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

[Unregistered]

Going with my dad

I am 16 and i can't stad living with my mom anymore she is crazy. I want to live with my dad in Mexico can the police do something once i am with my dad.I will escape and meet with him in el paso and then go live with him can the police take me back to my moms house or something or once i am with my dad i am safe

[ccsmod2]

re: Going with my dad

Hello,

Thanks for contacting us. We aren't legal experts here but we can speak in general of potential consequences. If you leave without permission there is a chance you could get sent back. Your mom can most likely file a runaway report for you and the police could most likely take you back. In order to live with your dad legally, the court would have to be involved in order to give your dad custody. For more information, you could contact a juvenile court or legal aid.

Good luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I can't stand living with my parents.

I live with my parents still seeing as I'm only 16 but I can't stand it here. My mom is fine and we have a decent relationship nothing really special but my dad sucks.
He's so overbearing and annoying. I guess they have love for me and only want what's best but I hate it. They always need to know where I'm going, what I'm doing (even
if I'm just in my room). They always need to know everything all the time. I'm not allowed to keep my phone or any electronic in my room at night and when I go to work
it's always where are you? when are you coming back? even though I always tell them. I even have an app for work to check when my schedule is and all that stuff and I
was late home once and my dad had a melt down and started taking our phones and electronics and he even got the app so he can see when I clock in and out and stuff. I
hate living here with him is there a way I can be emancipated or something that would be legal?

[ccsmod2]

re: I can't stand living with my parents.

Hey there,

It sounds like you are interested in emancipation. We are not legal experts, but we can help you get a general sense of how emancipation works. Our general understanding is some states offer formal emancipation statutes while others do not unfortunately. Laws vary depending on your location, but in many states a minor can petition the court for emancipation to take responsibility for their own care before they turn 18. Generally speaking, courts are wary about granting emancipation. In most cases, you would have to prove in court that you have an income and can care for yourself financially, and that you are able to live separately from your parents. It also helps to be in good standing at school. The court will also factor in the mental and physical welfare of your parents in order to establish your best interest. Usually your legal guardian would have to agree to this in court. Once you are emancipated, you can legally choose where you live, but you might still find that you cannot sign a lease or build credit until you turn 18. The emancipation process can take several months or up to a year, and may cost money in the form of court fees and other expenses. Usually, the best way to learn about emancipation in your state is to contact a lawyer. You may also find information at your county family court. We can look up legal aid resources that may be able to help you with the process. Please do not hesitate to call or chat if you have questions, need legal resources, or need to talk. We can explore your situation, go over all your options, and come up with a plan and resources to deal with your situation over the phone or on live chat. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

Best,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I cant live with my parents any longer (15f)

Hey there, i was looking on this website and i just want to have your guys' opinion on my situation and my options. I am a fifteen year old girl and
I'm turning sixteen in less than two weeks. I do not feel safe in my home. I don't belong there. I could go on and on about why I cant continue
living where I am currently, but I'll shorten it for you. My parents have kicked me out and told me to never come back, but then came to get me as
soon as I left and denied ever kicking me out. Also, My dad is friends with all the cops in my town and they don't believe that my dad does some of
the things that he does and they believe him over me. My dad not only verbally abuses our entire family and makes us feel stupid, but he has also
physically abused me, at least. He has just not too long ago, thrown hot foods and drinks at me, anything that is in his reach at me, punched me,
scratched me, and spit in my face. On top of all that, there are other ongoing issues. Some of those include; there is hardly ever food in my house,
my dad used to sell pills, my mom used to smoke pot, my dad constantly is threatening me, my parents fight due to my dad being so controlling, my
dad was suicidal, my dad has physically abused my siblings, my dad drinks all the time, and so much more. My dad has also been manipulating my
other family members and bribing them to take his side just in case I do take all of this to court so he doesn't get in trouble. He bribes them
with money, gifts, and things they desire, along with threatening them. They'll deny all this for his sake, but I know the truth and I hope you do
too.

I think my options to get out of this situation are to either go to the court and try to get myself another guardian until I am 18, or to runaway
until I am 18. The only problem with the court option is my dad could press unruly charges on me and get me taken to DH before the judge hears what
I have to say and my dad can get my family to go against me and make me look like I'm lying. And also, how would I go about to contacting the
courts of Ohio? Also, how long would it take because i cant stay here much, if any longer. On the other hand, if I runaway I can't come back and
I'm not entirely sure where I would go or how I would get there unless its on foot. Plus, there is always the chance that the cops will find me and
bring me back home and then my parents would send me straight to DH. I kinda also am wondering that if I runaway to another country outside of
the US if the police could do anything about me being there, but how would I do all that without an ID of some sort? Or possibly if I could runaway
to a state where running away isn't illegal and/or harboring a runaway also isn't illegal?

[ccsmod15]

Re: I cant live with my parents any longer (15f)

Hey,

We are glad you reached out, it sounds like you are going through a difficult situation and its understandable you would consider leaving home as an option. You don’t deserve to be verbally or physically abused by your father or go to bed hungry. If you feel as if your basic needs are being neglected (food, shelter) from your parents, you have the right to file a child abuse report. One resource that is helpful in providing support and information on child abuse reporting is Child Help USA at 1800-422-4453 and they can take the child abuse report. If you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself you can call us and we can do it for you.

18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case.

Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth. Running away is not illegal in any state, it is a status offense and unfortunately the state that matters in terms of age of majority is the state you were leaving to. In other words, running away to a state where legal age of majority is not 18 (such as 17 or 19), the police where the runaway report is filed is the police that will be contacted. In terms of your question, it could be difficult to cross a country boarder without your parental consent or ID, considering there are a lot of police on the boarders. If they were to find you they would bring you back home.

You are asking some good questions and trying to figure out what is best for you. It is understandable that you are worried of how your dad may react considering his connections. This could be a time where you can turn to a trusted adult and talk to them about what is going on. Here at NRS we are not here to tell you what to do, as you are in your situation and know what is best. A trusted adult might be able to assist you in handling your family situation.

We hoped this helped and if you would like to discuss your situation in greater detail you can always give us a call on our hotline or chat with us on our website. We are 24/7. We wish you the best of luck.

NRS

[LexC2000]

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

I'm 16 years old, and my household is really bad.. My mom makes me clean 24/7 and I get no sleep, I go hungry mostly every night, the things that my mom say to me is completely heart breaking.. She puts me down calls me names and makes me feel like everything and anything I do is not good enough.. There's no heat or hot water here
I want to leave home and go live with my boyfriend and his family.
I can shower, eat, sleep, and be happy and comfortable.
I need to get out before I reach my breaking point.. Please help ASAP!!

[ccsmod10]

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

Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to us! It sounds like you’re going through a really rough time at home and we’re very sorry to hear that you are in this difficult situation. Everyone deserves to be happy and feel safe and supported in their living environment. It sounds like you’re thinking about leaving to live with your boyfriend and we would love to talk to you more about what is best for your unique situation. While running away isn’t a crime, it is considered a status offense. What this means is your parents can file a runaway report and the police are likely to bring you home if they find you. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call anytime at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). Another good resource for you might be Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453, a child advocacy group. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,
NRS

[Unregistered]

im running away at 16

My parents are always hating me and calling me ungrateful... They have had me lie to cps, the cops, and used me in illegal activities...I have been almost killed my whole life and I really want to leave and be safe... My friend is coming to pick me up and I want to live with her... I want to know when I run, will they force me to go back? I'm tired of the mental abuse. And I just want to live a normal life with my friend. I've recently tried to commit suicide because they make me feel so worthless... But they are so good at lying, nobody believes me.

[ccsmod10]

RE: im running away at 16

Hello There!

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now and are very resilient for having the courageous to want to make things better for yourself. our bulletin service. There are many times where youth are goign through similar situations bellow is a great reply from NRS that could apply to you.

You mentioned harming yourself in the past and people telling you to kill yourself. That is wildly inappropriate that they say that to you. No matter what anyone else says your life has value, and you are very important. We care about you and your safety here at NRS, and we really want to see you through this difficult time. You can always call or chat us if you need to talk to someone about these feelings. You can also call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or 911 if it is an emergency. You also mentioned feeling sad, that is understandable when people are saying such awful things to you. Have you thought about getting help through counseling? If you call or chat us we can look for counseling services in your area if you would like.

W want you to know that you do not deserve this. If you ever feel like she might act on these words and you do not feel safe, that you have the right to call the police. You deserve to feel safe in your own home.
Since you mentioned that you want to runaway we wanted to let you know that we are not legal experts nor are we affiliated with the police so we can only speak generally about what could happen if a youth leaves home without the consent of a guardian. Leaving home without parental consent (running away) is not a crime, so the police will not arrest you. If you do leave home without permission your guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime it is a status offence (something that only a minor can get in trouble for truancy, buying cigarettes, etc.) this means that if you have any interaction with the police they will simply return you home. On the other hand the people that you are found to be staying with could face legal consequences that vary depending on state. You can find out more about how runaway’s reports are carried out by contacting your local police department. If you would like we could contact your local non-emergency number for you or with you. Just give us a call and one of our trained liners would be happy to assist you.
We are here to listen and help however we can. 1-800-RUNAWAY


It sounds like you have been thinking of a plan to runaway. Here at NRS we are non-directive and non-judgmental so we are not going to tell you what to do or judge you in anyway. So if you would like to have a conversation about running away and what that might look like, we strongly encourage you to call or chat us. If you do choose to runaway, you want to be thinking about how you are going to stay safe every step of the way.

-NRS

You seem like a really great person and we are here for you.

We look forward to hearing from you and we wish you the best,

[Unregistered]

running away

Im 16 and will be 17 in a couple days and i want to run away i have a way to school and a friends house to live in but my parents wont know anything when i leave. If they do find me and ask me to return home do i have to? And what are the consequences for the person that lets me stay at their house?

[ccsmod0]

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

Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have a good idea for when you runaway but are looking to get a few more answers to your questions. We want you to know that we are not legal experts nor are we affiliated with the police so we can only speak generally about what could happen if a youth leaves home without the consent of a guardian. Leaving home without parental consent (running away) is not a crime, so the police will not arrest you. If you do leave home without permission your guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime it is a status offence (something that only a minor can get in trouble for truancy, buying cigarettes, etc.) this means that if you have any interaction with the police they will simply return you home. On the other hand the people that you are found to be staying with could face legal consequences that vary depending on state. You can find out more about how runaway’s reports are carried out by contacting your local police department. If you would like we could contact your local non-emergency number for you or with you. Just give us a call and one of our trained liners would be happy to assist you.
We hope that this information helps. We are here to listen and help however we can. If you have any other questions feel free to give us a call. 1-800-RUNAWAY

[Unregistered]

I'm 15 and I want to runaway from home

I'm 15 years old and I want to live with my boyfriend who is 18. But my parents will not understand my love for him and they always tell at me and call me mean names if I runaway to live with my boyfriend can police find me and force me to come back home

[ccsmod2]

re: I'm 15 and I want to runaway from home

Hello,

Thanks for contacting us. It sounds like you're contemplating running away and are considering moving in with your boyfriend. We aren't exactly legal experts here but generally speaking if you leave without permission your parents can file a runaway report for you. This means that there is a possibility that the police and your parents can make you go back. If you have any questions or want us to help further, please give us a call or chat.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I am 13

I am 13, and i want to run away. This does sound crazy, but my father and mother are very unfair with consequences and curfew and things like that. I will admit i have never been physically abused at home, but very close to it multiple times. I do not know the legal line between discipline, and abuse, but im pretty sure i am being mentally and emotionally abused at home. My parents are keeping me from seeing any friends, including my girlfriend and family (Not sure if social abuse is a thing). The most social thing my parents would let me do, is basketball practice. My mother is very tight on finances, and my father is a little better in money terms. I have to pay for all of my school fees, with my own money, and sometimes even my own food. My father hasnt worked for about 4 months, and my mother was evicted about 1 year ago, and is currently renting a 3 bedroom house, with 5 occupants. I am wondering, considering my situation, what would legal consequences be if i were to run away and get caught? Would i be forced back into my home, or can i live with a close friend? What are some extra laws and consequences i should take into consideration? I live in Colorado. Thank you