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

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I am 13

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like your family situation has been tough for you and you might be considering running away.
We are sorry to hear that things have been hard on you.
Running away may be an option you are looking at but if you were to be picked up by the police it is most likely you would be detained until your parents could come get you.

We are not legal experts so we don’t know what consequences you might face or take into consideration should you run away and be caught.
This information might be available to obtain from your local police department.
If you are interested you might considering contacting the non-emergency number to your local police department and asking about the runaway laws in your state.
In the event you are apprehensive about contacting the police you might consider contacting NRS for a conference call to your local police department.
We can ask any questions you might have while you listen in to what is being said.
How does that sound?

Contact NRS at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929).
Great job reaching out tonight we look forward to hearing from you.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

im 16 and i want to run awau from home...

I'm 16 and whenever I'm home I feel unsafe, paranoid, and suicidal but over time i noticed that when ever I'm not home I feel safe and happy. If I do run away I'd pack important items such as clothing, hygiene stuff, food, first aid, flashlight, and something to protect myself with. I'd go to my boyfriend's house or a friends house but I'm scared of if my parents will call the cops. I don't know what to do but all I know is im always remember my past whenever I see my parents. I'm always remembered of traumatising moments. Please help

[ccsmod15]

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

Hey,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeine and sharing with us some of what has been going on. It sounds like home is not where you want to be and it does not sound like it is safe for you. It must be difficult for you to live somewhere where you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and paranoid thinking. It sounds like you have been trying to figure out where you are safe and have realized it is when you are not home. That is awesome that you were able to do that. Here at NRS we are here to listen and support you in what ways we can.

You mentioned that you have had some traumatizing moments regarding home and your family, and you often have memories of it. It sounds like at times those can be scary and hard to handle on your own. This may be a time to talk to a trusted adult, either at school like a counselor, or a family friend. Sometimes in these situations a therapist can be helpful, as they are trained in dealing with traumatic situations. These are just some options for you to think about in hopes of finding ways to cope. Even talking to a friend may help you in this situation. You can always call our hotline and we can go over other options that you think you might have.

It sounds like you have thought about leaving- where you will go and what you will bring. We are not here to tell you what to do, or tell you what is best. Our only concern is that you are safe. We are glad to hear that you will bring first aid and something to protect yourself with, as long as going to a safe place to stay. Here at NRS we are not legal experts, but we can speak in general terms. We would like to offer you some general information on what could happen if you were to leave. Generally, once you turn 18 you are an adult. If you decide to leave home before then, then your parents will have the option of filing a runaway report. Running away is not a criminal offense for you, it just means that if you are found then the police will bring you back home. It can become a criminal charge for someone that is helping you leave or is allowing you to stay with them.

In regards to the traumatizing memories, if you have ever felt you were mistreated at home you have the right to file an abuse report with your state child protective services. If this applies to you, you can call Child Help at 1800-422-4453 and file an abuse report. No one deserves to be traumatized in their home, especially by their parent or family members.

Another resource we would like to offer you is for when you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. This is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1800-273-TALK. They are there to support and talk to you when you are going through those feelings or behaviors. It can be scary to have to go through those, and they will not hang up the phone until you feel safe.

We hope this helped and if you would like to discuss your situation in greater detail you can give us a call on our hotline or chat with us on our website. We look forward to hearing from you and we wish you the best of luck.

NRS

[Unregistered]

16 in utah and want to run away

Im 16 almost 17 and me and my parents dont get along. Theres constently fighting and yelling. They are constently saying how horrible i am how im useless how im stupid, they wish they never had me ect. I dread going home ever so i went out and got 2 jobs, i also still go to high school. When i am home its never good and makes me want to go do bad things or go and like drink so that i dont have to feel the pain. I brought up the situation of me moving out and they basically told me im f***ing crazy stupid to even think about it. So if i were to run away could they legally make me go back?

[ccsmod15]

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

Hi there,

We are glad you reached out, it sounds like you are in a really difficult situation with your parents right now and we are here to support you. You don’t deserve to be told you are useless or stupid, and that must be really hurtful to hear from them. You sound like you work really hard, considering you have two jobs and are still in school. It is reasonable to want to feel safe and happy where you live. It’s good you have made efforts to try to spend more as much time as you can away from home so you don’t have to feel pain or feel the want to do bad things.

While we are not legal experts we can provide you with general information. Generally in the United States you do have to be 18 years old to leave home without your parents’ permission. Your parents would have the ability to file a runaway report. Running away is a status offence meaning it is illegal to do because of your age but you cannot be arrested or charged. One thing to keep in mind is whoever you may stay with (friends, family) could be arrested for harboring a runaway which is a misdemeanor offence.

It sounds like you have already taken steps to spend time away from home by finding jobs to keep busy. If your parents won’t let you move out, would they consider letting you spend weekends with friends or family members in a compromise? It sounds like you are going through a lot right now, it may be helpful to reach out to someone like a school counselor or social worker that may be able help support you in talking with your parents. If you would like to talk more in depth about your situation we are available 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY where you can remain confidential.

Best of luck,
~NRS

[Unregistered]

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

i'm 13 and i want to run away from my casa but im not sure if they'll make me come back. Can my parents force me to come back ever again ? im leaving forever and im never coming back .

[ccsmod8]

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

Hello there –

Thank you for reaching to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. We hope that by helping you on our public forum that others that might be in similar situations or the same questions, can read through and find our reply helpful.

We answer this question a lot on this forum and you have probably read through the other threads that ask the same question you are asking right now. So like we tell a lot of our callers and/or people that email us, the laws on that specific subject of just leaving home and/or running away vary from state to state. We are not at all legal experts so what we tell you may or may not be what will happen to you specifically.

Generally what typically happens in each state is if you are below the legal age of majority (18 in most states except Alabama and Nebraska [19 or upon marriage], and Mississippi [21]), your parents would be able to make a runaway report in the event that you do run away. The only thing that would happen is that the police will pick you up and bring you back home especially since you are only 13 years old.
If your parents successfully file a runaway report, your parents can press charges on that family that you are staying with for harboring a runaway, but only when they are not giving accurate information on your whereabouts. So basically if they were helping you hide from the police and covering up for you. That could lead to a number of different legal issues such as misdemeanor charges (fines or jail charges). In the event that you didn’t have anywhere to stay, staying at a youth shelter might be difficult as well because most shelters are required to call a child’s parents or legal guardian if they are under the age of 18 and with being 13 they probably won’t let you stay more than two or three days.

Call us if you need further help.

[Unregistered]

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

My 16 year old daughter wants to come live with me in nsw is she legaly allowed to

[ccsmod4]

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

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the national Runaway Safeline.

In general if the child does not have the permission of their legal guardian to leave home they may be considered a runaway and returned home (This in the case that the youth has been reported as a runaway).
In situations that involve custody the parties may have to go to court in order to try and change the custody agreements.
We are not legal experts so you might consider checking with legal aid resources in your area for custody laws for this situation.

NRS is here to help and here to listen.

You are welcome to call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) to talk and maybe explore some options for having your needs met. We may be able to locate legal referrals in your area.
You might also consider searching on line as well.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 and cannot handle living with my mom.

Can I live on the streets? Why am I not allowed to run away. I won't cause any problems for people, I'm on a just water diet too.

[ccsmod1]

RE: I'm 16 and cannot handle living with my mom.

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. We are sorry to hear that you cannot handle living with your mom anymore, that sounds like a really tough situation.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. Sounds like you don't have a plan for shelter and would be living on the streets. That life can be very dangerous, so coming up with a plan for where you would stay and how you would survive can be really important. You mentioned you are on a water only diet. Getting food when living on the streets is a major concern. If you only drink water and do not eat food, you can get sick or even starve yourself to death. We can help talk to you about your options to deal with your situation and discuss resources and a plan to stay safe. We are not here to tell you what to do and we respect your reasons for wanting to run away and your decisions. However, it sounds like your plan to live on the streets and to not eat any food are very dangerous and unsafe. We are happy to talk to you about your situation and help you figure out what to do next. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 and live in Maine can the police force me to go home

Hello, I'm 16 years old and my house stresses me out and I've asked my mom about me leaving for a bit to clear my head but she won't let me. So if I run away can she call the cops and force me to go home if the person I'm staying with allows me to be there.

[ccsmod16]

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

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your house can get stressful. It was brave of you to ask for support and it sounds like you know yourself well enough to know when you need space. It can more difficult during the holidays too.
You asked about the police forcing you to go home. We aren’t legal experts but if you do runaway, your mom can file a missing person’s report and then the police will bring you back to your home. It sounds like you have a supportive friend who will let you stay at their house, but keep in mind your friend could be charged with harboring a runaway. At the National Runaway Safeline, we do offer support 24/7 and we can also conference call with you and your mother. We could also help you brainstorm some ideas of resources that may help you.
We’re really glad that you reached out to us. It takes a lot of courage to reach out when you are feeling overwhelmed. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us 1-800-RUNAWAY. We’re here to listen and help.

Thanks!

[Unregistered]

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

my dad and my step mom always have a bed and me i have to sleep on the floor and im 16 i want to move out ever night i sleep on the floor it hurts my back and my neck what can i do i was thiking runing away but my gf said i can live there and they have a bed what should i do??

[ccsmod3]

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

Hello and thanks for reaching out on our forum. We are sorry to hear you have to sleep on the floor which does not sound very comfortable. Even at 16 you have a right to report possible neglect to your local Child Protective Services. In many cases, they will offer supportive services rather than remove you from your home. They might even be able to refer to local agencies that can help with the cost of a bed. If this sounds like an option you would like to try, we can also help you with the process and by looking up local referrals based on your city/state.

You also mentioned you are thinking of running away and living with your girlfriend. If there is a chance your dad and stepmom will agree, that might make it easier. We cannot tell you what to do as we are non-directive. However, we are still happy to talk to you about your options. We encourage you to try out our Live Chat later today starting today at 4:30pm CST. Best of luck!