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

[ccsmod16]

RE: I'm planning to run away at age 12

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. It sounds like you are going through a really difficult situation. I imagine it is very difficult to feel like your parents don't love you. I'm sorry to hear that your home life is pretty negative right now. It's great that you're thinking about what you want to do and how to make your situation better.

It can be very hard to live on your own, but it would be especially difficult at age 12. Have you thought about where you would go? Are you planning to go live with a family member or friend? Have you thought about how you'll get money for things like food and clothes? If you want to give us a call, we would be happy to talk through some of these decisions with you.

Your father (or guardian) is legally responsible for you. If your father will not allow you in the house, you can call Child Protective Services or the police and they can find you somewhere safe to go. If you would like, you can call NRS and we can help you figure out exactly who to call to help you find somewhere to go.

It's great that you are putting thought into your next steps. Please know that you can call us anytime at 1800Runaway. We are here 24/7 and happy to listen.

Take care,
NRS

[Unregisterednessa]

Runaway at 15

Hi, I'm 15 years old I don't get any freedom at home and I feel threatened by my dad I'm not allowed to sleep over but when I came back early morning he said I was at my boyfriends which I was not now he's threatening to bash my boyfriend and his family and said he is willing to go to jail for it and I feel threatened by him when he came home he smashed through the gate and I am petrified to leave my room I need a few weeks away from him he truly scares me would this be legal to go stay at a friends house for two weeks or would police drag me back even though I don't feel safe at home

[ccsmod7]

Re: Runaway at 15

Hello,

Thank you for posting to our online forum. It sounds like things at home are stressful to say the least. We’re sorry to hear that you are in a situation where you don’t feel comfortable staying in the same home as your dad. Everyone deserves to feel safe at home.

If you are reported as a runaway it’s typically just a status offense, but yes the police could force you to return. They may take into account that you don’t feel safe and may bring Child Protective Services involved, but that is unlikely that they will let you stay with your friend. It’s also worth noting that sometimes people helping runaways are at risk for charges such as harboring a runaway or crossing state lines with a minor. These charges are often just misdemeanors, but might be something to explore if you or whoever you would be staying with are concerned.

If you wanted to know for sure how your local police handle these types of cases, you may want to call them and ask hypothetically what they do in these types of situations. We can also call them for you if you don’t feel comfortable calling yourself.
We do hope this information is helpful and hope that you reach out to us through phone or chat to talk about your situation in more detail.

Best,
NRS

[TaintedPainter]

I'm 17 and I am considering leaving home.

Hello. I am 17 years old and I an considering leaving home. I live with my mom my brother his girlfriend and their baby. The reason I want to leave is because my mother is an alcoholic and my brother is just.. intolerable to say the least. My mom isn't abusive physically but when she is drunk she is very mentally abusive. She yells and tells me and my brother that we are horrible children and she's calls us names. My brother is very difficult to get along with and most of the time I want to rip his throat out so he wouldn't be able to speak.. he is always a smart ass to everyone and picks on me a lot. I just don't want to be in this situation any more. I am tired of having to deal with the yelling and screaming. I just want to know what I could possibly do to move. Could I move to my dads? Or can I just leave? I live in North carolina. I've looked up the laws but only found this website. If someone could help me or give me some advice on what I should do I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. -C

[ccsmod6]

RE: I'm 17 and I am considering leaving home.

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at NRS. It sounds like there is a lot going on at home, making it difficult for you to stay there. You mentioned feeling mentally and verbally abused by your mother due to her alcoholism. We are sorry that you are experiencing this. You do not deserve to be mistreated in any way. We are not legal experts here, but 18 is considered the legal age that an individual can leave home without permission. If your father has custody of you, you may be able to work something out with him and the through the court to live with him. We would be happy to help explore options and resources with you. It is often best to call our crisis line for immediate help and resources.

Please reach out soon so that we can help as best as we are able to.

We look forward to speaking with you soon and wish you well.

Best,

NRS

[Unkown]

im running away

I do not know what do either i getout od here cuz i cant take the pain of being called stupid either i runaway or commit suicide

[ccsmod11]

re: im running away

Thank you for reaching out to us. Sounds like you’re dealing with a really difficult situation, and it is smart to look for help. It also sounds like you’re having a lot of intense and painful emotions right now because of your situation. We want you to know that you do not deserve to be called stupid.

You wrote that you’re considering suicide; it’s sad to hear that the situation is so bad that you’re thinking about harming yourself. If you are seriously considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. You are not alone.

You also wrote that you want to run away. What would your overall plan be (for long term housing, transportation, money, food/clothes, school, etc.)? It might be a good idea to think about what is or isn't possible and what resources you do or don't have, so that you can make a solid plan and stay safe. We are here to help you think through some of these decisions, if you want to call our 24-hour hotline. The number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929).

It’s good that you reached out. That’s a great first step for helping yourself with a tough home situation. You can call us any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY, or you can try our online chat service through 1800runaway.org. And please, if you are thinking of hurting yourself, call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

I dont feel safe at home

I want to leave until im 18 im going to be 16 if I leave and appear when im 18 can I still get in trouble for running for 2 years

[ccsmod0]

RE: I don't feel safe at home

Hello There,

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are here to help you and support you during this time.

It seems like you are going through a difficult time at home. We are sorry to hear that. We are not legal experts here but we can provide you with some general information about running away. At 16, you are still considered a minor. If this is the case for you, then your parents/legal guardians have a legal right to file a runaway report on you. If a runaway report if filed and you are found by the police or picked up by police for whatever reason, there is a chance that you may be returned home, unless the police feel that they would be returning you at an unfit environment.

We are so glad that you reached out to us here. We want to provide you support and make sure that you are safe. Since you are thinking about running away here are a few questions to consider:
• Do I have a place to stay?
• What about school? Would I continue to get an education?
• Am I going to be gone awhile or coming back in a few days?
• What would I do for money? Shelter? Food? Transportation?
• Who can I depend on if I leave home?
• Do I have a safe, solid plan?

We see that in your title you stated that you do not feel safe at home. We want to help in any way possible here. If there is abuse happening in your home, this is not okay and you do not deserve to be treated in a bad way. If you feel unsafe and there is abuse happening in your home, you may consider filing an abuse report with your local Child Protective Services (CPS). One great resources available to you is Child Help USA (1-800-422-4453). Child Help USA is a great resource to gather more information about abuse reporting, the process as well as put you in connection to your local CPS. If you are not comfortable with this another option is to call us here at NRS and we can support you on the phone while you file an abuse report or we can file a report for you.

We really want to help you during this time. By contacting us here at NRS 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), we can talk with you further about your situation and possibly connect you to further resources. Some of the resources that we may be able to connect you to are places like shelters, counseling services, other support lines, and legal resources.

We would love to hear from and talk with you further about your situation. We are here 24/7 and someone is always available to talk!

Best,
NRS

[Cantsay]

Can i run away at 15/16

Im in a mentally abusive home, im 15, in two months ill be 16, and i know a family 15 minutes from my house willing to take me in, i cant call or talk to any legal or people at school, i live in Pa i just cant take it anymore, i heard the police can ask me if i want to return, i cant. Go to a foster home, id stay in school, please jhelp

[Unregistered]

Let these Kids Run

These kids think they no more than there parents let them run and see the grass isn't always greener on the other side. When they stop smelling themselves and need mommy & daddy they'll be back. When whomever they run to sees that their mess does stink they'll dislike it there too. Most of these kids need a good butt wooping and maybe they'll appreciate life a little better. Tough love is what they need to see someone cares about them because if they live long enough they'll learn this world isn't nice and could careless.

[ccsmod5]

re: Let these Kids Run

Hey there,

While we greatly appreciate you posting on our bulletin board, we would like to let you know that we are a non directive hotline. We are here mainly for information and referrals as well as support. We are here 24/7 and would be more than happy to speak to any youth in crisis.

Best,

NRS

[ccsmod15]

RE: Can I runaway at 15/16

Hey there!
Thank you for contacting us here at NRS. It sounds like you are going through a lot at home. Nobody deserves to be mistreated. Why do you feel like you cannot talk to any legal people at school? These people may be more knowledgeable in your type of situation and be more than willing to help in any way possible. We are happy to help with anything you need here though.
With that said, we are not legal experts, however, we are able to inform on some basic information regards to legalities. It is not illegal to runaway, laws and rules for consequences of that vary from state to state. If you were to runaway and your parents filed a runaway report, stating that you had runaway, and the police found you, then yes they would take you back to your parents’ house. Depending on the state, and sometimes county, it is possible that the people you are staying with could get in trouble for harboring a runaway. This, as stated earlier, varies from state to state.
If there is anything else you would like to talk about or any other resources you might need feel free to call our 24 hour toll-free hot line or use our live chat services that are open every day from 4:30pm-11:30pm CST. We are happy to help with anything whether it be just sitting and listening or helping you find resources.
Best,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Want To Leave For The Weekend

I want to leave for the weekend to get my hair done but she wont let me and does not have a reason not to... Can I get in trouble? ??

[ccsmod2]

re: Want to Leave For The Weekend

Hello,

We don't exactly know how old you are. Also, we aren't legal experts so we can't tell you whether or not you would get in trouble for leaving for the weekend. If you are a minor and your mom doesn't want you to leave, and you do anyway there is potential for you to be taken back home. That depends on whether or not your mom gets the police involved.

If you need to, you can always contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We can talk about any possible options that you are thinking about. Lastly, please note that we offer a live chat via our website at www.1800runaway.org every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST.

Take care,
NRS