Can I run away and still go to school?

I move schools a lot and I hate it. The older I get, the harder it is to make friends. My parents don't really like me and in May my dad went through my phone (because he was hitting my sister and I started crying) and found bad messages between me and my boyfriend. I do regret the messages but then my dad beat me and is making me move schools and live with my mom who is always busy and mad. She yells at me a lot. My dad is always gone and I really hate him. All he does is hit me and my sisters. Luckily, my little sisters have never been seriously hurt, but with the incident in May my arm was bruised and I could barely move it. I've been planning to runaway for a while but now I really want to, before school starts. I have to places I can go to but 1. is my boyfriend's house, and his family knows about me and my situation but he says that they won't let me stay, even if it's just for some food, and 2. my other best friend said I can stay at his house BUT i don't feel like his parents will let me stay long enough to go to school. also i'm pretty sure my parents have already unregistered from me from that school. i'm pretty sure whether i stay with a friend or go to a shelter, there is no realistic way for me to go to school where i want. also if I tell the police my dad is abusive (my mom just yells at us sometimes) will they take him to jail? if they don't think he's abusive will they give me back to him? i really just want somewhere to stay until i can try and move out and live on my own when i turn 16. i'm just really scared and worried and hoping that you guys can help. thank you sm

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are very sorry to hear that you were mistreated at home. It sounds like you want to continue to go to school. You could contact the National Center for Homeless Education (1-800-308-2145) for more information on what options you have for enrolling in school. If you have any questions, please feel to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat if you have any additional questions or just want to talk.

I'm 17 turn 18 in November I ran away from home due to the fact of being mistreated and threatened all the time and still want to maintain school.I am a excellent students you should say.Well not to get to much into that what should I do?Las Vegas,Nevada

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have a question that a lot of our other users have, about being able to leave home to another county. We have attached a link to the thread.

https://bulletinboards.1800runaway.org/forum/categories/relationships/6910-running-away-to-another-country

In addition to being available online, we have a 24/7 hotline and are always here to provide additional support and resources. It sounds like you have a lot to think through and we are here to help you process it. Please do not hesitate to call. 1800-786-2929
Good luck,
NRS

im homeschooled and i want to runaway to japan i have plenty of money and i am confident i can get a job

[ccsmod16]

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your story with us, we will do our best to answer your questions.

First things first, it is not illegal for you to run away from home, but it is considered a “status offense”. This means that it is not a crime to run away, but the police will return you to your parents’ home if they find you. This is because until you turn 18, your parents are legally required to provide you with food, shelter, clothing and medical care. If you feel unsafe returning to your parents’ home or feel that these needs are not met in your parent’s home, you can file an abuse report which might begin the process of finding an alternative living situation for you if the investigation finds that it is unsafe for you to continue living there. We will say that once a youth turns 18, in most states that is the legal age of majority and can no only be forced to go home or stay there if they choose not to.

As far as enrolling in school from what we know, it might be hard for you to register for school without a guardian and the proper paperwork needed from your old school. So without either your parents present or even some documentation that states that someone else can register you in school, it might be hard. It is important that the person you are planning on running away to in Florida is someone you know well and can trust to provide a safe and secure home until you turn 18. Should things not go as planned, it’s important to have some sort of back-up plan to stay safe and off the streets.

If you want to talk about what about your life in Tennessee makes you unhappy, we encourage you to call us at 1-800-RUN-AWAY (786-2929). We want to listen to your story and help you explore all your options for changing your situation. There may be other ways of changing your situation other than running away.

Take care,
National Runaway Safeline

I am not happy with my life at home i was wondering if i can runaway to Florida i'm in Tennessee and go to school there will they catch me? How do i sign up for school there i am home school right now. If i runaway at 12 or my birthday is in like a week March 18, 2005 and i come back at 18 and try to get a job what will happen will they bring me back to my parents or can i stay since i'm legally 18

[ccsmod6]

First of all, apologies for the delay in getting back to you. You have a lot going on, and we truly want you to be safe and not get hurt, so thanks so much for reaching out.
It sounds like you’ve been removed from your parents house – where it wasn’t a good environment since they hurt each other – and have been placed at your aunt’s, where is also not a good place since she threatens you and you can’t talk to her... The panic attacks, breakdowns, imagining a person in your room or bleeding, fear and paranoia are all very serious things and difficult to deal with on your own, so it would be very important to get help. Besides social workers, have you talked to anyone about it, like a counselor or therapist that you feel understands you? If you think that’s a good idea, please call us at 1-800-runaway and we can offer you referrals in your city.
It’s great that you want to keep going to school, but you’re right when you say that if you run it will be harder to go. Your parents or aunt would track you down, and the Police would have to bring you back home.
It’s not okay to deal with all that you have going on by yourself, it’s really hard – and it would be great if you could get help from someone knowledgeable and whom you can trust. We’re here 24/7 for you, please call us when you have a few minutes, ok? And in the meantime, if you have any thoughts about hurting yourself, please call 1-800-273-8255, and remember that you are super important and have your whole life ahead of you! Stay strong.

i want to run away but i have no where to go i have been put with my auntie but i keep having panic attacks and breakdowns i hate it here. but if i run away i still want to go to school. the school would register me and my auntie will know where i am. what do i do. i'm really scared and i feel like i can trust no one, i am alone i'm sick of seeing social workers and police but if i run away all my friends would rat me out, all my siblings live with my parents but i hate my parents they hurt each other and scream at everyone ...
but talking with my auntie would be even worse because she would scream and shout at me she would stop me from seeing my mates and she would take away all my belongings apart from my bed and my chair. i also am very paranoid and i see things that scare me. years ago in the middle of the night i would see a man in the corner of the room then he would see me looking at him and scream, a minute later my wrists would be bleeding but it wouldn't hurt. i thought it might be a hallucination because the blood would never be there in the morning

someone help me tell me how to avoid getting hurt!!!!!!

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your friend is having a difficult time right now at home. It’s not against the law to run away, but it’s a status offense. You don’t say where your friend would stay when they run away, but shelters will generally have to notify your friend’s parents after a couple of days. Also, it’s illegal to for anyone to harbor a runaway. If your friend’s parents file a runaway report for your friend this will compel the police to bring your friend back home -- especially if the parents know where he/she is.

We are not legal experts, but generally to attend school, you’ll need a parent or legal guardian to register -- or at least their written permission.

Another option could be to look into the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act which ensures educational rights and protections for youths experiencing homelessness. To get some help to see if your friend qualifies for this assistance, please use this link and scroll down to the bottom of the page to locate the “State Coordinators for Homeless Education” for the state your friend is planning to run away to: https://nche.ed.gov/states/state_resources.php

Thank you again for reaching out to us and for being so supportive of your friend going through this difficult time. If your friend has any concerns about leaving home that he or she would like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to call us at the National Runaway Safeline. You can reach us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Hello, I was wondering if someone were to run away from their home, can they still go to school if that person were to run away to a different state? I'm not planning on running away, I'm just asking for a friend

[ccsmod16]

Hi Lily, thanks for reaching out today. It was smart of you to reach out before running away. There is a lot to consider, which it seems like you realize based on your questions, good for you!
One major thing to consider is runaway reports. Since you are a minor, if you leave without permission from your parents, they can file what is called a runaway report with the police. It isn’t illegal to runaway and this report does not go on your permanent record, but it is a status offense due to your age. If the police come into contact with you, they will likely return you home unless there is some danger. Thinking about how your parents would react and if they will contact police is something big to consider as you think about leaving!
As far as getting a birth certificate goes, you would need to contact your local Vital Records and request it through that. If you aren’t able to ask your parents for your birth certificate or ask for their help on getting a new one, another family member may be able to request one for you from vital records. Here is a link that may help with that: http://www.scdhec.gov/VitalRecords/BirthCertificates/.
You may also consider where you will go, how you will make money, how will you get to and from school, how will you go to the doctor and dentist when you need to? There is something in place to make sure homeless youth can still go to school called the McKinney Vento Act. Here is the contact information for the liaison in your area: Linda Mirabal-Pace 803-734-6010. We found that at https://ed.sc.gov/finance/grants/scd...ren-and-youth/. You can contact her and ask how you could go about staying in school.
Before leaving, you may consider talking to a teacher or guidance counselor about what is going on that is making you think about running. They may be able to help you think of things you previously had not. You may also consider other options such as staying with another family member or friend’s family. We are here 24/7 at 1-800RUNAWAY. Call us anytime and we will be happy to discuss options and things before you leave. We can also conference call between you and your parents if you think having a conversation with them can lessen the need to leave. We would serve as an advocate for you and be a neutra party which is often helpful in stressful conversations! You can reach us 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929. We are also here for you if and when you do choose to leave. Call us anytime or live chat us on our website in the afternoons or evenings. You are smart for reaching out and we hope all the best for you! You are not alone!

Hi, my name is Lily and i'm 14 and i'm wanting to runaway. But I have no idea where my birth certificates are and my ID is. Is there some place I can get to to get my ID? (I live in SC) And what all do I need to run away? Where can I go? Can I still go to school? I dont have a phone but I need to get one. Is there any way that is possible?

[ccsmod3]

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. It seems like you are currently in a tough situation with how you have described your feelings of where you live now. We are here to help and listen and see how we can help you through this. You’re asking great questions and it sounds like you’re thinking about how you might survive if you decide to runaway (ID, food, shelter, money, safety). We are not legal experts and am not sure what the travel rules with airlines are with minors. It may be good to look at the online to see what ID they require for youth your age. It is good to have ID to have access to resources. It is important to be aware, that with most shelters, if they are in taking a youth, a parental consent may be required. If you reach out to us through phone call or chat, we can notify you if that is the case for shelters.

We would need to know a little more specific information to be able to find a place you resource close enough to where you could still attend school. Just so you know if you would like to discuss your situation more in depth you can contact us immediately at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are a completely confidential hotline that is available 24 hours a day. There is always someone available to provide support, discuss options, and find resources in your area if needed. We also have an online crisis chat set up that is currently available from 4:30p to 11:30p CST.

You may want to know some legal information about running away and maybe answer some of your tracking questions. We are not legal experts, but we can give you some general information. Running away in most of the U.S. is not a criminal offense, but rather a status offense, like breaking curfew. Therefore, it is very unlikely you will be arrested or detained for running away. Whomever houses you while you are a runaway can be criminally responsible for harboring you. Your parents can file a runaway report on you with the police, and if they do this, the police can order you to return home if they encounter you. This information may be helpful for you since your thinking about leaving home and places to stay.

We wish you the best of luck and please feel free to reach out by chat or phone to retrieve specific questions, as we are open 24/7, 365 days a year.

NRS

Hi i’m 15 and running away and i was wondering if you could help me figure out the places i could stay and live and be happy and get away from all the pain and drama i live in now. I plan on going to school still i just need to figure out a living situation. Also, i was wondering if you knew a form of id i could use at 15 to get on plane. I don’t have a drivers license but maybe school id something? I have a passport but it’s out of date (expired march) but if it’s just if id would it work? Also, do you know what important documents i might want to take with me if i have access (like birth or medical or something)? also, if i bring my phone, what are my chances of being tracked even if i turn off location services and everything. or if i just turn it all the way off from time to time