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

[Guest]

Hey, I'm 17 and I left home. And now I live with my boy friend. Is it possible that my boyfriend can get deported cause I live with him and he is illegal? And can my parents also get deported cause of the illegal status? ?

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out, we really appreciate you sharing about what is going on and it sounds stressful what you are going through. Well it depends on what your parents do. Since we aren’t legal experts it is hard to say what can happen legally but the police can only take any legal action if you parents file a run away report. They may not due to their legal status. It may be better to reach out to us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY and we can discuss more in depth what is going on and how we can best support you with resource in your area that can better answer you legal questions. We are here for you and will support you in anyway that we can. Stay strong and you are not alone in this! 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]

I’m 15 and I plan on running away to live with my boyfriend as soon as I turn 16, if I were to leave and my mom didn’t report me to the police is there any possible way that I or my boyfriend could get into trouble?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out today.

Sounds like you are planning on leaving home with your boyfriend, it is smart of you to ask more about what could happen in that situation. Generally, when you leave home without permission your guardian can report you as a runaway with local police and if you are found you would be returned home. Typically, guardians need to file a runaway report for liability reasons if you miss a lot of school or if something bad happens to you. However, if you are not reported as a runaway, authorities would not know that you are a runaway and would not be looking for you.

If your boyfriend is under 18, he also could be reported as a runaway by his guardian. If he is over 18, he could be at risk of being charged with harboring by your guardian if you are found with him.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you have more questions or if you would like to talk through your situation. We are here to listen, here to help.

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.

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

i am 17 i want to runway . i dont live with my real parents but i til see my real mom i really dont like her my godmother is the person im living with and i just cant do it many more i hate life i just wanna died somtime its like the are ********ing stupid i just wanna go live somewhere else how can i live with my mom calling the police saying im a runway?

[ccsmod10]

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you are in a tough situation living with your godmother. You deserve to live somewhere that you feel safe and comfortable.

You mentioned that you sometimes have thoughts about suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255, and they are a great resource to contact and talk through some of what you are dealing with. Their website is suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Your life has infinite value and you deserve to make it through this.

You mentioned that you want to live somewhere else. Do you have any plans on where you will run away to? It is important to make sure that all of your needs will be met in your new location. Although running away is not illegal in any state, if a legal guardian does call and file a runaway report on your behalf, the police are obligated to return you to your legal guardian. It is also possible that if a runaway report is filed on your behalf and you are living with an adult, that adult may be charged with harboring a runaway.

Please feel free to call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us online at 1800runaway.org if you have any further questions or concerns, would like help devising a safe plan to run away, or would like to talk about any of the problems you are having at home.

[Guest]

I am 11 i just cant stay here more what should i do

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re wanting to leave home. Things must be really difficult at home if you’re wanting to leave. Since you are under 18, you’re considered a minor and you need your parent’s permission to leave home. If you leave before that, your parents would have the right to call the police and if the police are able to find you they will return you home. Another option is to ask your parents for permission to stay at a friend or family member’s place. If you want to talk more about what’s going on at home and your options, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929. We’d be happy to talk with you any time. Good luck and stay safe!
--NRS
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 have a friend who wants to run away from home for a few days. She is 14-15 years old and want my family to harbor her. My mom says it's against the law to harbor her without parent permission. First is this law true? And second can she stay over?

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks for deciding to contact us in what must be a difficult time for your friend. We’re happy you’re trying to support her.

We’re not legal experts, but from what we do know, your mom is generally correct. There is a charge for harboring a runaway that your mom could have filed on her if she decides to let your friend stay with you all. It’s a pretty rare charge from what we know, because parents and police have to agree to file the charges in certain jurisdictions, and some police departments won’t file the charge if a youth was being housed in a safe place. That charge usually is considered a misdemeanor not punishable by jail time, but this varies from location to location. If your friend leaves home without permission, and her parents file her as a runaway, and the police find her at your house, then the police are likely to return your friend home (without charging her with anything), and your mom could still be held liable for harboring a runaway – even if your friend only spent one night at your home. If you have further questions about this, you can contact us at 1-800-786-2929, but you can definitely get more specific information by calling your local non-emergency police and asking them these questions hypothetically and anonymously.

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 16 and I’m tired of living with my mom, I’ve lived with my grandma in Florida almost my entire life until my mom took me back when she was settled and mentally stabled. She used to hit and abuse me when I was little but no longer has because she is mentally stabled now. I’ve been trying to love to live with her but I can’t I hate it I hate the fact that I hate my life. She treats me good and I love her so I’ve tried to convince her one last time to please let me go and live with my aunt in Florida where she will feed and I will have a roof over my head and continue to go to school. I’ve presented to her the idea that I could work at Publix this job that provides benefits to highschool employees and that I would be better over there. But she refuses to let me go she said she would think about it but, her answer To me was no. I looked up online if I could leave at the age of 16 but she said that that only applies to children in New Zealand. Can I leave at 16 if I have a stable home and food? Will the police force me to go back to her?

[ccsmod0]

Hi,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you’re faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way leave.
You mentioned that you want to live with your aunt but your mother is not willing to let you go. Perhaps you can consider using our conference calling service, this is a service where you would call us and we would hold a conference call between you and your mom to talk about how both sides are feeling. We would serve as mediators, we are not here to necessarily choose sides but rather help come up with a solution that would make the situation at home better. This might be helpful to you if you have concerns about your mom not listening or not being open to hear what you have to say. If you feel like this is a service that you would find useful you can give us a call and one of our trained liner will be happy to assist you.
You questioned if you could leave home if you have a safe place to go. We are not legal experts but generally speaking a person is not considered an adult until they are 18. This means that their guardians are legally responsible for them. So the parent is required by law to provide for the youth (food, shelter, school, etc.) If they fail to do so then they can face legal consequences. This also means that the youth cannot live anywhere else without parents’ consent. There are exceptions to this rule but those include getting the court involved such as emancipation or Child Protective Services removing the parent’s rights.
Additionally, having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
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: We care what you think
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.

[Guest]

hi, my name is ***** and I'm thinking of running away from home to escape a stalker, bullying, and peer pressure. where i live, running away is somewhat illegal, since i am twelve, but i cant take this anymore.

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us about these problems that are going on where you live. We understand how this could be difficult for you, and how these situations could motivate you to leave home. We don’t judge people who want to run away. We want to provide these people with information that can help them decide which decision is best for each of them. Hopefully this message can help you out.

Having a stalker while also facing bullying and peer pressure sounds like it could be very damaging. It’s unfortunate that you’re in this situation. We want to help you stay safe, so we definitely encourage you to reach out to 911 for emergency services if you feel like your stalker or bullies ever endanger your safety. We also encourage reaching out to trusted adults about facing bullying and a stalker, as these situations can quickly become dangerous.

Some of your post mentions legal matters. We aren’t legal experts and don’t pretend to be. Usually we hear that running away is a status offense in the U.S., though, which would mean that if you left home, the most that would happen to you is having to be returned home to your parents. It’s very unlikely you would be arrested for running away, even if you’re 12. However, you may be correct that it is illegal to run away in your area. We can call out to your local police department and ask them some questions about running away on your behalf if you call us at 1-800-786-2929. This way, you can be surer about the penalties for running away in your area.

We encourage you to really plan for your safety if you do end up running away. You will probably be safer if you have an idea of where you can get food, where you’ll spend nights, and how you’ll attend school as a runaway. We can help you develop a plan for maintaining your safety as a runaway if you call us at the number listed above.

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]

HI my name is Haley 15 years old my life is stress full at all times i feel like my hole world is angst me it feels dark at times my mom is trying her best i know she but i just need to know if like when my mom says u mite go back to heartland is she just saying that to scare me or something is that true

[ccsmod10]

Hi Haley, thank you so much for reaching out. It sounds like you're facing a troubling situation.

Unfortunately, we are not legal experts, but it could be a possibility. Having a conversation with your mom could be an option to find out if she is serious. We offer a conference call service. Having that kind of conversation can be really scary but we can be there with you and mediate that conversation.

It sounds like you are really struggling, just know that you are not alone and that there are people willing to listen to you and offer support. We are available 24/7 at 1800RUNAWAY so feel free to reach out at any time.

[Guest]

Hi Im 16 i wanna leave my house and go to my boyfriends house to start a new life I am currently pregnant with his kid and I think going to live with him is the best for my kid can my parents force me to come back? What are my rights? Can I fight to stay there?

[ccsmod5]

Hey,

Thanks for reaching out. You asked some good questions and while we’re not legal experts, we can try to give you some general information. Ultimately, you may want to speak with a lawyer for more specific answers. It sounds like you’re pregnant and want to live with your boyfriend because you believe it’s best for your kid. It’s great that you’re trying to consider what is best for your child! Since you are a minor, there are two ways that you can live with your boyfriend:

1)With parental consent: If your parents are willing to let you stay with your boyfriend, then there is no issue. However, if they don’t give consent, unfortunately they are able to make you return home. Your parents would have the right to file a runaway report with local police and if you leave without permission, the police will return you home.

2)You can seek to be emancipated. This process varies from state to state, but generally you would need to prove you are able to support yourself financially and socially without the care of your parents. It can help to have other adults who have interacted with you in professional capacities (like a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, nurse, doctor, or lawyer) to vouch for you.

If you have more questions about your right as a parent, you might consider calling the Planned Parenthood hotline: 1-800-230-7526 or going to plannedparenthood.org.
Thank you again for reaching out. We hope this was helpful and we encourage you to reach out by phone if you need additional resources or need help figuring out your options. Our number is 1-800-786-2929 and our lines are always open. If you have a moment, we'd appreciate your feedback of our crisis services at the following link:

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

Stay safe!

[Guest]

Im 15 and want to live with my dad in another state but my mom wont let me. Im wondering if there are any resources that could help me get from delano california to tulsa ok for free if i runaway.

[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 we can tell you that because you are a minor, if you leave home 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 run away. If you want a liner to help you walk through other options like us mediating a conference call between you and your parents, thinking through possible adults that you could turn to or could advocate for you, or things like emancipation and legal aid numbers, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). You could also get help asking about the nature of your custody to see if you have any rights to live with your dad. You can ask your dad about it or you can reach out to Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 to get some legal advice.

Good luck,

NRS

[Guest]

I live in nys my 16 yr old friend wants to live with us could the police bring him back or get my guardian arrested

[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 your friend runs away and his parents or guardian file a runaway report, they could be returned home. There could also be consequences for whomever they stay with for what is called harboring a minor. If they need help sorting through their options, you can encourage them to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929.

Best,

NRS

[Guest]

Hi my name Ben I live in children home I just wanted say is there way to leave with out social workers getting involved I am 16 years old I just asking thanks

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline.

We are not legal experts, but generally speaking if you leave home and your guardian files a runaway report, you could be returned home. Do you have anybody at school or another friend or adult that you can turn to right now? If not, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 and we could walk through your different options to make your situation better. We're here to listen, here to help.

NRS