17 in texas what do I do?

[Unregistered]

I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't please my mom. Nothing I do is good enough. She constantly mad at me and calling me names like "bastard,fat ass, dead ass, lazy ass". She is constantly telling me I probably won't amount to anything and is telling me I have no common sense. I know texas is the only state that if you are 17 and leave home the police won't bring you back to your parents (well atleast in my town) and I feel like I need to live somewhere else when I turn 17. I can't even sleep bc I'm scared of her. I'm always worried I'm making her mad. I don't think I would be able to move in with any family but I am active in my church so maybe I could talk to the old youth minister and he can help me. The old youth minister arranged for my cousins to live with people of the church when they were my age bc their mom was abusive. What should I Ben do!!!!

[ccsmod10]

RE: 17 in Texas what do I do?

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us during the difficult time. Nobody deserves to feel unwanted in their own home or called bad names. It sounds like you have someone at your church that you trust. Having someone to rely on can make a big difference. We are not legal experts, so we cannot give legal advice or tell you what would happen if you did run away. You do have the right to feel safe in your own home, and you have the right to continue to go to school regardless of your living situation. However, we can hopefully explain what we know about the runaway laws.

Technically, it is not against the law to run away. In most places it’s considered a status offence. Police do have some discretion when it comes to returning a youth to their legal guardians. However, anyone that you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. Does that make sense?
Here at the National Runaway Safeline we are confidential, anonymous and toll-free. If you would like to call us we are available 24/7. We can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929) anytime, or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30-11:30 Central Standard Time. We would like to hear from you and would be help you explore what options you have available to you. We wish you the best of luck and hope to talk to you soon!

NRS