What could happen

[Unregistered]

I'm 15, very nearly 16, in california, I live with my mom gramma aunt and my little brother goes back and forth between here and his dads. my situation has become unbearable, my aunt has severe mental issues and we have fought physically before. my mom is really mean, i cant please her, i have to work for her approval. grammas just really bitter and my brother doesnt understand much. mom has a boyfriend, first guy since my brothers dad 7 years ago. i have problems feeling comfortable with him because my brothers dad hurt my mom and especially me a lot. mom cant understand how im afraid of him. i know i can support myself because ive worked as a professional performer my entire life, my mom took me to acting, voice, dancing, and made me fit to work so i guess i should be grateful but she is extremely critical of my performance. my dads not financially capable or responsible enough for me, but my best friends family is willing to temporarily house my and my boyfriend who is 19 has an apartment that he shares, and a stable job, and i could live with him. my main fear is that if i leave the police will come after me and force me to go back home, or that the people i live with could get in trouble if the police catch me, especially my boyfriend because hes an adult and im under the age of consent. what can happen to me as far as the law and cops go if i choose to run away?

[ccsmod4]

What could happen?

Hi,
Thanks for your post.
We are sorry to hear about your situation at home.
It sounds like you have gone through some pretty tough times and have a lot to deal with emotionally.
Home should be a comfortable safe haven.
It’s unfortunate you and your mom were hurt by your brother’s dad. No one deserves to be hurt by the hands of someone else.

You also mentioned that you have had physical confrontations with your aunt and that you just are not quite comfortable with your mom’s new boyfriend. You have every right to be concerned for your safety.
It’s very courageous of you to stand up for yourself.
It’s too bad your mom is having trouble giving you support on this matter.
These concerns have given you reason to consider leaving.
We understand how difficult of a decision this must be for you.
You seem confident that you can take care of yourself with your talents.

Have you researched any job opportunities where you can utilize your talents?
You did not say if you are still in school but if you are, perhaps your school counselor can give you some information about job opportunities for students. How does that sound?

It's great you have support from a friend and their family for housing.
It’s nice of them to want to help.
We hope it gives you some comfort having someone you can turn too.
The other option you mentioned was staying with your boyfriend at his place.
You seem to be somewhat familiar with the law as it pertains to your boyfriend and your age difference.
These options however do present you with some concern. Is that correct?

Your fear for his and your friend’s staying out of legal trouble is very conscious of you and shows a good definition of your character.
Being a runaway is a status offense not a crime however there are laws against both harboring and or aiding runaways.

Legally your mom could file you as a runaway with the police department which would allow them to detain you or return you back to your mom.
We are not legal experts so the information provided about these particular concerns is just a generalization of the law.
You can check your state law to be certain or you are welcome to call our 24hr 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) crisis line to discuss your situation further.

Perhaps there may be some other options we can discuss with your efforts in trying to come up with a plan.
Your concerns for your safety are important and you have every right to be in a safe environment.

There are laws to protect you should you feel unsafe or abused. There are also counseling options we can provide for consideration. It seems like communication between you and your mom are at a low point. What do you think about counseling for you and your mom as an option?
It is one of our services to assist with filing child abuse reports so we feel it’s important for youth to have this information. You can also contact the National child abuse hotline to file a report.
We have listed the contact information below.

Child Help USA: 1-800-422-4453

Thanks again for contacting NRS.
Take Care

[Unregistered]

yeah, im still in school. i can get a job with the local ballet company or a contemporary collective an hour away easily. ive had lots of work before. if all else fails, i can *dance*, if you understand what that means. ive had to before. it pays well at least. im just really scared of being detained and taken home, im pretty sure my mom would go to the cops... and i dont want my boyfriend to go to jail or something because of us.... well i think you get it, theres kids on here. but yeah. im really scared. my school doesnt have a counselor

[ccsmod4]

What could happen?

Hi,
Thanks for responding back to our NRS Bulletin board.
Well it sounds like you may have a work option with the local ballet and that’s good.
We hope you take your safety in to consideration with whatever choices you face should you decide to leave home.

Once again we are sorry that you are even faced with such a dilemma.
Living in fear is a terrible thing for anyone to go through.
Having friends who are supportive hopefully gives you some form of escape.
Your respect for them is evident by not wanting them to get into any trouble.
There seems to be a respect for one another and that has to be appreciated.

Since there is no counselor at your school perhaps there is a teacher you feel comfortable speaking with .
We can assist you with looking for other counseling options etc. through our national data base.
We are available whether it’s to talk and bounce ideas off of or you just want someone to listen.
You are welcome to call our 24hr 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) crisis hotline.
Thanks again for posting and we wish you the best.
Take Care,
NRS