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

[Guest]

hi im 16 and i want to run away, im not happy in this house, i just wanna go some where far away

[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 forum 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]

f14. if i were to get a ride and move states do you think police would ever find me?

[ccsmod15]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have a plan to leave home without consent and are interested in knowing more about police response.
As a minor, if you leave home before you are a legal adult without parental consent and your parents report you, the police will make a good faith effort to find you and bring you back home. We cannot say with certainty if crossing state lines will affect their ability to find you. It is possible that police could investigate where you have gone and connect with the local sheriff’s department in that area. One way to find out would be to call your local police department and ask them anonymously how they might handle your situation. If you call us first, we can help you locate this number and can even call out with you.
We hope this helps. We want you to know that you can always reach out to us for help. We are available 24/7. Our number is 1-800-RUN-AWAY. Stay safe and stay strong.
Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, I'm 16 and I want to run away, its been on my mind non-stop and I don't know why. I still care about my family, but I was wondering if I runaway during the school year, would my parents still be able to be arrested because I'm not in school, even though I'm doing online school during Covid? Also I was wondering where are some good cities to runaway to? I feel like if I was to runaway to a big city, it would be hard for my family to track me down.

[ccsmod0]

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.
The easiest way to leave home is with your parents' 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 your parents. 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 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 would like to look into further emotional support options, you can text with a crisis worker at the National Alliance on Mental Illness 24/7 by texting "NAMI" to 741741.
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]

I'm 16 and I hate being in my house my whole family looks at me like I'm insane and evil I just want to leave can I just leave is that illegal?
l

[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 forum 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]

Am hey I am 16 and my mom said she was going to go jail by hitting me with metal i just wanna runaway till i turn 19

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
First of all, thank you so much for reaching out to us today. We know it can be scary and take a lot of courage to do so. You do not deserve to be hurt by anyone ever.
In terms of running away, it is not illegal to do so. However, if you do run away, your mom may decide to file a runaway report. If this happens, the police may decide to look for you and bring you back home. However, since you are close to the age of 18, it is less likely that the police do go looking for you. Our top priority is that you stay safe.
We are available 24/7 to talk more in depth about your situation and offer resources for places you can go if you do decide to run away. You can reach out to us through live chat at 1800runaway.org or by phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929).
Best of luck and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

hi so I don't know how to work this, but I'm 16 and my mom treats me like crap almost every day. I've been to the mental hospital 3 times in just a year & she's called the cops on me before but I didn't get arrested, cps kinda got involved but I haven't talked to my investigator in a while. my mom treats me way different than she does with my other siblings I'm currently sleeping in my hallway with all my stuff packed. I want to run away to my friends and call the cps investigator but I'm scared ill come back. what do I do?

[ccsmod1]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are always here to listen and help out in any way that we can. It is unfortunate to hear that you are experiencing this at home. We are glad to see you ask for help, and we can offer you support to handle this situation.

It is important to remember that we are not legal experts. You mentioned that you want to live at your friend’s house. Since you are a minor, you would have to live with a legal adult who has custody of you. Unfortunately, since your mom does have custody, you would need permission from your mom to live outside of her home.

If asking for your parent’s permission does not seem like the best option, then you could file an abuse report, and allow CPS to place you elsewhere. Since you mentioned that you already have a CPS investigator, you could reach out to your investigator for more options. They are there to help you. Or, since you are almost an adult, you could file for emancipation from your legal guardian. This would give you independence from your parents at the age of 16.

Again, we are really glad that you reached out to us today, it is not easy to ask for help or talk about situations like this. You are extremely brave for handling this situation, and for seeking out to different resources for help. If you would like to talk more about what is going on at home and discuss options, please reach out to us on our 24-hour hotline or chat. We are here to listen and help with any concerns.

-NRS