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

[Guest]

Hi, I'm 17, I came from Ecuador and I'm staying with my uncle who is my legal guardian but lately we have been having some issues and I don't feel confortable living with him anymore so I told my uncle that I'll be at my cousins house who is 20 years old so I left home and have been staying at my cousins house for 3 weeks. My uncle wants to put a demand on my cousin because I have been staying at her house and don't home. My parents are in Ecuador and they want me to go back but I don't want to go based on that I came from Ecuador because my dad was to aggressive with me and he use to hit me so much with no reason so that;s I came from Ecuador now I don't have a good relationship with my uncle and don't want to be at his house anymore, so they want to force me to go back home and force me to go to Ecuador were I do not feel safe. I want to stay at my cousins house but my parents neither my uncle would agree and I don't know what to do because I don't want to go back home, I feel safe and confortable at my cousins house. I would like to know what I can do in this case? can you help me? I'm in NJ.

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot with your dad and now your uncle. You never deserve to be abused and it’s not okay that your family has treated you this way. You deserve to feel safe in your own home.
Since you are a minor, you would need permission from your legal guardian to stay elsewhere. Since you’ve left without permission, your uncle would have the right to file a runaway report and if the police are able to find you, they may return you home. However, if your uncle does not file a runaway report the police would not look for you. There is also the possibility that the police will choose not to pursue you since you are close to being 18. Your best bet might be to call your local non-emergency police line and ask if they accept runway reports for 17-year-olds. If you’re not comfortable doing that, we can also call out for you if you give us a call.
We’re uncertain if this applies, but if you’re being abused by your uncle you have a right to file an abuse report. You can do that by telling a teacher, a guidance counselor, or your local police. You can also file an abuse report on your own by calling the National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453. If you need help figuring out your next steps, locating resources, or connecting with shelters, please feel free to give us a call. Our number is 1-800-786-2929.
We hope that you have found this information helpful. We encourage you to give your feedback on our services at the survey link below our response. Thank you again for reaching out and we wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

heyy im 18 year old and im haitian and i want to move out but my parents dont and can they really cancel my green card can they really do that

[ccsmod5]

Hey,
Thanks for writing in. It sounds like you’re in a tough situation. We’re not legal experts, but generally speaking if you are a legal adult (in most states, that would be 18 years old) you can move out. Your parents should not be able to “cancel” your green card. If you wanna talk more specifically about the situation, please feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-786-2929. Best of luck.
NRS

[Guest]

Im 20 years old and am thinking of running away from home can my parents psychcally force me to stay and if they call the police can they do anything.

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

At 20 years old, you are usually considered a legal adult and can make your own life decisions without your parent's permission including where you live. In most states, you became an adult and had those rights at 18. If you are worried about your parents getting police involved, you can always call your local non-emergency police station and ask what they would do if your parents tried to report you as a runaway or tried to force you to stay at home. You can also always call 911 if your parents do try to get physical with you when you leave or if you need an escort, it is never okay for them to get physical with you.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk through your situation, and help with brainstorming your options.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Guest]

I'm a 16 year old about to turn 17 in March. My mom and I do not agree and she constantly threatens to hit me, but never goes through with it. I'm sick and tired of the threats and wish to move in with my biological father in Missouri. Am I allowed to runaway from my home in Texas without my dad being charged with parental kidnapping? I plan to leave next Monday with him if he does not get into trouble. My school counselor does not help nor assists with this information as my mom is friends with many people at school. If she were to find out that I am attempting to leave she said she would send me to military school. She constantly tells me that I should allow my step dad to adopt me but I do not want to. I don't want to be taken back to her home because the police will think I am a rebellious teen and will return me to her.

[ccsmod0]

Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your home life is really chaotic and you would like to and live with your father. While we are not legal experts you do make a good point about parental kidnaping. We have heard of this term being used before but since we are not legal expert we cannot say, that, that is what could happen. If you would like you can give us a call and we can look into some legal representation that might be more suited to answer your questions. We cannot imagine how difficult it must be to be for you to be caught between two parents.

We want you to know that you do not deserve to be treated the way they have been. A smart and resourceful person like you should be giving the utmost respect. You mentioned that you have opened up to your school counselor about these issues but they never seem to take your side. It must be frustrating to have your mothers influence the people around you. You can always call us to talk about what you are going through and receive some support. We provide free, confidential, and nonjudgmental services. Everyone deserves to be respected and loved. 1-800-786-2929

[Guest]

Im tired of my mom and the rest of my family. I am 14 yrs old and I want to run away at 16 yrs old and start a rapping career in Hollywood. I want to know will anything legally happen to me like the police trying to make me go back home if my family goes to the police?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have a plan about running away and becoming a rapper in Hollywood once you turn 16. Having a plan about where you would go and how you would take care of yourself is important. We are not legal experts but in most states a person has to be at least 18 before they can leave home without permission. If you decide to runaway at 16, your family 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 decide to stay with a friend they could get in trouble for harboring a runaway. We hope that this information is helpful, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

[Guest]

I’m 16 years old and my mom hates me ! She says i can leave & i don’t have to stay here but she’s gonna call the police to cover her tracks .. will i be arrested for leaving ? i’m constantly getting put down , called out my name , cursed out .. plus nothing ever seems to be enough .. my aunt said i can come over there but .. i just want to know if she does choose to call the police will i be arrested or forced to come home

[ccsmod3]

Hello,

If you have contacted NRS today through another means (for example, live chat, email or phone) for the same issue, it would be helpful to let us know that you have already contacted us. NRS understands it takes courage to reach out for help; therefore, we would like to minimize the need for you to repeat your situation and avoid offering you duplicate services.
Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am 16 years old ....m sick of life m sick of doing mistakes n now I feel I've become a headache for my family I wanna run away ...m from India ......but I have no idea how will my life be after that .....will things be fine

[ccsmod1]

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. Since 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.

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

Im 15 and my parents are going through things. My dad has temporary custody . But when I go to my mom's if I don't wanna go back to my dad's can they force me

[ccsmod10]

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runway Safeline. We appreciate you contacting us in your time of need, it was very brave of you.

It sounds like your parents are putting you in the middle of their issues, which isn’t fair for you and must be really stressful on you. You should have a say when it comes to which parent you’re going to live with. Perhaps you can consider talking to your dad about how you feel. Here at NRS, we offer a conference calling service where you would be able to initiate a conversation between you and your dad. We could help mediate that conversation and explore options, such as allowing you to live with mom, and how that may look like. Sometimes just being able to talk can be a way to open up the lines of communication and see the best way that everyone can compromise. If this is something that you might want to look into, please feel free to reach out to us at our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

You mentioned that living with your dad could also be an option for you. Although we aren’t legal experts, we can speak generally about your situation. Generally, the parent with the full custody has control over where the child lives. We have heard in some cases, which the judge will listen to the child’s input on which parent they would rather live with. You may want to ask your mom about that. We also have a database of legal aid resources, that help youth for free. If you wanted us to connect you with those resources, don’t hesitate call into our safeline.

We want you to know that you do have options. We’re sorry that you had to endure this difficult experience at home. If you would like to talk further about your situation and explore more options, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. You can reach us at our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.

Best, NRS

[Guest]

Hi I am 15 going on 16. Will I be able to leave my home and move in with my boyfriend with out getting in trouble?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us and telling us a little about what is going on. If you wanted to talk more about your situation at home and what’s’ been going on, we are always here to chat. Unfortunately, we aren’t legally trained here so we wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what would happen if you and your boyfriend were to live together.

Again, we aren’t legally trained here so we can’t say for sure what would happen but we can give you our general idea of what possibly could happen. Generally, if a youth is under 18 years old, they are still considered to be a minor so their parents or legal guardians may still have the option to file a runaway report with the local police. But, in some states, if a youth is close to turning 18, the police don’t take a report. Unfortunately though, we don’t know what states do that. Also, if your parents do file a runaway report and the police locate you, they could take you to the police department and contact your parents to let them know but running away is usually considered to be a status offense. If your boyfriend is 18 or older, he could get into trouble for harboring a runaway, or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are a confidential and anonymous crisis line so you can call us at anytime. We can discuss what options or resources may be available to you as well as making a conference call to agencies if you would like us too. Our toll free hotline is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) but we also have online chat services that are available from 4:30 PM-11:30 PM (CST) if you would rather talk with us that way; that can be found on our website (www.1800runaway.org).

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck!

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I’m 15 and unhappy in my home it’s driven me to depression and suicidal thoughts many times because I am so unhappy with my life there. My parents support me so I can’t see emancipation working so I want to run away what can they do legally if I do?

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and really appreciation you sharing a little bit about how you are feeling and what your life looks like right now. It sounds like you are going through a lot a home and we are here to listen to you and how home is making you unhappy.
Also another way you can seek help is reaching out to a friend, teacher, or counselor at school that can help you look for resources. Your mental health is important. You can also look at SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at samhsa.gov or call them directly at 1-877-726-4727 to help you find the support that you need. If you do ever feel in direct danger, to yourself, or some else makes you feel that way, please call out to 911 or reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255).
At NRS, we do offer a service call conference calling, where you can call into our hotline and then we would reach out to your guardian and help advocate for you, help you express the needs of to your parents if that is something you are wanting or comfortable with.
It sounds like running away is something you have thought about running away. We aren’t legal experts, but we have general knowledge about running away. In most states, running away isn’t illegal, but what is called a status offense. You can’t get arrested for it but it will mostly likely go on your record until you are 18. The police will only know if you have runaway if your parents/guardians file a police report. We can’t say for sure how the police will respond, but we hear a lot that police will take potential places you might be and will actively search for you. If they come across you, the most likely will return you home to your parents. Sometimes we hear that if you are staying with someone who knows you are a runaway and are not actively trying to return you or finding shelter for you, your guardians can press charges against the people who are housing you, with something that is called harboring. One of our main goals is to make sure you are safe, so you ever seriously decide to run away and need shelter, resources, or a safe place to go you can find safe locations at nationalsafeplace.org or reach out to us directly and we can find local resources in your area.
We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Please feel free to call into us directly as we can talk further about your situation and find resources that are best for you in your area. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY we are open 24/7.
We hope this response was helpful! We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey.

Tell us what you think about your experience!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

Hi I'm 16 years old. Is it possible that I can runaway? I don't feel safe at home. My parents are always saying they will call the police even though I'm just in my bedroom. If I runaway to my boyfriend's house, could he possibly get into trouble?

[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, if you run away and your parents file a runaway report you could be returned home if found. There could also be legal consequences for your boyfriend and his parents or whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. If you want to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) a liner could help walk you through your options and talk through what you think would be best for you. We want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home. If there is any sort of abuse or neglect going on at home you can also reach out to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 to ask about the process of reporting or about what else you can do in your situation. Don't hesitate to give either of us a call so we can figure out how we can best help.

Stay safe,

NRS

We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: We care what you think

[Guest]

Hi, Im 16 and want to go live with a friend and her parents. Her parents want me to live with them. Can I get thrown in juvy or get in serious trouble for it? my parents don't beat me or anything, but I want to leave.

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for writing in. We are not legal experts, but to our knowledge you must be at least 18 to leave home without your parents’ permission. If you do choose to leave without permission, your family could file a runaway report and if the police find you, they will return you home. Beyond that, there are not usually legal repercussions for running away (i.e. no “juvy” and usually no “serious trouble”). However, if you’re looking to avoid confrontations with police, you might consider asking for your parent’s permission. If you wanna speak more specifically about what’s going on, please feel free to reach out to us by phone at 1-800-786-2929. We hope this was helpful and we welcome your feedback of our crisis services at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think
Stay safe!

[Guest]

I am being strictly forced under a Christian household, I don't want to be a part of this religion, and I am 15 years of age. Because of the strictness of my mom, I really want to runaway. But I would just be forced back home anyway, wouldn't I?

[ccsmod5]

Hey,
Thanks so much for reaching out. It’s really frustrating to be in a home that is strict and that forces you to be a part of a religion you don’t want to be a part of. It sounds like you want to run away. We are not legal experts, but we can say that if you are under 18, your mom has the right to file a runaway report and if the police find you, they will return you home. If you would like to talk about other options, locate resources, or figure out your next steps, please feel free to reach out to us by phone. We’d be happy to listen and help as much as we are able. Our number is 1-800-786-2929. Our lines are open all day, every day. We wish you the best of luck.
If you have a minute, we encourage you to give us your honest feedback of our forum services at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think
Stay strong!