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hey i am thinking about running away again but last time also my first time ever running away the arkansas officer said he would put me in jail as a minor for running away can he legally do that? im 17 i turn 18 in august and i need out of my house right now but not in jail.
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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 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).
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
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Hi im 17 and i live in arkansas. I want to leave asap because of the abuse. I have been beaten because I don't want to follow religious guidelines... Literally with a branch. she has beaten me with it to the point where i have soars dark soars all over my body... I tried to get the stick away from her but she tried to physically fight me. All in the name of religion because I made the choice that I don't want to be apart of it...
I asked to leave plenty of times but she won't let me... she has threatened me to stay with my dad but I don't know him and don't wish to know him.(he sexually assaulted me) I don't want to be hurt anymore I want to Leave. (i'm crying while typing this) I already have another place to stay their parents are ready for me to leave my house. I have already taken pictures of my body for evidence that i've been getting abused. I don't feel safe at all. But i don't want my friend's parents to get in trouble for keeping me... I have been dealing with this for a long time and i've finally decided to talk about it.
if she does call the cops could i show him the pictures of my soars? So i wont have to go home?
What would the cops do if i had physical evidence of the abuse? Would they call them? I don't want them to know where im at once im gone... and i don't want my parent to be charged... because deep down i still care abt them... I just want the cops to show up and see that i'm safe and that we all don't have anything to worry about.
Idk if i can take this any longer please respond fast.
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Thank your for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like you are going through and surviving so very much. We are so sorry to hear that she has been beating you with a branch, especially over religion. Your heart and mind are free.
And your father having sexually assaulted you is awful and wrong and you don't deserve any of this.
If she does file a runaway report with police, if they find you, they may return you. It would be up to the individual officer if they would let you stay after seeing the photos.
We would like to talk with you more about this so we hope that you will chat us through this website. We are here for you 24/7
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS
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I REALLY DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!! I WANT TO LEAVE THIS RELIGIOUS STUFF IS GETTING UNBEARABLE!!!! my parent is trying to get in contact with my boyfriend because she is trying to seperate us... I don't want to say that I hate her, but I'd rather her allow me to leave... it doesn't make sense.... do parent's not want their kid's to grow up???? they always complain about having to feed me it just don't make sense... Is there any way please........ I literally can'tComment
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It takes a lot of strength to reach out like you're doing, so we are thankful you contacted us. It sounds like your parents have been controlling your behavior in a way that feels intrusive and not respectful. It seems like this has been going on for a while and you are in need of something to change.
We can't give advice on what you should/shouldn't do, but if you give us more information, we can talk through your options with you. Running away without your parents/guardians' consent can be challenging, but we can talk through a plan if you decide to do that.
We are also here to listen, if you want to talk more extensively about your situation with your parents, your boyfriend, or anything else. You can live chat us at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY and we are here to help as best we can.
You don't have to go through this alone.
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What happens if I run away while on probation I'm 14 and get treated like ******** I moved in with my sister and her bf after my dad died in 2021 but could my p.o lock me up for that?Comment
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Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you have legal questions regarding runaway and probation laws. Please know that we are not law experts, but we have general knowledge and understanding of runaway laws. We also may be able to search for resources in your area that may be helpful for you in answering these questions and/or with the overall situation. Please feel welcome to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or utilize our online chat option, found on our website at www.1800runaway.org. This will give us the opportunity to speak directly with you and further assist you.
Kindly,
NRS -
Hello There,
Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to listen and here to provide you with support.
We are sorry to hear you are not being treated right at home, you deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. We are not legal experts but do have some information if you were to leave home without permission. Because you are a minor it is a possibility that you could be brought back home by the police. If not being at home violates your probation it is a possibility you could face consequences. You may want to speak with your parole officer about your situation and they can help you explore your options.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. We are here if you would like to discuss your situation further or would like to explore options. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS
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Hello, i am 17 years old and my boyfriend is 16. My boyfriend is in a bad situation with his family, and want’s to tun away before his dad takes him to Seattle until he turns 18. We are planning on running away but don’t know what to do, where to go, and what the police will do. I’ve ran away before, and was gone the whole summer until school was about to start and ended up going back home. It was relatively successful though. I’m just trying my best to not let my boyfriend be sent away to seattle for two years.Comment
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Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you have some experience with running away and are wanting to do so again with your boyfriend, though it sounds like this time you both may not be planning to return back home. It sounds like your boyfriend is not wanting to leave and you are not wanting him to leave. If he is experiencing any abuse, that can be reported to either Child Protective Services or police. If you were both were to run away, you would not get into any legal trouble, though there is a strong possibility you both would be brought back home. If you would like to talk more about this, either you or your boyfriend can call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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