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

[Guest]

Hey I'm 13 and live in houston, texas.

is there any legal way to run away while being able to work to make money. I want to be able to find a place to stay away from home for at least a few years. Solitude isn't a problem.

[Guest]

Im 16 and I want to run away. My parents are emotionally abusive and its just not a great place to be. Is there away I can still go to school? I want to finish school but where would I go and how would I be able to stay in school?

[ccsmod9]

Hello there,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline today. We’re so sorry you’re being abused at home. That is NEVER ok and is NOT your fault. It sounds like home life is very difficult for you and it’s understandable that you’d want to leave home.
Unfortunately, we’re not legal experts here. However, speaking generally, your parents would be able to report you as a runaway if you left home at age 16. Typically you’d need to be 18 before you’d be able to leave without permission. If you did leave home and your parents called the police that would mean that they police would be able to return you home if they came in contact with you.
Enrolling into school as a runaway with an active report may also be difficult. Although runaways and homeless youth are entitled to an education, police could show up at the school you try to register yourself at. It’s hard to say if that would happen for sure, but you could try to call the school you’re interested in enrolling at and see if you’d need a guardian to register.
It sounds like things are so tough at home. If you wanted to report what is happening to you at home, you could try visiting www.childhelp.org for more information on how to report. If you need help reporting, please give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) and we’d be happy to conference call with the abuse hotline in your state.
If you wanted to call and talk about this issue further, we’d be happy to hear from you. We’re available 24/7 and confidential.
Stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I’m 13 and my life sucks my parents can’t do anything but argue with each other and with me and my sister.
And it seems like my sister ones my only support now hates me and what’s me to leave and never come back and to make matters worse my mom is haveing a baby and me and my sister both know that ones it born we will no longer exist so I so I’m going to run away so that i don’t have to deal with that any more my greanny knows and says I can stay with her and I have a little bit of money saved up and she says that I can still have contact but I don’t know I shan’t a know life and a fresh start I just don’t know what to expect I’ve been pleaning A while now to run away but now I’m having Second thoughts and lots of worry’s

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you've been going through a lot and so we want to thank you for tacking the first step to getting help.

We are not legal experts, but because you are a minor, if you decide to run away you could be returned home by the police. There could also be legal consequences for your granny or whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. A few ways to avoid that would be if your parents allowed you to stay with your granny or if there was abuse in the home. If you want to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) a liner could walk you through your plan or talk through different options you have or people you could possibly reach out to for help. It can be difficult to have a conversation with your mom if you feel that there's always fighting. Sometimes it can be helpful to have another adult around when you’re trying to talk to your mom so that they can stand up for you and try to keep the conversation calm and fair. That person could be a guidance counselor, family friend, or any other adult you trust. Here at NRS, we also offer a conference call service and can help you have that conversation with your mom. Let us know if that is something you would be interested in.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to give us a call,

NRS

[Guest]

My mother says hurtful things to me and i can't take it any more so the best solution for me is to run away but the thing is I'm under-age and i don't want to go to a Juvie or anything.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for contacting NRS. Your mom should be treating you better and respecting you. It’s understandable that you’re wanting space from her, words can be really hurtful.

It’s great that you are thinking ahead about what some of your legal consequences might actually be if you leave. Although we are not legal experts, but if you left home without your mom’s permission, she could make a runaway report. Running away is not something you can be arrested for, if the police come across you, as a runaway, they will bring you home. You can also contact your local police department through the non-emergency line for a more specific answer about laws in your area. If you do decide to leave home for a bit, we have a database of resources for runaway shelters. We are more than happy to find one for you, if you need somewhere safe to go.

An option that could be useful would be our conference calling service. You would have to call in and then we call your mom together, to have a conference call. We can try to help you talk through some of the issues with her in a neutral way – and hopefully help her understand how you’ve been feeling.

Take care and stay safe,

-NRS

[Guest]

I’m 15 almost 16 my mom is losing her mind and isn’t stable I can no longer stand living with her or It may get bad if I do much longer I have a good place to stay (grandparents house) but can I get in trouble with the cops for leaving? Would they make me come back home if I feel like something bad is going to happen?

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re in a scary situation and it’s completely understandable that you would wanna get out of there. Your safety and well-being are our #1 priority and you know your situation better than anyone. If you believe that leaving is the safest option, that’s valid. You mention that your mom is “losing her mind.” Without knowing too much about the situation, we just want to let you know that if you ever feel like you’re in danger, you can always call 9-1-1. Another resource that might be helpful is to call the National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453.
Regarding your question about leaving to stay with your grandparents, that might be a good option for you. We’re not legal experts, but generally speaking if you leave home without permission, your mom would have the right to file a runaway report. If the police are able to locate you, they would return you home. That being said, if you let the police know that you’re afraid something bad will happen to you at home, then the police are supposed to investigate that. If you don’t believe your mom will file a runaway report, then this wouldn’t be an issue. Another option would be to ask your mom for permission to live with your grandparents or to ask your grandparents to call your mom and ask. We understand if this isn’t an option for you, though, and we want you to be as safe as you can be.
Thank you again for reaching out. You’re incredibly brave to look out for your safety and well being.If you ever need someone to talk to or to help you brainstorm your options, you can always call us at 1-800-786-2929. Best of luck, and stay safe.

[Guest]

I am 16 and me and my mom fight all the time. i feel unsafe at home because people have made threats to hurt me. I just want to run away, and i would love help because i dont think i can live there much longer. And me and me and my Boyfriend mom have talked about me staying there until things cool off could my mother press charges on him? I really need to know asap bc i hat
e living with her

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline. We are very sorry to hear that you and your mom fight all the time. You mentioned that you feel unsafe at home, if you ever feel as though you are in immediate danger, we encourage you to contact 911. You could contact the National Child Abuse Hotline, Child Help (1-800-422-4453) to report what’s been going on at home and they could also provide you with information on how to transfer custody.

If you decide to leave home without your mom’s permission she has the right to file a runaway report. With a runaway report, if the police find you they would return you home. Running away is not against the law but if you were to stay with your boyfriend, his mom could get charged with harboring a runaway.
It sounds like you no longer want to live with your mom, you could try asking her if she would allow you to stay with another family member or close friend. Another option that you may want to consider is contacting Child Protective Services, and letting them know that you don’t feel safe at home. One final option that you want to consider is looking into emancipation laws for your state.

We hope that this information helps, if you have any other questions or just need to talk please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.
Please be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I also have ques.

[ccsmod8]

Hello there -

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. Due to the fact that we do get a large number of online request, we do have to limit fourm replies to three individual responses to answer any questions that you have or to provide you with a number of means of support. So it’s certainly not a means to communicate to get the full support that you can get if you called in. We are mainly here for support and help find some guidance to local resources that might be able to help a youth through their particular situation and we aren’t here to tell you what to do because you know your situation a lot better than we do. We just want you to know your options and with whatever you choose that you’re safe and not on the streets.

It sounds like you might some specific questions that you want to ask us or maybe find a place to vent about what you are feeling right now. It’s hard to talk to just anyone one about what has been going on. It also might be a little helpful to read through our threads to see if your questions has already been answered by a previous post. Please rest assured that we are completing confidential. So anything that you share with us will stay between us. We don’t ask for any identifying information, unless you want to report any abuse. We certainly want to help you. If you are out of the county we won't be about to help you as much because our services are only for those located in the United States, so we will direct you to another youth hotline that would be able to help you more (http://www.childlineindia.org.in/).

Hope that this information helps!

[Guest]

I am 16 and need to run away.

My family is falling apart and is very destructive. I am tired of the emotional stress and damage it has caused to me and the people around me. I plan to run away but stay with my brother less that 30 minuets from my original home. I drive and I can afford to commute from school and work. Can my parents force me to come home? Are the laws different in Alabama?

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are not legal experts, but in the state of Alabama the age that you are a legal adult is still 18. What that means is that if you run away and your parents file a runaway report you could be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. If you wanted to know more about how your local department handles runaway reports, you could call them and ask about it anonymously to get the most accurate information.

We're sorry to hear about everything that's been going on at home. Do you have another family member, school counselor, or other adult in your life that can advocate for you and support you during this time? Other options would be getting permission to live with your brother or to look into emancipation. If you want to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could look up general information about emancipation for you and connect you with legal aid in your area. We could also explore with you other options you may have to feel safe in your home until you are able to move out.

Let us know how we can best help,

NRS

[Guest]

Hi I need some advice
I want to leave home as my mum has kicked me out as I'm 16 turning 17 next month but I don't want the police making me go back I want to stay at my best mates house but I don't know what to do

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: http://www.childhelplineinternationa...where-we-work/

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

No one deserves to be treated that way, please reach out to the resource listed above so you can get the help that you need.

-NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am 15 year old and is planning to leave when I'm 16. Would I get in trouble if the police found me?
I just can't live with my dad anymore, he is always drinking thinking that I dont notice and he can never afford anything for me when its about school.
I don't want to live with my mom because I always feel uncomfortable around her boyfriend.
I dont think any of my other family members would let me live with them.
I dont know if this is a stupid reason to run away, if it is then i feel stupid. But for me i think that Running is a good option for me

[ccsmod10]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to us! First and foremost, there is no stupid reason for running away. The feelings that you are currently experiencing are real and valid. This is completely normal and plenty of youth have felt similar to you. If you ever need to talk or find yourself on the run, please reach out to us at our 24/7 toll free confidential hotline at 1-800=786-2929.
One thing that might be helpful in your situation is family counseling. Though I can be incredibly difficult to sit down with your family members that you don’t want to live with, often people find that both sides have unresolved issues and don’t necessarily understand how the other feels. Even parents are not exempt from these misunderstandings with their children. If you do feel that this might be a useful option, we encourage you to call our office at 1-800-786-2929 and we can help you find a resource that is local to your area.
Another thing that we offer at NRS is the ability to conference call with your parents to mediate a conversation between you and your parents, while exploring your feelings further. People have often found this can help repair broken relationships and sort things out at home. To do this you would need to call our number directly and chat with us for a little. Our job is to help make those really difficult conversations with your family members, a little bit easier. We can discuss a wide variety of options, including your desire to switch schools.

For people who have been in similar situations it’s important to think about what might happen if you were to leave home. If you parents were to notice you were missing they might file a runaway report. Basically what this report means is that if you were to be picked up by the police or with another government agency, you would be returned home. Running away is a status offense, so if you were caught, you wouldn’t be charged with a crime.

Running away from home is often incredibly dangerous. If you were to leave home it’s important to have a well thought out plan where you can stay safe and free from harm. Though your desire to get job indicates that you are asking the right questions, it is important to consider that many jobs won’t hire people under the age of 16, though each job and situation is different. If are set on running away from home it is important to consider where you might stay. If you do choose to stay with friends or someone else you might know, they could potentially be charged with Harboring a Runaway. Though we are not legal experts and each situation is different, harboring a Runaway is a crime.

If you do find your living situation getting worse or are being physical, mentally or sexually hurt, we highly encourage you to reach out to your local police office, social worker or the RAINN abuse hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

Additionally if you do find yourself running away from home, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-786-2929. We can help you find shelter, stay safe, help you return home, or simply just talk. We wish you the best of luck figuring out your situation.

[Guest]

My age is 17 .if i run away , what actions police will take? I want to be with my bf

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have some questions about leaving home to be with your boyfriend. While we are not legal experts, we have talked to a lot of police and families involving this subject. To our knowledge, a person is not allowed to leave the care of their guardian until the age of majority, which is 18 in most states. IF you do leave home without permission, your parents have the right to contact the police and have them look for you. The police will generally look for you until you are found at that point they will then take you home. You may not get and criminal charges brought against you but the people that you are found with could be charged with harboring a runaway.
We hope you found this information helpful and if would like to talk about everything further you are more then welcome to give us a call anytime. 1-800-786-2929

[Guest]

I’m 16 and my grandma is mentally abusive and makes me feel bad about myself. I just got off probation and if I run away what is going to happen. I don’t wanna be here anymore

[ccsmod0]

Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds you have been having some issues at home with your grandmother and you are feeling like leaving home. It is understandable that you would want to leave a house where you are not being treated fairly. If you feel like you are being abuse you have every right to report it. We want you to know that you do have the right to make a report with Child Protective Services. Child Help USA is an information and referral line that can connect you with your local CPS abuse hotline. That number is 1-800-422-4453. If you ever felt like making a report or needed help, we are here to assist with that. We understand that making an abuse report can be intimidating so if you like we can call together to provide support.
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. Since you mentioned that you just got off of probation, it might be a good ideal to talk to them about what rights you have. They might be able to also help you come up with safe places for you to go.
We hope this information helps you. If you'd like to talk further, please consider calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are available on our confidential, anonymous Safeline 24/7. You can also chat with us from 4:30 to 11:30 pm CST by going to www1800runaway.org and clicking the red live chat button. We hope to hear from you soon.
Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

So im 16 bouta be 17 and i hate living here at home and i wanna leave but what will happen legally if i do

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

We are not legal experts, but generally speaking because you are a minor, if you leave home and your parent or guardian files a runaway report you could be returned home. It is not illegal to run away, but there could be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. One option you would have would be to call out to your local police department and inquire about how they handle runaway reports for 17 year olds, as some states don't take them for a person that close to being considered a legal adult. If you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could help walk you through these things or answer other questions you may have.

Don't hesitate to give us a call,

NRS