Im 16 and hate living at home if i run away can the police force me to go back?

[(m)ollie]

I am 16 and living at home is just not nice, my parents are horrible to me. I want a couple of nights away, and i would stay at my boyfriends house, my parents have threatened his mum with legal action, and said that I can be brought home by the police until i am 17. Can anybody tell me if this is true, or is this an attempt to scare me from going to his house to stay? I have heard the police will ask me if I would like to return now I am 16, but I would like to know what to believe. please help asap.

[ccsmod10]

Re: Im 16 and hate living at home if i run away can the police force me to go back?

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are ready to leave home but want to make sure you are legally safe first. Just to let you know, we are not legal experts since we are not lawyers. However, we can try and answer your questions as much as possible. Technically it is not against the law to run away. In most places it’s considered a status offence. However, anyone that you are caught staying with could be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. It sounds like your parents would want to press charges against your boyfriends’ parents if you were to run to his house.

In most places, your parents would be responsible for you until you turn 18. If the police are called, they may ask you if you feel safe returning home. You do have the right to feel safe in your own home. You also have the right to go to school regardless of your living situation. Have you ever run away from home before?

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we do not tell you what you should or should not do. We can however look up legal resources in your area, and help you explore options. We would encourage you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY to help you plan your next move. We are available 24/7 and are confidential and anonymous. We can also be reached by live chat from 4:30-11:30pm Central Standard Time at www.1800runaway.org. We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

-NRS

[Unregistered]

I'm rinning away from home.

I'm 16 almost 17. I want to run away from home but I'm worried what will happen if my parents go to the police. Can any legal action be taken?

[ccsmod9]

RE: I'm rinning away from home.

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out and posting on the NRS bulletin board. It is really brave to reach out. It sounds like you're in a tough situation and are trying to think everything through.

We're not legal experts at the National Runaway Safeline, but in general, certain things can happen if you run away. First, your parents may file a runaway report. Running away is considered a status offense. This means that the police can return you to your parents if you run away, but it doesn't stay on your record after age 18.

Have you considered where you can stay once you leave? We can discuss your options with you if you'd like, as well as answer any other questions you may have. We're also here to just listen, if that's what you need. We'd like to help in any way we can. Please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). This safeline is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. If you're more comfortable with chat, we do have live chat from 4:30 pm to 11:30 pm Central Standard Time. You can chat with us by clicking on the red button on our website, www.1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.

Best of luck,

NRS

[sharmaineboo]

how to run away at 16

Hey dis sharmaine and they hit on u what would do and What u would u do text bac

[ccsmod10]

RE: How to run away at 16

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like there may be some abuse or neglect going on. Just to let you know, you do have the right to feel safe in your own home. Nobody has the right hit you or hurt you. You always have the option to contact the police or Child Protective Services. Most teachers and counselors may be able to help you make an abuse report as well. Do you have a teacher you trust? We are also mandated reporters. This means that if you were to call us and give us specific information such as name, location, abuser’s name, etc, we are required by law to report it.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we care about your safety and want to help you anyway we can. We can be reached at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck. Stay safe.

- NRS

[Mari]

Successful runaway

I'm 16 years old and I have a successful business. I own the business but my dad has control over all the money i make off of my business until the age of 18. However I do get a percentage of the money i make monthly so i can support myself financially. I plan on renting a small apartment by my school so i can keep attending my school. I have a 21 yearold accomplice who could sign a lease for me. If my parents find me and the police find me I heard that if I do not wish to return home, since I am 16 and can live in a safe environment. Is that true? Or can they force me to go home?

[ccsmod7]

Re: Successful Runaway

Thank you for reaching out with your questions and concerns. It sounds like you are thinking about leaving home but unsure what would happen because you are 16. It’s good that you are thinking about how to survive and what you would do if you did decide to leave. Do you feel there is anything that would make home a better situation for you? In most states the age of majority, when a youth is considered an adult, is 18. So if you left it is very likely that your parents would have the right to make a runaway report and usually when the police find you they would just bring you back home. If you did want to look into legally being your own guardian you may be able to look up information on emancipation in your state. It may also be helpful to talk with some kind of legal aid resource and see what your options are.

In the end we can’t make this decision for you but we would be happy to talk through safe options and resources with you. If you would like to talk with someone directly about this you can always call us at our 24 hour hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We also have a live chat services available from 4:30p to 11:30p CST. All of our services are completely confidential and anonymous and there is always someone here to listen and here to help. Best of luck and contact us anytime.

[Unregistered]

Is it possible for me to live with me friend after running away?

So my mom and dad tell me I'm useless, dead weight, the wrong child, and tell me that they hate me. I am thinking of living with my friend but what would happen if I do?

[ccsmod9]

RE: Is it possible for me to live with me friend after running away?

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us and posting on the NRS bulletin board. We're here to listen and here to help. We're sorry to hear that your parents say mean things to you. You do not deserve that. It sounds like you're considering leaving home.

We're not legal experts here at NRS, but we can give you some general info on running away. In most states, if you're under the age of 18, you're considered your parents' responsibility. They can therefore file a runaway report if you leave home without their permission. Running away usually doesn't get you arrested but is rather called a status offense, and usually means if the police locate you, that you will be returned home. However, for a person who lets a runaway stay with them, this is called harboring a runaway, and may lead to trouble with the police. One way to find out how your local police will respond is to call your local non-emergency number and ask them these questions hypothetically. Does this all make sense?

If you have any more questions or would like to talk further, feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We're available on our Safeline 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You can also chat with us by going to www.1800runaway.org and clicking the red live chat button. Chat is available from 4:30 to 11:30 pm Central time. We hope to hear from you soon.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

runaway

im 16 and im staying my parents and my lil bro and i wanna runaway from home and stay with my b.f at cape town. his 22..what wil happen if police find us.. do they have the right to beat me..can i choose if i wanna stay or go back home..whay legal actions can they take and what rights do i have??

[ccsmod9]

RE: runaway

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you plan on leaving home and are trying to plan ahead.

We are not legal experts here at NRS, especially not in Cape Town. In order to find out the answers to your questions, one option might be to call your local non-emergency phone number and ask the police directly. Another option is to contact a legal aid resource. One legal aid resource we found for Cape Town is the Cape Town Justice Centre, which can be reached at (021) 426 4126.

If you'd like to talk further about your situation, please feel free to call us. You can reach us directly by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our Live Chat which is open every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST and can be accessed here: http://www.nrschat.org:88/chat/UserP...&d=&u=&bypass=



National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRSOnlineServicesSurvey

[NewLifePlease]

Running away

I want to run away, my home situation is unstable. And I want to run to another state , I don't care about my family they can do just fine without me. But what I wanna know is can I make it? I want to run away and start a new life in a small town where no one knows me , far far away from home. And just completely start over. But I'm only 16. Is this possible?

[ccsmod14]

Re: Running away

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you have been going through a lot at home and we are sorry to hear about this. It has got to be really hard to be living in an unstable home and we are here to help you out the best that we can.

So it sounds like you are thinking about running away and starting a new life where no one knows you. It is understandable that you would want to do this if you are not feeling that home is a safe or good environment for you. You have asked us if you can make it, and if this is possible. Here at National Runaway Safeline we do not tell anyone what to do, because you know your situation better than we do. We are not going to tell you whether you should leave home or stay home, we are just going to try our best to help you stay safe in whatever decision you make. With that being said, do you have a plan as to how or when you would leave home, and where you would go specifically? There are a few things that can be helpful to keep in mind when trying to make this decision:

What else can I do to improve my home situation before I leave?
What would make me stay at home?
How will I survive?
Is running away safe?
Who can I count on to help me?
Am I being realistic?
Have I given this enough thought?
What are my other options?
If I end up in trouble, who will I call?
When I return home, what will happen?

If you would like to talk more about what has been going on at home and your situation, we are here to listen and here to support you the best that we can.

Please remember you can reach us directly by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through our Live Chat which is open every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST and can be accessed here: http://www.nrschat.org:88/chat/UserP...&d=&u=&bypass=



National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRSOnlineServicesSurvey

[Unregistered]

Need immediate advice

My name is David and I'm a trans male, female to male. I am living in a home with legalistic Baptist parents. I have been forced to go by a female name, they monitor my clothes and actions, and they don't allow me to transition, saying that I am sinning if I become who I really am. I am forced to go to church with them or I am punished. I was in a public school until I found out I was this way and I told them. They then pulled me put of that school, took away my phone for several months, seperated me from any and all contact to that school, and homeschooled me in a 'christian environment.' They have stripped me of my freedom and rights and will not allow me to transition. And they force me to be a christian, a religion that ridicules who I am and they misgender me on purpose. I need to know two things. Is it abuse for them to do all this? And number two: is it illegal if I run away?