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

[Unregistered]

Runaway

I'm 16 years old and living in my home is a miserable experience for me. In my state emancipation is not legal. I don't want to go to foster care or anything so I'm not sure what to do. I was wondering if I were to runaway successfully and no one were to find me, if I return when I'm 18 and continue on with my life will I have any legal charges pressed against me ?

[ccsmod14]

Re: Runaway

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like home is not a place that you enjoy being, so it is understandable that you would be thinking about leaving home. We’re glad that you contacted us, we are here to help out as much as we can.

So we’re not legal experts here, but generally speaking if you were to leave without consent from legal guardians, they would have the right to make a runaway report. If a report is made, and the police find you they would just bring you back home usually. Running away is not a criminal offense for a minor, it’s a status offense. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring, which is a criminal offense. You asked if you were to leave without being found, what would happen once you turn 18. Usually, runaway reports are changed into missing person’s reports. Once you were to become a legal adult, you would be able to contact the police department in which the original report was made, and let them know who you are and that you are safe and 18 years of age so to remove the record.

Again, we are not legal experts so to be entirely sure of what would or would not happen, one option you have is to contact your local police department and ask hypothetical questions. You do not have to give any identifying information about yourself if you were to do this. You can call us here at 1800runaway if you would like assistance doing this as well. Another option is to contact legal aid resources in your area. If you call us, we can try to locate some services near you.

It sounds like you are still trying to think this through and figure out next steps. If you would like to talk through options further, or just want to talk you can call us any time or chat during even hours.

Best of luck to you,
NRS

[Unregistered]

16 and can't live at home anymore

My dad is always yelling at me. I'll wake up in the morning and just go down to get breakfast and he'll still find something to yell at me for. It's like my presence just irritates him to no end. I talked to my mom about what I can do to stop making him angry and she said to help out around the house more. I stared to but he still gets mad at me. Yesterday I was helping put away groceries and he told me that I suck at helping abs he doesn't know why I bother. I want to live on my own in a legal manner. I tried to see if they would let me live with a friend or family for a while but they refused. What can I do?

[Unregistered]

Running Away?

So, I'm 16 and reside with my aunt. Though there's no physical abuse what's so ever, I've gone and still am going through major emotional abuse. I find myself constantly depressed and the only time I feel honestly happy is when I leave this home, not that it happens often. There are legs documents that state that I should be in the legal custody of my mom but if anything were to happen to her, then and only then does my aunt have custody of me. Though my aunt swear that the court papers were written up wrong but I doubt that. I want to run away to my mom but the problem is that she's in Arizona at the moment for school while I'm in New York. There is someone I want to also stay with, but the problem is that even though he's been more of a father to me than my actual one, he's not related by blood so he can't legally take me(I don't think). Is there a way maybe my mom or something can give me or him the okay of being able to stay with him until she's done with school next year? I just really need help and I can't stand this depression anymore. I fear it's only going to get worse than it already is....please help me...

[ccsmod9]

Re: Running away?

Thank you very much for writing us! We’re here to listen and here to help. Sorry to hear that you have been going through a difficult time with your aunt. You definitely do not deserve to be subject to abuse—emotional or otherwise. Have you considered filing an abuse report? It is up to Child Protective Services/the Department of Human Services to decide what qualifies as abuse and they may help you find a more suitable living arrangement than your aunt’s. The National Abuse Hotline phone number is 1-800-4-A-CHILD or (1-800-422-4453). You can also check out the website below, if you’d like to learn more about what to expect when making a call.

https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/resources-kids/

If you’d like support when making the call, we can definitely assist you. Feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). We are available 24/7.

We are not legal experts, but it seems as though it is questionable about who has legal custody over you. We could connect you with a legal aid agency nearest you so that you could talk more with them about what your options or rights are. You can also ask about having the concerned male who is like a father figure to you pursue guardianship over you.

Here are some resources for you to search for the legal aid office nearest you:

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/finding-free-legal-services-30144.html

http://www.lawhelp.org/find-help/

If you have any more questions or would like to talk more, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us!

We wish you the best and hope to hear from you soon!

NRS

[Whtsu]

I'm young

My mom's taking drugs and I want to run away when I'm older right now I'm 12 but when I'm 15 I want to get as far away from my house as possible

[ccsmod3]

Re: I'm young

Hi there and thanks for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We’re very sorry to hear your mom is taking drugs. That sounds like a hard situation to be, especially at age 12. If you’re interested in talking to other young people who have family members who are problem drinkers or drug users, you might find Alateen helpful. They offer support online if you aren’t sure about going in person just yet. http://al-anon.org/how-will-alateen-help-me As for the running away, we aren’t in a position to tell you to run away or not to run away, but we do care about your safety regardless if you leave now or wait until you are 15. We’re here if you’d like to discuss your situation further and hope you give our Live Chat a try. Good luck!

[Teresa321]

Being forced to go to a school I hate

Hi, I had recently been forced to move from where I was before about a year ago, my mom got a promotion and that is why we moved. I had the greatest friends where I was. I was devastated. I still am. Now I am being forced to start high school at this school I so very much hate. I went to middle school last year here and I do not like the people there or in this town, I also really don't fit in. But I was wondering if its legal to force your 14 year old child to go to a school they dread, when they could go to a school they love which is my old school. I really need help I can not bear going to this school, I would do anything for me to go back I would even do homeschooling if it gets me away from this school

[ccsmod14]

RE: Being forced to go to a school I hate

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are going through a pretty hard time lately with going to a new school, and it is understandable why you would want to switch. It can be really tough being in a place that you feel you don’t fit in. We’re glad that you posted on our bulletin board, we are here to help in any way that we can.

So it sounds like the school that you are going to now is making you feel extremely uncomfortable. Is there anything specific happening at school that is making you feel like you need to leave? One person that you may be able to talk to would be a school counselor, to try to get some support for whatever may be happening there. Another resource we’d like to provide you is https://teenlineonline.org/. This is a service where you can talk to other teens online that may be going through similar situations that may be able to provide you some support through this.

We’re not legal experts here, so we really cannot say whether or not this is legal. Generally speaking, your legal guardian has the right to determine what is best for you regarding school and living situations. If you would like to find out more legal information, you can call us at 1800runaway and we can provide legal resources local to you.

Best of luck,
NRS

[PandaLover]

Same but I'm 9 a

Same it's just, I'm 9 and I don't have a boyfriend anymore!
My parents are nice and mean to me mostly mean! I HATE my brother... I have np with my sister. So yeah... I WILL run away!
I'm just looking for a place to stay. ;( Dx

[ccsmod11]

RE: Same but I'm 9 a

Hello,

It sounds like a lot is going on at home. Thank you for reaching out to us. It can be rough when you don’t get along with family members, but remember that you have options!

It’s unfortunate that your parents are mean to you and that you don’t like your brother or school. It can be very upsetting to have to go to a school where you feel like you don’t fit in. However, it sounds like your sister is a good support. It also sounds like you are pretty set on running away. Before you take action, it may be a good idea to ask yourself some of these questions: Have I talked to my sister about how I am feeling? Do I have any other family member or friend who I can speak to about what is going on? If I do runaway, how will I get food? What happens when school starts? How will I pay for things?

The website www.homelessshelterdirectory.org is a great resource and can link you to shelters in your area. However, it is important to remember that all shelters are required to contact the parent/legal guardian of minors who come to their shelter. Therefore, whatever shelter you go to will probably have to contact your parents for consent.

If you want to talk over things in more detail – maybe about how you can work things out at home – we encourage you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We are here 24/7 and are confidential and toll-free. Otherwise, we encourage you to live chat us at www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I am 16 years old and want to homeschool and then go to college.

I am 16 years old. I want to homeschool for one year, which will cover the two years of remaining credits necesary to graduate, and then attend a school that has already offered me a full tuition scholarship. My parents, however, believe that keeping me in the private school I currently attend is the best decision. They have a history of making putrid academic decisions for me (they removed me from a school that has been nationally ranked in the top ten since it has existed and, three years ago, held the slot of number one, because of a boyfriend they did not approve of). Since the private school lacks the AP courses and rigorous curriculum i desire, the other path is obviously the correct choice. Yet my parents still disgree. I would like to know how to do this without their permission. What do I have to do to be able to leave home and never look back?

[ccsmod4]

I am 16 years old and want to homeschool and then go to college.

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safe line.

It’s not always easy to agree with your parents decisions but it sounds like you with along with them and tried to make the best of things.
It sounds like you now would like to pursue being home schooled and that you are in line for a full tuition scholarship however once again you and your parents are in a disagreement over this. That’s too bad.
Unfortunately we cannot answer this type of question without at least exploring what your state education laws and school district procedures might be in this situation. In most states students need parental consent when it comes to things like changing schools or educational programs.
You might consider speaking with your school enrollment administrator and asking any questions you might have on this matter.

In most states you must be eighteen years of age to legally move out of your parent’s home.
We understand that this must be frustrating for you.
If you would like to speak more about your situation you might call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org (NRS live chat)
Perhaps with a little more information we can assist you with exploring options. How does that sound?

We appreciate you sharing your story with NRS.
Take care and we hope to hear from you soon.

[Unregistered]

runaway

Me & my sister want to run away we don't like the way our lives are, my sister is 15 & im 17 && i wanna runaway but i still wanna go to my school, if we was to get caught & i told the police i didn't wanna return home would i still be able to go to my school some how? & where would they place us? What do they do?

[ccsmod5]

re: runaway

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline, it seems like you are going through a pretty tough time at this point in your life and we want you to know that we are here to listen and to help you in the best way that we can. From what you shared, it sounds like you and your sister are pretty set on leaving, we’re glad you reached out.

We want to start off by letting you know that we are not legal experts here which means that we are only able to speak in general terms about your situation. In most states, because the both of you would still be considered minors, your parents are allowed to file a runaway report. If a runaway report is filed, it means that your school would be notified that you are missing and if you attend school, your parents would be contacted. Typically if you are found, you would be forced to go back home. Running away is not necessarily illegal, but it is a status offense, which means that you are not allowed to do it because you are a minor. If you would want more accurate answers, please feel free to reach out to your local police department and they would be able to provide you with more accurate information. If something like this makes you nervous, please feel free to reach out to us and we would be able to provide you with more information.

We hope that we were able to let you know a little more about what we do and explain our services. We want you to know that our lines are open 24/7 and we can be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We also have a live chat program that is available every day from 4:30 PM until 11:30 PM CST. We wish you the best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.

Stay strong,

NRS