Age 17 in Texas.

[Unregistered]

I am 17, I turn 18 on April 18. I want to get out of this house, I got in legal trouble and got away with it. But my mom refuses to quit treating me like a criminal and threatening to ship me away. I am not leaving the state, and I will still be attending school somehow. I know that they can report me as a runaway, but can they force me to come home? I heard that the cops ask if you're okay, ask if you want to come home when they find you. If you say that you're okay and you don't want to come home, they will leave you alone. Is this true?
Since I'm a legal adult in Texas, can my mom "ship me away" to live with another relative or go to a military school, as she keeps threatening to do? Thank you all.

[ccsmod0]

Age 17 in Texas

Hello,
Thank you for contacting us during this difficult time. It sounds like you still want to attend school and not get into anymore trouble. Although we are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, we can give you resources to those who might be able to help you. We may have local legal aid, but you can also try calling out to your local police and asking them some of the questions you have regarding leaving home since they would be the authority you would be dealing with.

How do you feel about being sent to live with another relative? Police do have some discretion as far as what action to take. If you are staying in a safe place and do not wish to return home, that may be something to discuss with your local law enforcement.

Do you think your mom will file a runaway report? A runaway report is basically a report that is entered into a national database stating that you left home without your guardian's permission. It would make crossing state lines or living with another relative more difficult. You can call us at our toll free 24/7 hotline 1-800 RUNAWAY (786-2929) and we can explain it in more detail. We can also be contacted at our live chat from 4:30p-11:30p CST at WWW.1800runaway.org, click on the red button in the corner. We are here to listen and can advocate for you on your behalf. Good luck and we are looking forward to hearing from you!

NRS