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

[Guest]

hey i am 15 about to be 16 in june, i have planned my runaway for months and i found a job and i was wondering if there is any place or community that would help with housing for runaways? or any kind of help?

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for reaching out to us. We are very sorry to hear that you are in this tough situation, but we are glad that you reached out to us. This is very brave of you to seek out help when you need it.

You mentioned that you have been planning to run away for months and are looking for resources that may be able to help you. Again, we are sorry that the situation at home is so difficult that you consider running away as your only option. Now, we are not legal experts here at NRS, but we do have some limited knowledge. We can start off sharing that that limited knowledge regarding running away. Running away is not illegal, it is considered a status offense. A status offense is basically something you should not do because you are not an adult yet. And anytime you leave your parent or guardian’s home without their permission is considered running away. If you do decide to leave, and your parents/guardians file a runaway report, the police will look for you. They will NOT go door to door trying to find you, but if you come into contact with them, they may take you back home. Typically, they will ask you why you ran away from home and if there was any abuse going on at home; this is a good time to disclose any abuse if there has been any. Your local police department is a very helpful resource, as well. You can call their non-emergency phone number and ask them if they have any resources they can refer you to. Remember, if they start to ask for any personal/identifying information, you can always tell them you do not feel comfortable sharing that information if you do not feel comfortable doing so.

You also wanted to know if there was any community or place that helps runaways. We here at NRS are one of those agencies that help runaway youth. We provide referrals to shelters, transitional living programs, mental health specialists, health clinics, legal experts, practically anything. If you were hoping to get a resource specific to your area, you will need to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY so we can further assist you. In addition to all these awesome resources, we are here if you just need to vent or someone to talk to.
Again, thank you for reaching out to NRS. We are sorry to hear about the tough situation that you are in. We are glad, though, that you reached out for help. We hope that the options we offered you are helpful. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or start a live chat with us online. We wish you the very best of luck and we hope that everything works out for you. We are here to listen, we are here to help.

Best,

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 can't do this anymore, I don't feel like I belong here i don't feel comfortable in my own home so I've been thinking about running away somewhere just for the summer until I get my head straight anyways the question to have is....were is the best place to go when you want to run away

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out. It sounds like you’re wanting to leave home for a summer. To our knowledge, you generally need to be a legal adult (in most states, this is 1 to leave home without your parents’ permission. Another option that you might consider is talking to your parents about the possibility of staying elsewhere for the summer—perhaps you might discuss what you can do to make your parents feel that you’re able to do more on your own, and what your parents can do to support you in that. If you think that isn’t going to happen, it could be a good idea to have another adult there to help you have that conversation, like a teacher or guidance counselor. Here at NRS, we also facilitate conference calls between youth and their parents, so if you ever need help having a difficult conversation with your parents, we are here to help! With that being said, we understand that you may be uncomfortable doing this and would prefer to leave without permission. Some options are staying with a friend or a family member over the summer, going to a community safe place, or perhaps staying at a shelter. Keep in mind that if you go to a shelter, that shelter would need to give their best effort to contact your legal guardians.
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]

Help : my 16 yr old grandson left home, how can I help him

[ccsmod11]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you're concerned for your grandson. Unfortunately it's not safe for us to provide local resources that may help you out over the forums for safety concerns, so please call us at 1-800-786-2929 to learn more about your options.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

my name is ******** and i am 16. i am constantly fussed at about the little things i do and i feel as if they don't want me their. when any of my family members argue it always get's physical. i am also pregnant so i don't want my child to grow up the way i did. my step-father told me today that he is getting really tired of me making mistakes. i want to go live live with my baby's father but i also don't want him to get in trouble. if i was to runaway what would happen?

[ccsmod11]

Hey there,

Thanks for reaching out. This certainly sounds like a difficult situation to be in. You don't deserve to be around physical violence or to be abused, if this is something that is going on. You deserve to be safe and comfortable in your home - especially during a pregnancy. We are able to file CPS reports about child abuse if you are experiencing this in the home. Just call us at 1-800-786-2929. We can also call out to your local non-emergency police to figure out specifically what the consequences would be if you ran away. In our experience, it's usually just that police would return you home or get CPS involved, but that may not be true depending on where you live. Again, just call us for access to our services.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

When I turn 16 I want to go stay with my friend, who will be 19 and is totally okay with it. I live in Iowa. My parents are divorced and my dad got arrested for sexual assault against me. I'm worried that I won't be able to leave, but I really want to. Can they force me to go back and live with my mom?

[ccsmod5]

Hey, there,
Thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you’ve been going through a lot lately. You never deserve to be assaulted and we’re sorry to hear that you’re in this situation. If you ever want to talk about your experience or need help processing, you’re always welcome to call us at 1-800-786-2929. Another resource that could be helpful is RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network). As for staying with your friend, that sounds like it could be a good option for you and it’s understandable that you would not want to return home to live with your mom. We aren’t legal experts, so we can’t answer your question with 100% certainty, as we are only able to speak in generalities. However, you would usually need your mom’s permission to leave home and stay elsewhere until you turn 18. It can be difficult having that conversation with your mom, so if you need help talking to her about moving out, we can mediate a call between you two. Another option is to leave regardless of whether you get your mom’s permission. In this case, your mom would have the right to file a runaway report and if the police are able to locate you they may return you home.
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]

I am 14 and am basically trapped in my own home. I come from a very strict pakistani family who r very proud on their expectations for their children.i have four other siblings. I am the second oldest. I have had enouhh with theur expectations. I cant go outside without them guarding me i canr live my childhod. Thay is why i need to run away to earn my freedom. But i am scared they will come after me and hunt me down. What can i do?

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline and sharing a little bit about what is going. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and especially in a time where you have a really tough and complex situation at home with your parents expectations, feeling trapped, and wanting some freedom.

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/or police 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 if 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]

Hy my parents are not allowimg me to marry with my bf we have decided to ram away he is 19 and i am 18 i wanna ask if we ran away can my or his parent caught us? and same police?? And if they caught us wht will happen to us??

[ccsmod10]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Safelilne and we hope that we can be of service to you in some way.

Generally, the age of adulthood is 18 in most states (Mississippi is 21 years old and Alabama is 19 years old) and this gives you the freedom to choose for yourself what path you want your life to go in. So if you’re considered a legal adult in your state, you’d be able to get married to your boyfriend without having to run away. Your parent’s no longer have legal say over your decisions. If you and your boyfriend left town, it wouldn’t be considered running away. You are always able to call your local police station and double check with them what your states age of majority is also.

We hope that we were able to answer your questions and hope that you can count on us for anything else you may need help with in the future. Please take this time to empower yourself and good luck to you.

-NRS

[Guest]

Hy i am 18 and my boy is 19 our parents are not allowing to marry we have decided to ran away my q is will our parents will be able to caught us and same police and if they caught us what will happened to us?

[ccsmod10]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Safelilne and we hope that we can be of service to you in some way.

Generally, the age of adulthood is 18 in most states (Mississippi is 21 years old and Alabama is 19 years old) and this gives you the freedom to choose for yourself what path you want your life to go in. So if you’re considered a legal adult in your state, you’d be able to get married to your boyfriend without having to run away. Your parent’s no longer have legal say over your decisions. If you and your boyfriend left town, it wouldn’t be considered running away. You are always able to call your local police station and double check with them what your states age of majority is also.

We hope that we were able to answer your questions and hope that you can count on us for anything else you may need help with in the future. Please take this time to empower yourself and good luck to you.

-NRS

[Guest]

Running away


Hi, I’m 16 and I live at home with my family but lately me and my mom have been getting into it. I just feel like I need a couple nights to myself and by myself. Since I’m 16 am I able to leave the house without a parents concent? And if the police were to find me are they able to send me back home?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. From your email to us here, we can see that you have very similar questions to a lot of our callers and you’re looking for some answers. It’s great that you were able to find out some information about our hotline. Hopefully we can help.

Legally you are a minor and under your guardian’s supervision until you are 18 or are emancipated by a court of law. If you decide to leave home before then your guardians could file a runaway report on you. Running away is not a crime, but it is a status offense. If police come across you, as a runaway, you will be detained and returned home. They do not arrest you for running away.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. You are always welcome to call into our 24/7 crisis center, or use our chatting services via our website. However, the chatting service is not open 24/7. So the best way to tell us everything would be to just call into our hotline and talk to one of our trained liners.

Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

What will happen?

if i run away at the age of 16- almost 17- and comr back at the age of 18 will i go to jail or will my parents be abl to do somthing to or about me?

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We’re so sorry to hear that things at home aren’t going well. We’ll do our best to help how we can. We aren't legal experts, but we are able to speak generally as to what might happen if you decide leave without your parents’ or guardians’ permission.

Because you are under the age of majority (adulthood), which for most states is 18 years old, your parents or guardians have the legal right to determine where you live. So, if you decide leave without telling them or against their wishes, they have the right to file a runaway report with the police. This isn’t something all parents decide to do, but it is good to know that it can happen.

When a runaway report is filed, police usually make an effort to find the youth in order to try and reunite them with their family. You won’t be in any legal trouble or at risk of jail time for running away though, as it is just considered a status offense. The police’s main goal when a runaway report is filed is usually to figure out why the youth left home and to make sure they are returning to a safe environment.

If your parents or guardians gave permission, you’d be able to legally move out at any time. But, if you think they are unlikely to do that, there are still a few other options to consider.
One might be to stay in a youth shelter, as parental permission is not always requirement. And we’d be happy to explore this option with you if you wanted to learn more about it.

Another option some youth consider is a conference call. This is a way to sometimes jumpstart a conversation with parents, as one of our liners would also be on the call to help things stay calm and moving in a positive direction. Communicating how you feel to your family is not always easy and we would be happy to provide this type of support if you think it would be helpful.

For additional support or resources please feel free to give us a call at 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We're anonymous, confidential and available 24/7. You can also chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time. We're here to help, talk through other options, listen to what going's on and just be a general support to you.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Guest]

I'm 17 & I ran away about 6 months ago to a new city I wanted to know if I went to go visit someone in jail would they let me or will it show when they run my name

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. It sounds like you want to visit someone in jail. Unfortunately, we are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure if they would run your name. You could try contacting your local police through their non emergency number to ask. If you don't feel comfortable calling the police, we could contact them for you. If you have any other questions or just want to talk, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline(1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

[Guest]

Hi, I'm 16 turning 17 at the end of the month in NY. I want to move out to my boyfriend's house which his parents have agreed to let me do. I have a paying job, will have a roof over my head, food, clothes, etc. I've heard that in NY that at 17 if you have all those things, the police cannot force you to return home. Is that true? And also, if I were to leave say this weekend, would I be able to fight it and stay with them until I do turn 17 as I feel it would be unsafe for me to return home after leaving? My parents, father especially, are very controlling. He smokes pot, he yells and he belittles me and used to do so to my sister until she moved out and cut off contact at 20. My mother easily captiulates to him. They treat me as if I'm 10 still. Being around my boyfriend's family offers more respect and I think will allow me to also work on my own mental health issues without worrying about those of my parents.

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have a question that a lot of our other users have, about being able to leave your abusive household to stay with your boyfriend’s family. We have attached a link to the thread, that we think can be of some use. If you read through this thread we believe that you may find the answers you seek.

https://bulletinboards.1800runaway.org/forum/categories/legal-issues/1736-im-16-and-hate-living-at-home-if-i-run-away-can-the-police-force-me-to-go-back

In addition to being available online, we have a 24/7 hotline and are always here to provide additional support and resources. It sounds like you have a lot to think through and we are here to help you process it. Please do not hesitate to call. 1800-786-2929
Good luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 16 and living with my mom soon to be 17 but the thing is i'm unhappy here I got things planned and I'm pregnant . when I'm here at home I'm stressed because my mom makes me come home and I don't do anything but be stuck in my room I cry too much and I'm always hurting myself here. Because like it's suppose to be the summer so if I move would anybody come looking for me or no ?

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out today. It sounds like you're going through a lot, so thanks for writing to us. We don't know what exactly you mean when you say you're hurting yourself at home, but if you are physically injuring yourself as a means to cope with your home life, please call us at 1-800-786-2929 to talk with us so we can help you process things in a healthier way, and refer you to mental health services if necessary. We aren't legal experts, but just because it's the summer doesn't mean that police won't come looking for you if your parents file a runaway report on you for leaving without permission. Police can search for runaway youth at any time when a report is filed, regardless of the season. Usually if a runaway youth is found by police, the police will just return the youth to their guardian. For more help, call 1-800-786-2929.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 16 and pregnant and I want to runaway from home what would happen if I did

[ccsmod6]

Hello thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to listen and will help in any way we can. 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 are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions. If you are unsure of where you would go when you do run away you can call or chat with us and we will try to get you some resources as far shelters that may be helpful in providing you a safe place to stay. If you do end up leaving home, possibly thinking about your options as far as where to get prenatal care may be beneficial.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be 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: We care what you think

[Guest]

i'm 16 and i can't live here anymore ..my mom is making me a maid.. my parents used ro beat me then they buy me clothes just to make me happy .. i am not happy .. they don't even let me go to the store.. they don't let me have friends .. my brother is making me looking for his underware after he takes a bath with not mentionning that he's making me cooking knowing that he knows cooking.. this is not protection .. this is about trust or being scared that i might figure out something.. but they're my parents i love themm .. i wanna runaway but i have no money no plans .. i have two choices in front of me .. sticking till 18 and going to a college so far away from them or running away and never comeback.. help me pleaasee.. what should i do???

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out. It sounds like you’re in a really stressful situation and it shows a lot of courage for you to reach out for support. You mention that your parents used to beat you; this is never okay and if you believe you are being abused you have the right to file an abuse report with child protective services. For more information on what constitutes abuse and what might happen if you do decide to file a report, you can call Child Help: 1-800-422-4453.
It sounds like you’re battling between two choices: running away now or sticking it out. We are not able to tell you which one you should do—it is an important decision that you have to make on your own. We can help talk you through some options. If you did decide to stay, you might consider talking to your parents about how their behavior affects you. It must be frustrating feeling like you are a maid. If you need help talking to your parents, you might consider asking another adult to help you, like a teacher, guidance counselor, or another family member. If those are not options, we do offer a mediation service where one of our trained liners can help you talk to your parents and have a respectful conversation. If you decide to leave, your parents would have the right to file a runaway report with local police and if the police are able to locate you they may return you home. You might also want to consider the following questions: where would you live, who would you stay with, where would you stay if that initial plan did not work out, how would you get food and money, etc. It can be very difficult to live on your own as a minor as you would have to support yourself on your own. It can also be dangerous to leave home without a plan. Nevertheless, this is an option that you can consider.
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!