We're gonna do it again.

[Unregistered]

Hi. I'm 17 years old and I ranaway with my boyfriend about 3 months ago, because his parents didn't want that we are together. They catched us by coincidence some weeks later. It was the best time of our lives and we are gonna do it again in two days, even though it will be so much more complicated now because our parents don't trust us at all anymore and I just have to escape from home (We live in different countries).
Please don't try to prevent me from doing it, you don't know how many people have talked into me the last weeks but no one can really change my mind, I just thought it would be good if I could tell someone here.

[ccsmod3]

Re: We're gonna do it again.

Hello,

We’re glad you decided to reach out to us at the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like you are planning on running away again with your boyfriend. We don’t tell anyone what to do here including whether to runaway or not. However, we do care about safety. Have you thought about how you will keep yourself safe if you decide to runaway? On our website, www.1800runaway.org, we have some common questions to consider before running which might be helpful for you, http://www.1800runaway.org/youth/nrs_can_help/.

It sounds like you care very much for your boyfriend and we imagine it is difficult that your parents don’t trust you anymore. You mentioned you are in different countries and while we aren’t experts on international running, that might cause additional challenges. If you’d like to continue discussing your situation with us, you are welcome to contact us either 24/7 by calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). Or, if you are more comfortable you can Live Chat with us any day from 4:30 to 11:30 pm CST by clicking on the red “Live Chat” button on our website. We hope that helps a bit and please feel free to reach out to us again.

-NRS

[Unregistered]

ran away, hung at my boyfriends house now theyre getting in trouble?!

so i ran away last night. i went to work and didnt come bak . i stayed with a friend then went to his house for thanksgiving with his family. they were fine with letting me stay the night there for tonight but my mom called the copps and they came and got me. my boyfriend was upset that the cop was trying to accuse them his whole family of "keeping" me there and "helping" me runaway. this was not the case! i chose to go there and they weren't encouraging or discouraging it. the cop is trying to get him arrested for helping me runaway, but can the cop even do that?? even when i'm the one who drove there and everything? this is ridiculous and my bf already filed a complaint to the PD about the cop but the same cop was the one who answered the phone! HELP PLEASE

[Unregistered]

re: ran away, hung at my boyfriends house now theyre getting in trouble?!

We are glad that you found the National Runaway Switchboard online through our bulletin boards. It sounds like you have had an upsetting day and that you have a lot going on. We’re not sure what your home situation is, but its great that you have other supportive people in your life such as your boyfriend and his family. You have some really good questions about your situation. Because we are not legal experts, we can only speak in general terms, but hopefully we can answer your questions.

In many places if a minor (under 18 years old) runs away, it is considered a status offense. What that means is that if the police pick you up, they will return you to your legal guardian. It sounds like this is exactly what you experienced as they came and got you from your boyfriend’s house and took you home. Alternatively, in most places it is illegal to harbor (or house) a runaway. So while it wasn’t illegal for you to runaway, your boyfriend and his family could be at legal risk if your mom decides to press charges. It is great that you are asking these questions. It’s hard to know what your rights and responsibilities are, but we’re glad that you’ve reached out to us.
It sounds like you have already tried calling the police and did not get the support that you were hoping for.

Another option you have is to contact a legal specialist in your area. If you want to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (24 hours/7 days a week) or reach out to us via live chat at 1800RUNAWAY.org (4:30-11:30pm CST) we can talk about your specific location and provide you with some resources for legal support. We hope that you feel comfortable contacting us so that we can continue to help you through this difficult situation. We hope to hear from you soon.

-NRS