana

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like things are difficult with your dad, as well as your mom. You do not deserve to be abused in any way, by anybody. You deserve to feel safe in your own home. We’re here to help the best we can.

So it sounds like you are thinking about moving out before you turn 18. It is understandable why you would want to leave if this emotional and mental abuse is going on. Have you told anyone else about this? We’re not legal experts, but generally speaking if you leave before 18, your legal guardians have the right to make a runaway report. In some states, police handle 17 year olds differently, meaning they may not take a report, or they may not actively look for you if they do take one. If a report is made, though, and the police find you, they just bring you back home. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring a runaway. This charge looks different depending on the state, so if one option you have is to call your local police department and ask any legal questions hypothetically. This is something we can help you through here at National Runaway Safeline, (800) 786 2929 as well.

We’re here to support you in any way that we can. We welcome you to give us a call or chat with us if you would like to discuss your situation further, we’re here to help.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[independent]

18 in February

So I was kicked out of my mothers house at 16 in Texas. I currently live with my father in California. But I have come to terms that my entire family has issues that make it unsatisfactory to live with them. My father and I had a pretty big argument last night. He is angry with me because he finally discovered my tattoos. But last night the argument was created because my friend was suicidal and I forced to my father that I am going (ended up being the only person to put effort into going to help my friend) and because of me having tattoos he does not want me to go out. I cannot live with someone who values a personal vendetta over someone's life. I am currently talking with my girlfriend and considering moving out and across the state of California to live with her and she is 18. I know you are not legal experts but can you please advise me on what complications and and trouble may be brought out against her and myself?

[ccsmod8]

RE: 18 in February

Hello there –

Thank you for getting into touch with us here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we possibly can. From your post to us, it sounds like you are going through a very tough time right now dealing with everything. Seems like it’s getting very overwhelmed with everything that has been going on, especially since you’re thinking about leaving father’s house. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need. It sounds like you have been though a lot since you have gotten kicked out of the house by your mother. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on.

Like we tell a lot of our callers and/or people that email us, the laws on that specific subject of running away vary from state to state, so our advice would be call your local non-emergency police number to get more information on that. You could ask hypothetical questions that they can answer for you. Generally what typically happens in each state is if you are below the legal age of majority (18 in most states except Alabama and Nebraska [19 or upon marriage], and Mississippi [21]), your father would be able to make a runaway report in the event that you do run away. Since it’s only considered a statues offense and not a crime to run away, the only thing that would happen is that the police will pick you up and bring you back home. This is of course if you had any interaction with the police directly or if they stopped you to ask you a few questions.

If your father did make a runaway report and you are planning on staying with someone else, he can press charges on that family for harboring a runaway when they are not giving accurate information on your whereabouts. That could lead to a number of different legal issues that could involve going to court. It is to our understanding that even when there is a police report out for a minor, that they aren’t going to conduct a citywide search for that particular youth; maybe if it was a small town. So that might be something to keep in mind.

[Unregistered]

17 and a dad

I'm 17 and 9 months I want move with my girl friend so that i can be with my new born daughter but my mom dosent want me to be with my daughter at all she think that my daughter is just going to ruin my life.

[ccsmod1]

RE: 17 and a dad

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are in a tough situation. It sounds like you care about your daughter and you want to be a good father to her. We are sorry to hear that your mother does not support you. You mentioned you are thinking about running away to live with your girlfriend and child. If you left home without permission, your mom could call the police and report you as a runaway. The police might make you come back home. However, since you are close to turning 18, there is a chance that the police might not force you to return home. The laws vary from city to city, so if you want to know what the police would do in your situation, you could always call the local non-emergency number to ask. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, so if you need to talk about your situation or if you have questions you can call 24/7. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[my son 17]

my son 17

My son just turned 17..I'm moving out of state,but currently live in okahoma...my son refusses to go with me and wants to stay in okahoma..Can he stay on his own..he is getting into trouble and has court dates for theft...plz help in what I can do about having him go with us with no stink

[ccsmod14]

Re: my son is 17

Often, individuals in crisis may reach out to NRS in several different ways to discuss their situation. If a response from NRS is not visible to a bulletin posting it may be that we have already provided services to that individual through another platform we provide such as email, our crisis hotline, or our live chat service (in operation every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST). NRS encourages anyone in need of assistance to contact us through our 24 hour crisis hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY to receive immediate support.

Best,
NRS