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

[Guest]

Hey I'm 16 can I get emancipated when I'm 16 and if I can where can I get it from

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at NRS. It sounds like you are looking into emancipation and want to know more about the process. While we are not legal experts by any means, we can speak generally about this.

Our general understanding is some states offer formal emancipation statutes while others do not unfortunately. Laws vary depending on your location, but in many states a minor can petition the court for emancipation to take responsibility for their own care before they turn 18. Generally speaking, courts are wary about granting emancipation. In most cases, you would have to prove in court that you have an income and can care for yourself financially, and that you are able to live separately from your parents. It also helps to be in good standing at school. The court will also factor in the mental and physical welfare of your parents in order to establish your best interest. Usually your legal guardian would have to agree to this in court. Once you are emancipated, you can legally choose where you live, but you might still find that you cannot sign a lease or build credit until you turn 18. The emancipation process can take several months or up to a year, and may cost money in the form of court fees and other expenses. Usually, the best way to learn about emancipation in your state is to contact a lawyer. You may also find information at your county family court. We can look up legal aid resources that may be able to help you with the process. Please do not hesitate to call or chat if you have questions, need legal resources, or need to talk. We can explore your situation, go over all your options, and come up with a plan and resources to deal with your situation over the phone or on live chat. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

Good luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I am 16, have an open DCF case .They took me out of my home and placed me in shelter care for a week, they then sent me back to my physically and emotionally abusive mother and the sheriff and law enforcement witnessed and have proof of what is happening. I have been back for a week and nothing has changed. I am planning on running away but if I get found by police will I be forced to go back to my mother? A friends mother who has a stable home and been cleared by DCF wants to take custody of me but DCF has taken no action over the past 2 weeks and I no longer want to be in this home.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It must be hard to not feel safe in your home and frustrating that your case is taking a while to process. It shows a lot of initiative for you to reach out and try to improve your own situation.



While we're not legal experts, we have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is our understanding that it is not illegal to run away. If your mother submits a runaway report, it is a possibility that the police will bring you back home, however, if you explain the status of your case, they may be willing to find a safer placement for you.



You can also give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat us at 1800runaway.org and we can assist you in finding shelters while you await DCF to process your custody to your friend's mother.



Please let us know how we can best support you.

[Guest]

I'm sixteen and adopted.Im sick of the emotional abuse i have to face.If i do something right it's like chill and all but if i do something wrong it's like i never do anything right and im such a dissapointment. their so toxic.like today they said a lied and i didn't and so i got grounded.i kept explaining why i wasn't lying a day added on to my punishment.My "dad" came inside and i told him i was grounded for longer he said great make that three days and i literally said why and then it was four days and now it's 3 months. They dont want to hear me talk.There is no love in this house so i dont see the point of mebeing here any longer.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against your family. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
We hope this helps. Please reach out if we can offer any further support.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

what if i want to run away because my parents are being ridiculous, and they hate my boyfriend, and make me choose between a job and a boyfriend. My stepmom has threatened more than once to hit me as well. what should i do?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
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 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.
It is never OK for your stepmom to threaten you with physical violence like that. It might be a case of emotional or in some cases physical abuse for her to threaten you like that, although it can be harder to prove emotional abuse to CPS or others. If you want to know more about child abuse and possibly reporting it you can go to https://www.childhelp.org/
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

[Guest]

hi i’m 16 and i snuck out one night and i got in trouble and my dad’s girlfriend told me to pack my things and leave but she’s telling everyone that she didn’t say that. so i was wondering if i go to texas with my boyfriends sister will i get in trouble. to me it’s not runny away but to my dad it is but he doesn’t believe me when i tell him what his gf told me. i live in washington state and i was just asking. what can the police do if my dad files a police report?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at NRS and we appreciate you sharing a bit about your situation with us. It sounds like it has been very stressful for you living with your dad and his girlfriend. You deserve to feel safe and it was not okay for his girlfriend to tell you to leave.

While we are not legal experts, we can speak generally about what could happen if you left. If you leave without permission from your dad, he can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means your dad can ask police to help return you home if he knows where you are staying.

We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Im 16 and almost 17 to, if i ran away and my parents found me will i be forced to go home?

[ccsmod15]

Hello,



Thank you for reaching out to NRS. We're sorry that it sounds like things are difficult at home and you are contemplating running away.



While we're not legal experts, we have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is our understanding that it is not illegal to run away. However, if your parent or guardian submits a runaway report, there is a possibility that the police will bring you back home



If you'd like to further discuss your situation, we'd be happy to assist. Please reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or at 1800runaway.org.



Please let us know how we can best support you.

[Guest]

Hi, I’m 16 and 1/2 I turn 17 in 5 months, I would like to leave my home that I’m staying at with my parents over some personal reasons, but I have a friend who said I can stay with him I will be safe he’s 17 but has a stable place, and I can get a job to support myself for a bit. But if I do leave with my parents consent and I’m not in harms way at all will the police make me go back home?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS. It sounds like you have a plan to leave home and live independently but want to know more about legal consequences. While we are not legal experts by any means, we can speak generally on this.

Your parents are our legal guardians until you turn 18 which means they are legally responsible for you. You are able to move out with their permission and live somewhere else that is safe. However, they can rescind this permission at any time and ask you to return home.

If you leave home without their permission, they can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means your parents can ask police to return you home if they know where you are staying.

We understand that having a conversation with parents about leaving can be very difficult. Maybe there is a family member or another trusted adult who can help you talk with your parents about this plan. We are also available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Do not hesitate to reach out anytime by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or through live chat at 1800runaway.org to talk more about your situation and explore possible options.

Good luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16 and i want to run away. I been beating up when I 10 and got taken away from my mom but got got return back because she won at court and every since then it has not been the same. For 6 years i been deal with a lot of stress and i hate living with my mom. I don't what to do please help.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, 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 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

hey im 16, and im planning on running away from my physically abusive parents my question is if the police find me will they return me to my abusive home?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
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 sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
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.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, My family situation is not very good considering I'm the middle child.. they treat me like trash and they have ruined my mental state... I was diagnosed with depression and they tell me its a lie. they have taken my phone so I can't use it to contact anyone. Every time I cry or I'm upset I get called horrible names and even when I do nothing wrong I get called bad names that are stuck and will never leave. They've kicked me out a few times when I was 15 but they called the police and I was forced to go back home.and they never let me explain myself. My question is now that I'm 16 if I'm staying in a safe environment can I still be forced to go back home?.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us and sharing a little bit of your struggle. It sounds like a really tough time that you don't deserve. Just a couple things we'd like to mention before getting around to answering your question:

1) What you are going through might be considered emotional and verbal abuse as well as neglect. If you would like to make an abuse report you can reach out to us or you can file through your state's child abuse reporting hotline or through www.childhelp.org (1-800-422-4453).

2) You deserve to get all the support you can for your mental health needs. Reaching out to others is a great way to do that. An excellent resource is www.nami.org (1-800-950-6264 or text NAMI to 741741).

As for your question regarding leaving home at 16: the easiest way to leave home is with your legal guardian's permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to them. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.

We are here for you anytime via phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY or via chat at www.1800runaway.org. Please be safe and know that things *can* get better.

All the best,

NRS

[Guest]

Hey My name is Jasmine I'm 16 year old in I hate staying at my mother house she will not let me see my dad or grandmother ,she don't let me go any where but my sister keep trying to help me everyday my sister Ashley google what all can a 16 year old do without parents in it said I can leave home at 16 but I have to return she want me to live with her until i'm 18 my mom will not let me leave .My mom,brothers,sisters and even stepdad beat on me I have when to school with a black eye that my brother gave me he is 20 and I'm planning on running away to stay with my best friend then I can see my dad in grandmother everyday .
I could not have a phone until i'm 18 because they know if I have one would I have proof of been abusive at home and if you from Mississippi I would love to have some run away teen friends I'm running away to my friends house tonight so yet that not even half of my story .
.

[ccsmod6]

Hello,


Thank you so much for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline forum. It’s incredibly courageous of you to share your story and seek support. Nobody deserves to be in an abusive household, and we are here to help. You are not alone. It’s encouraging to hear that your sister is in this with you and is trying her best to help you.


It sounds like you have been experiencing forms of abuse from multiple family members. One option that you have is to visit Childhelphotline.org. This resource can help you with the process of filing an abuse report. Filing this report could quicken the process of getting you somewhere safe. It is helpful to hear that you have a best friend, father, and grandmother that you would like to live and spend time with. If you have any way to contact any of them, reaching out to them and explaining the current situation can possibly make a difference.

You also mentioned that you plan to run away to a friend’s house soon. It may be helpful to know that because you are under 18, your parents can file a runaway report that would essentially call the police to find you and bring you back home. You wouldn’t be charged with anything because it’s just considered a “status offense,” but you would be required to go back home. Unfortunately, parental permission is necessary in order for a child to legally be able to live in a different house than their parent/legal guardian.


You are always welcome to call us at 1(800)786-2929 or live chat us at 1800runaway.org so we can hear more details about your situation and provide you more resources. We are available 24/7 and are here to listen and help.


Thank you again for reaching out to us. Stay safe and take care.


NRS

[Guest]

hi my name is amanda and my mom said if i dont get my act together she is going to kick me out tonight but she is a bully and likes to instigate things.I was wondering if i can go to the police if i get kicked out and ask to be put somewhere safe.But i do not want to live with another relative because they all are toxic like my mom.My mother is so toxic she put me out when i was 14 and when i came back she said next time she puts me out she is going to call the police and file a runaway report.What do i do?

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for contacting NRS. We appreciate you reaching out to us in this really difficult situation. From what we read about the situation it seems like your mom has been mistreating you at home and you feel like you need options in order to get some help. Please know that you should not be treated like that that if there is physical or emotional abuse you have the right to report with the police or our organization in order to get help. Some things you mentioned were that your mom is threatening to kick you out and purposely get you in trouble for being kicked out by her. Some things to keep in mind are that if your mom tries to do something like that it might be a good idea to record her saying it or even screenshotting the conversation on your phone so that if she does do something like that you can have evidence of her saying it. This helps advocate for yourself as you have visual or audio proof that she in fact threw you out. That way when police either try to question why you ran away you can further advocate that you may not want to live there as she clearly just wants to bother you and not take care of you. If you do find yourself without a home please know that you can always call us at (800-786-2929) or use our chat option at 1800runaway.org and we can help provide you with shelter resources near you.

Another thing to mention is if you feel you have been abused in the past or present please feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to help report any abuse to the proper authorities. There is another organization that specializes in child abuse reporting and that is Child Help. You can also reach out to them via Hotline: (800) 422-4453 or online in their chat option at www.childhelp.org.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We, unfortunately, cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

i don’t feel unsafe, but my parents are making me feel like my life is out of my control, i might sound stupid but it’s making my mental health rapidly decline. i need to get out of here but i don’t know where to go or if the police will be involved

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
Thank you for reaching out to us; we are glad that you did. It sounds like things are really hard at home with your parents making you feel like your life is out of control and this causing your mental health to decline.
It is understandable that feeling like running away is an option, but yes, if found, police can bring you back, so running away is a big decision and we can certainly talk about all of it. We can also talk over ways to help you feel better at home. By having a conversation with you, we are able to listen and help.
You can reach us 24/7 by calling our hotline or through our live chat service via www.1800runaway.org
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
NRS

[Guest]

Im jamiah and i'll be turning 16 in 2 weeks. dec 18th. Currently my phone is taken because my parents found out i snuck a boy over.. but they found out months after and now they are doing to much. i fear i wont have my phone for my bday. my phone is my only happiness in this house. literally. being here with or without a phone makes me wanna kms. im always sad here regardless. i wanna get emanicapated but they wont let me get a job or anything. i have no control over my life and its sad. i can never have room to make my own choices and mistakes. i rlly hate it here.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at NRS through our public forum-it takes a lot of courage to do so and we appreciate your willingness to be open with us during a difficult time. Firstly, happy early birthday and we hope you can have your phone back by then to be able to receive your birthday wishes! Regarding your parents, it must be upsetting since you feel that they are over punishing you for something that happened months ago and especially around the time of your birthday. It can be really emotionally straining to live in a household where you feel unhappy, with or without access to your phone, and no one should have to feel this way in their home. You should not have to feel pushed to the point of thinking about hurting yourself in your own home. It might be helpful to reach out to a trusted family member or friend to talk about the situation at home, just so you can get those emotions off your chest.Regarding the emancipation process, it could be some time before that happens, since it is an involved legal process and as you mentioned, your parents don’t seem too willing to allow you to apply for a job. It would be a bit difficult to follow through with this process if you are unable to demonstrate to the court that you can be self-sufficient. This is just something to think about as you are considering the route of emancipation. If you would like to reach out to us directly, please contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) to discuss further your options during this difficult time. We are here to listen and help to the best of our abilities 24/7.

[Guest]

Is it possible to run away at 16 and where should I go?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
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 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.
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