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

[Unregistered]

Can't live like this.

I'm 15, I turn 16 in a month. I live in Florida. I have had a variety of health problems that have all been linked to severe severe anxiety, which prohibited me from attending school so my doctor convinced my mom to let me drop out. I'm currently not enrolled in any schooling, and I have to wait til I'm 16 to sign up for GED classes at my local campus. My mom and her boyfriend have been incredibly strict on me, I can't see friends, I can't even see other family(this is all punishment for me sneaking out with a boy). When I mention to my mom how much I want to get a job she laughs at the idea, and discourages me. My anxiety has gotten so severe that I have been cutting myself and it gets worse and worse. I beg my mom take me to the psychiatrist but she ignores me and tells me I "don't need that poison". So I'm stuck in this house, with no job, no schooling, and basically no life. I have an old childhood friend I grew up with who has offered to buy me a plane ticket to Texas to live with her and her father. I'm a very mature person, for my age so I wasn't too keen on the idea of running away but my emotional state is causing my physical state to start to deteriorate more and more. I've gone days without eating, lost almost 30 pounds, my hair is falling out, it's just gotten really bad. I'm trying to find a way to run away without police getting involved. If I were to move to Texas with my friend I would get a job right away and start working on enrolling in school. Is there any way I can do this with the least amount of trouble?

[ccsmod9]

RE: Can't live like this.

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear about your situation. It seems like you are having a very hard time at home and your parents put unrealistic expectations on you. It also seems like you are being denied important services. You can always reach the National Suicide Hotline if you need someone to talk to about depression, anxiety, yourself harm, or anything else. That number is 1-800-273-8255. You can also contact here at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

It seems like you are in a tough position but it is great that you have this friend and her family to rely on. The decision to leave is never easy. We aren’t legal experts but we can speak generally. If you decide to go without your parent’s consent, they can file a runaway report, in which case you may be returned home. Running away isn’t a criminal offense, it is a status offense, so usually this is all that would happen. Also, the people you are staying with could be charged with “harboring a runaway”, which penalties for vary from county to county. Have you ever thought about having a conversation with your parents about possibly living with a friend? Have you thought about having a third party to mediate this conversation so it doesn’t get out of hand (possibly a friend or relative)?

It also seems like you are in need of mental health and medical attention and if your parents are denying you of that you have the right to make an abuse report for neglect. If you would like more information about what that would look like you can contact here at 1-800-RUNAWAY or Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453. Both lines are confidential and anonymous.

We are sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation. You can always contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are toll free, confidential and anonymous. We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck.

NRS

[Unregistered]

Ok so am I not allowed to leave home at 17 in missouri

So at home I'm having problems I'll be 17 in February and I want to leave but I'm confused am I not legally able to without my dads consent even though the law treats me as an adult ? I already know where I'll be going and I'll be whiching schools but will I just be dragged back home if I leave ?

[ccsmod11]

re: Ok so am I not allowed to leave home at 17 in missouri

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to NRS and sharing your situation. It sounds like things are very difficult at home right now. Unfortunately we are not legal experts at NRS and every situation is different so it is difficult for us to speculate as to what would happen in your specific situation (it also differs by state). Typically you are considered a legal adult at 18 and would not be considered a runaway at that age. To see how your area would handle you leaving home so close to 18 years old you may try anonymously calling the non-emergency police number in your area and explaining the situation to see how they would handle it. I would also encourage you to reach out to us using the NRS chat service (at www.1800runaway.org) or the 24/7 safeline (1-800-786-2929) and we can provide legal resources in your area.

In addition to helping you find resources to help answer your questions above we are also able to help discuss options and find additional resources that may be helpful.

Best of luck,

NRS

[Unregistered]

living away

I really wanna move away from my family's house, for college or something like that. We always having misunderstanding and i just cant take it anymore, i want freedom from them, they just need me to do choires at babysit my lil brother and that is all my worth in this house but my mom wont let me. My life is terrible with them

[ccsmod1]

RE: living away

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are having a tough time at home. We are happy to help in any way that we can. It sounds like you have a tough home life. College is a good opportunity to move out of your house. You might be able to get help from a financial aid office at school to get into a dormitory or on campus housing. You could also move in with a roommate. Moving out of home is a big step, so if you need help figuring all this out, we can help you find resources. You should know that if you are under 18, you might be considered a runaway if you leave home without permission. That might be something to keep in mind. Please do not hesitate to give us a call or chat. Wishing you the best of luck,

NRS

[Unregistered]

I am 16 almost 17 and want to move out

I am 16 almost 17 and want to leave my house. My parent do not accept the fact that I am gay and have a girlfriend. As a result they have taken her away. I can't be at home anymore. Is it legal for me to run away or move out and live with her? She will be 18 Saturday. I also don't want her getting In trouble so I just want to know if that's leagl or not.

[ccsmod1]

RE: I am 16 almost 17 and want to move out

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a really tough situation, and we are here to support you in any way that we can. It sounds like your parents do not accept that you are gay and won't let you see your girlfriend. That sounds very hurtful. Since you are under the age of 18, if you ran away or moved in with your girlfriend, your parents could report you as a runaway to the police, who might force you to return home. In addition, since your girlfriend will be 18, she could risk being charged with harboring a runaway. We understand that this puts you in a very difficult situation, and that you deserve to be respected for who you are. If you want to talk about your options, we are here for you 24/7. We can also help you find resources in your area. We have a national database of resources, including shelters, LGBT centers, and counseling. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

my bf and i are 16 and want to run away

Ok so my boyfriend and i are crazy in love and want to run away because our parents are keeping us from eachother.we have been together for a year and i want to know what the expenses would be and what consequences i would have.would they make me go home if i dont want to go back if i we are able to support ourselves?help!!!!!

[ccsmod14]

Re: my bf and i are 16 and want to run away

Hi there,

We’re glad you reached out to us. It sounds like a tough situation with your and your boyfriend’s parents keeping you apart. We are not legal experts, but it is not illegal for minors (young people 17 and under) to leave home. Your parents can file a runaway/missing person’s report with the police. However, from our experience, each police departments handles these reports differently. Some may come look for you and take you home if they find you. Others may not look for you at all. The only way to know for sure what they will do is to anonymously (by not telling them your name or location) contact the local police department’s nonemergency line. This is something we can do for you if you call our hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY).

As you think about expenses, it can be helpful to consider what you would need to survive. First, where will you live and how much will this cost? Getting an apartment ranges in price depending on where you live vs. staying with friends/family, which could be free. If you stay with someone who is 18 years or older, and your parents haven’t given you permission to stay with them, this person could get in trouble for “harboring” a minor/runaway. Also, if you are under 18, it could be difficult to find someone who would rent you an apartment. Secondly, you would need to budget for food, transportation, basic needs (clothes, hygiene), education/job costs, etc. It can be important for you and your boyfriend to think about how you will continue to pay for all of these expenses.

If you’d like to discuss this more, please feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY 24/7. We're here to explore your options with you and come up with a plan.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Hurry And Reply

If My Mom Tell Me I Can Leave And I Do What Can She Do

[ccsmod3]

Re: Hurry And Reply

Dear Hurry and Reply,

You asked if what your mom can do if she tells you to leave and you do. If you are a minor and she changes her mind about giving you permission, she may still be able to file you as a runaway with your local police department. However, if you would like to go back home and she refuses to let you in, you may also be able to file a lockout report with the police as well. Hopefully that gives you a start and please know we are here to further discuss your situation.

[c.o]

i HATE!!!!! home wanna run away.

My family is making me feel so much stress n we fuss every second of every day I hate it here I wanna run away I'm 16 and the cops can't make me come back but I'm also scared to run away at the same time that I want to.

[ccsmod8]

RE: i HATE!!!!! home wanna run away.

Hello there –

Thank you for taking the time to write to us here at the National Runaway Safeline on our public bulletin board. From the things that you have told us about your current situation it sounds like you have been going through a very hard time right now and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with everything. No one deserves to be treated that way, especially since you stated that you and your family are always fussing with each other. It’s great that you’re reaching out for some help in your situation. That’s really brave of you to do.

Now you have stated that you are 16 years old right and are thinking about running away from home. Unfortunately, here at the NRS we cannot tell you exactly in definite terms on what would happen for someone at the age of 16 years old to runaway. Laws on that specific subject vary from state to state, so our advice would be call your local non-emergency police number to get more information on that. We can only offer a general idea of what can happen as far as what the laws say about runaways. What typically happens is that your parents are able to make a runaway report in the event that you do run away since you are until 18 years old. However, since it’s only considered a statues offense the only thing that would happen is that the police will pick you up and bring you back home. Again this does depend on your specific state laws and police policy.

It sounds like you have given a lot of thought in to what you want to do in your situation though and that you’re a little scared about it as well. If you were to run away, what kinds of things do you think that your parents would do? What is your overall plan (i.e. housing, transportation, financial stability, school options, access to clothes/food etc)? Thinking about some of these things might help you decide on what you want to do and what you feel comfortable with doing.

If you give us a call on our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could give you some support and could potentially help you brainstorm a solution to the issues you are having. We also have an online chat service available every night from 4:30-11:30PM CST that is available through our website (www.1800runaway.org). If you contact us and give us more information about your location and situation we would be more than happy to help you find resources.

[Unregistered]

leaving for good

I'm 15 turning 16 I have to leave my house for my own safety my mom and brother hit and throw also call me stuff to make me feel little about myself. I'm moving to a different state to get away can the cops make me come back to them