Arkansas minor runaway laws.

Ok I have a step with physiological issues just out of his fourth facility he falsely reported a abuse because he was mad CPS is going to recommend a long program and today after we told him to do the dishes he ran to grandma's house and she refuses to return him home with his recent anger out burst she wouldn't be able to handle it being70 and recently having a pace maker put in. And with PD they didn't want to do anything about it

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions. We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by forum to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Be safe,
NRS

is it called runaway if my niece and nephew run away with their mother? They lived with grandparents who don’t have legal custody of them. But their mother is on child support for them is that still considered as a runaway?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they mentioned wanting to report the abuse or to run away. It’s great that your niece/nephew has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them.
It sounds things at home right now are bad for them and you are worried about them being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. They don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If they are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to this situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

So I have a niece and nephew who ran away because their grandparents physically abuse them and also my niece is being sexually malested by her grandfather he threatened them if they leave he would blow their brains out but don’t want to get anyone involved because we want to make sure they are removed from the house the same day so their grandpa won’t harm them what should they do?

What will happen it a minor runs away to another staye

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against your mom. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
We hope this helps. Please reach out if we can offer any further support.
Be safe,
NRS

im 13. and i get verbally abused at home and my step dad hurts my mom. if i run away and go to stay with a friend do i have to go back with my mom?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at NRS. We are not legal experts, but we can speak generally about this. If you leave home without permission, your parents/legal guardians can report you as a runaway. Running away is not illegal or something you would be arrested for, but it is a status offense. This means that if you come into contact with law enforcement or your parents know where you are staying, they can ask police to return you home. Police protocol can vary with how officers respond to runaway reports. Some police officers are more lenient with someone so close to turning 18 and might not force you home. You can call your local police department's non-emergency line to speak with an officer about your situation and what they would do if your parents make a report.

If police do get involved, you can try to calmly and respectfully refuse to go with them. There could be multiple outcomes to this depending on the discretion of the officer. The officer might give up and not take you back home, they might attempt to first mediate things with your parents to come to an agreement, or they might use physical force and detain you in order to return you home. If an officer does attempt to use physical force, we suggest you comply for your safety.

WE hope this information helps. We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Stay safe,
NRS

I'm 17 years old, if I were to run away, what punishments would I face. And what if I were to refuse to go withtwith cop.

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear that your situation at home has you considering leaving. It makes sense that you want to live in an environment that is both safe and comfortable for you.
While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is not illegal to run away. Your parent/guardian could file a runaway report on you but this would NOT mean that you would get arrested or charged with anything. It typically does mean that the police could return you home if they encountered you and that would be that. Some police can be more understanding about what is going on at your home. In our experience, police will oftentimes return the youth back to their guardian almost no matter what. Police typically do not actively search for a runaway youth. However, they will go where the parent/guardian directs them if they know where you are staying. Additionally, police can sometimes be more lenient about runaway situations the closer you are to 18. You can attempt to calmly, respectfully, and persistently deny them consent to touch you or take you anywhere, and they may give up on trying to return you home. They also may not, in which case you should comply with what they tell you to do for your safety.

If you want to talk more about what is going on and what options you might have, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

I’m 17 and am in an emotionally and sometimes physically abusive household. My friends family is very close to me and have a room I can stay in since I turn 18 in three months. Can the police force me to go home if they come find me there? And can my friend and his parents get in trouble for letting me crash there?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen.
It sounds like you have been going through a difficult time, and we want you to know that you are not alone. Because you are a minor and your mother kicked you out that would be considered neglect which you do have the right to file a report. Because we are not legal experts it is hard to say what the authorities would do. But if your mother does decide to file a runaway report the police may be able to bring you home. You could try and explain to the police how you were kicked out.
We are sorry that your money was stolen, you do not deserve that. You could file a police report and see if the police would be able to help you.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

hey i’m 17 and my mother kicked me out so i stayed with my gf and she stole $572 out my bank while i was gone then only gave me $270 back but i’m with my gf but it been over 30 days since i’ve been gone. what can the authorities do?