Serious Question

[Unregistered]

I live in the state of Florida and im 17 ill be 18 in September. i want to leave the house. i have a job and am almost out of school. my mother is a mean alcoholic and is on deaths door step. She verbally abuses me on a daily basis saying that im a (edited), she wishes i was dead, to go to hell in a hand basket, and much much more. I also have a guy who is in no way shape or form related to me, that has gotten physically violent with me in the past more than once, living in my apartment paying rent because my mom is to broke to pay it herself. my parents are divoriced and my father has no legal rights to me. on top of that i don't hardly ever see any money from the 1,000 dollars my dad pays in child support every month. if i were to pack my bags and leave, my mother would call the cops in a heartbeat. since i will be 18 in a few moths what will the cops do if she calls them? will i get arrested if they find me, ive heard that since im almost 18 after 24 hours that they don't really do anything anymore. i need to get out of this house because i suffer severe depression and anxiety. and my living situaio isnt helping at all.

[ccsmod8]

re: Serious Question

Hi and thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like things are really difficult for you at home right now with your mom and the way she treats you. You said that she is verbally abusive and that you are also being physically harmed by the other man living with you. No one has the right to harm you or make you unsafe in your own home and you are very brave for reaching out and sharing that with us. Have you ever told anyone that you are being physically harmed at home? There are many supportive resources available to you if you feel as though how you are being treated is abusive, you can always call the Florida Abuse Reporting hotline at 800-962-2873.

It sounds like you are considering leaving but that you are unsure about what might happen. While we are not legal experts, we can tell you that in most places, your parents would have legal rights and responsibilities of you until you turn 18, meaning that they would be able to file a runaway report if you did leave. If that were to happen and you were found by the police, you would most likely be committing what is called a status offense, and be returned to your mom. If you would like your questions to be answered with more certainty, you can always contact the local police department through a non-emergency line and ask about laws in your area.

The final thing you mentioned is suffering from severe depression and anxiety. You must be very strong to continue living in your home while you are also having those struggles. Is there anyone that you feel is a safe person to talk with about what you are going through? Anxiety and depression can be hard to live with and we want you to know that we are here to support you. You can always contact us at 1-800-RUNAWAY 24 hours a day or chat with us from 4:30-11:30pm CST if you’d like additional support or resources. Best of luck,

-NRS