Arkansas minor runaway laws.

[ccsmod2]

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

[ccsmod1]

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

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?

[ccsmod10]

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.

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't

[ccsmod16]

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

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.

[ccsmod7]

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

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.

[ccsmod5]

We are glad you reached out to us for help and support. You are being an amazing friend and it is obvious how much you care and how much you want to help. Your friend is in a very difficult and stressful situation and it sounds like he might need more support and help than you can provide right now.

Let’s start with some of the basics. It is not illegal for your friend to run away. It may however be a problem for you to help him or your Dad to harbor him. Every jurisdiction has its own policies on enforcement and some don’t enforce that unless it becomes a chronic issue and the parents object. If your friend runs away and your Dad provides him a place to stay for the short term it most likely would not be a problem. If your friend’s parents say it is ok he could stay longer.

In regards to getting him therapy without parental consent, that can also be tricky. You would need to get a legal opinion from an attorney to understand all the applicable laws in Arkansas. We can help you find legal aide in your community if needed.

You can let your friend know that he can contact us anytime 24/7 via a chat through our website or call us on our crisis hotline at (800) RUNAWAY. Both are completely confidential. There are a lot of resources to help him with his mental health issues and his unsafe home life with his family. We can discuss programs and services that can provide help and support included shelters, transitional living, gay support groups and mental health programs.

If your friend feels he needs to get out immediately he can always call the police at 911 or social services for help. We can and want to help your friend. Thank you for supporting your friend and contacting us.

So my friend has severe mental health problems. He has intense anxiety and depression and lately, almost committed suicide. His parents are terrible. They are homophobic and recently found out he's gay. They are rude, ignorant, and quite frankly, crazy. His mother ven threatened his 15-14 y/o friends. I've tried helping him many times, getting him medicine or therapy, buying him a new phone so that he contact his friends, and trying my best to just listen. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm not helping enough. I'd like to help run away from his emotionally abusive and mentally exhausting parents, but I don't know if that's legal. He is 15, living in the state of Arkansas, and has recently been going through a lot of terrible things...even more so than usual. Can I let him live with me without getting my single (widowed) dad in trouble? Is it legal to get him therapy without the consent of one of his guardians? Basically, how can I help him without hurting him even more in the process? Because I know he needs help, I just don't know where to start.

[ccsmod16]

HI, thank for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like things are really awful and scary for you at home with domestic violence and mental illness, it's understandable to want to leave. Maybe you can talk to your dad and he can consent for you to get into long-term shelter, called a Transitional Living Program, or TLP. We can search in our database to see if one is available where you live. Or, since he knows what is happening to you, you can ask him not to file a runaway report (which is the only way police would be involved) and give you written permission to be with your friends.
To discuss this further, please reach out to our live services at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or via live chat through this website. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
NRS

Okay so a lot of domestic violence is going on in the house I live in. My stepmom is so clinically crazy she can’t sign any documents which means she can’t leave no matter how hard my dad tries to make her. She has caused a lot of physical pain and mental pain to me. My father is unable to do anything about it and recently the physical has gotten worse. I have a place to stay I’ll be safe and I am 17. If they look for me and say I have to come back I will refuse and explain everything to them but my question is if I run away VOLUNTARILY what can they do?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).
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

Can a minor get in trouble for letting a runaway minor stay with them?