what could happen to my bf if we run away together??

[Unregistered]

im 17 and turning 18 in less then six months and i am having a lot of issues at home and my boyfriend and i want to leave together. we currently live in florida. he just turned 20 in august and my question is, if we get caught before i turn 18 what could happen to him or me legally?

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us and telling us a little about what is going on. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation right now and it was very brave of you to contact us. Hopefully, we can find you some resources that may be able to help you. Unfortunately, we aren’t legally trained here so we wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what would happen if you and your boyfriend were to live together.

It sounds like the two of you want to leave together because you are having issues at home. We are sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult time and it’s great that you have someone who is supportive of you. Do you know where you would go if you did leave together?

Again, we aren’t legally trained here so we can’t say for sure what would happen but we can give you our general idea of what possibly could happen. Generally, if a youth is under 18 years old, they are still considered to be a minor so their parents or legal guardians may still have the option to file a runaway report with the local police. But, in some states, if a youth is close to turning 18, the police don’t take a report. Unfortunately though, we don’t know what states do that. Also, if your parents do file a runaway report and the police locate you, they could take you to the police department and contact your parents to let them know but running away is usually considered to be a status offense. But, since your boyfriend is technically an adult, he could get into trouble for harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Again, we don’t know what specifically would happen.

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are a confidential and anonymous crisis line so you can call us at anytime. We can discuss what options or resources may be available to you as well as making a conference call to agencies if you would like us too. Our toll free hotline is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) but we also have online chat services that are available from 4:30 PM-11:30 PM (CST) if you would rather talk with us that way; that can be found on our website (www.1800runaway.org).

We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck!

NRS

[Unregistered]

he has a really good job and a lot of money saved so we are going to be able to leave the state if we do decide on this being a sure thing. What do you think is the likelyhood of us getting caught before my birthday? we know we have to plan it carefully and throughly and we are going to take as many measures as we can to make it work.. do you think we have a good chance?

[ccsmod10]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are planning on leaving with your boyfriend while you are still under 18. Although we do not know what the likelihood is of you getting in trouble, we can explain what we know about the runaway laws.

Technically, it is not against the law for you to run away from home. In most states it is considered a status offense. However, anyone that you’re caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this plan. Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we will not tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. We can however, help you explore what options you have and offer any resources that may be of use to you and your boyfriend.

We can be reached at any time at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by live chat at www.1800runaway.org from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Standard Time. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck!

[Amy]

Run away

I wanna run away and live with my bf. im 18 and jr. I wanna go to the same high school that my bf goes. Is it possible to sing by myself?

[ccsmod14]

Re: Run away

Hello,
Thanks for reaching out to us, we are here to provide help through support and resources as much as we can.
So you said you're a junior in high school and you are 18 years old. We are not legal experts here, but in most states the age of a legal adult is 18, regardless of your year in school. It sounds like you really would like to live with your boyfriend, is there something going on at home that is making this desire stronger?
Please keep in mind you can always contact us at 1 800 RUNAWAY (786-2929). Our hotline is available 24/7. You can also reach us through our live chat that is available from 4:30p to 11:30p CST. All of our services are completely confidential and anonymous. While we can't tell you what to do, there is always someone available to provide support, discuss options, and help find resources in your area.

Be safe,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Run away

I am only 15 years old and my boyfriend is 18 and my mom said that I can run away to Louisiana with him for all she cares and that she won't look for me is it illegal to run away and move in with him and his family?

[ccsmod2]

Re: Run away

Hi there,

Thanks for contacting us. It sounds like you’d like to run away with your boyfriend to Louisiana and that your mom is okay with that. A few things come to mind here.

If your mom gives you permission to live elsewhere and makes sure that all of your needs are provided for, she can do this. But she is ultimately responsible for you as your legal guardian. She can’t just let you go there by yourself without actively making sure you are safe and being cared for. She could get in trouble for being a neglectful parent otherwise.

There is quite an age difference between you and your boyfriend. Under the law, you are considered a minor and he is an adult. This is a very complicated matter. The legal age of consent in Louisiana is 17. So, this might further complicate things. But maybe there is more to the story you could tell us that would put this in some context.

It’s not illegal to run away. It is a status offense, however. This means that you can be detained by the police until your legal guardian(s) come to get you. Of course, there are other important matters to consider before leaving as well like how would you care for your needs, schooling, how this could impact your future life goals, and the like. It’s a huge decision.

We would like to get some more information about your situation to be of better help to you. We are completely confidential and anonymous and are a safe place to talk about these sorts of things. Can you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY? We are here 24/7 and welcome your call any time. Or you can use our Live Chat feature on the main page of our website, www.1800runaway.org. Live Chat is open from 4:30pm-11:30pm Central Time.

We hope to hear from you! Good luck!

[2gether4ever]

Hi my name is Desmond

Here's the story

So my girlfriend and I have been going out for a year now and furring that time she has expressed the desire to runaway she has ran 2 times one to her moms and once to my do to her dad being a drunk, uncle not careing , aunt always taking her sisters side and not caring about her side of the story , mom doing drugs in and out of jail and I am tired of stoping her so i asked a few cops in my town if it was illegal for ""me to run away WITH HER rather then her WITH ME "" i want her to be safe so if I ran I would only run to protect her


What is your idea or legal advice on
"" me running WITH HER ""
As I am to tierd of stoping her

[ccsmod7]

Re:

Hi Desmond –

Thanks for reaching out and sharing a bit about your situation. It sounds like you are in a tough spot right now and trying to figure out what to do next. You mentioned that your girlfriend has runaway many times and is thinking of doing so again. It seems like at this point you would like to go with her but you are concerned about getting into any trouble doing so. It sounds like your girlfriend is dealing with a lot from her family and that is one of the many reasons she leaves. Has she ever reported any of the issues at home or gotten assistance in anyway with that?

It’s a bit difficult to say what would happen because we are not affiliated with the police or legal services. If your girlfriend is under 18 then it is possible her parent/guardian could file a runaway report. It doesn't sound like you are planning on harboring or kidnapping her; you just want her to be safe. If you are over 18 that could always put you in a tricky situation but there is certainly a difference between kidnapping someone and running with a girlfriend. It sounds like you spoke with some police and they are probably the best ones to talk with regarding situations like this. It may also be helpful to reach out to some kind of legal aid service.

While we can’t make this decision for you we are always happy to discuss safe options and resources with you. All of our services are confidential and anonymous. If you would like some local resources that may be able to assist feel free to contact us directly. There is always someone here to listen and here to help. Take care and be safe.

[Unregistered]

Hi my name is Lulu.
Me and my boyfriend have been dating for over a year now he is 19 i am 15 i was wanting to run away with him just because i have really bad problems at home. I honestly cant stand being at home and I secretly go to my BF college dorm and recently my mom found out about this and has been very untrusting of me obviously. But here is a little about my home life.
I am the baby child i have a brother who is 18 and goes to college about 3hrs away and almost every weekend my parents go down to see him Where i am left to sleep over my bf house but i am obviously Not the perfect child while he is. So me and my parents do not have a really good relationship and I usually stay in my room the whole time i am home. Is there any place where me and my bf can go? How would we get money? How would i tell my family that i am running away? (I just dont want my parents to call cops and report a file)

[ccsmod10]

Hello Lulu,

Thanks for reaching out to us. It sounds like things at home have been pretty tough lately. It sounds like you are planning on leaving home and are worried about how to survive once you leave. Most shelters are divided by gender, so it may be difficult if the two of you were trying to stay together. Also, because you are a minor there are different shelters that are available to you. Since he is over 18 he would need to go to an adult homeless shelter. Here is a link for shelters for minors www.nationalsafeplace.org. Here is a link for your boyfriend www.homelessshelterdirectory.org.

You also mentioned being concerned about your parents calling the police. Just to let you know, we are not legal experts. Technically it’s not against the law for you to run away from home. In most places it’s considered a ‘status offence’. However, your legal guardians do have the right to report you missing, and anyone you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway.’ Do you have anyone willing to take this risk for you?

Here at the National Runaway Safeline, we cannot tell you what you should or should not do. We can however help you explore options and come up with a solid plan for what to do next. We encourage you to call us and wish you both the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

I'm 19 i go to job corps me and my bf have been together for almost a year now he lives in Alabama I live in Georgia he's already done with job corps I finish less than 2 months. I have problems with my parents not letting me do as I please when I ask I'm a very good child but i m always barracated in the house Christmas just passed and our plans was for me to visit his family my dad constantly yells at me telling me I'm no because he doesn't think I'm ready I have problems with that because I'm 19 will be turning 20 shortly and my parents claim me on their taxes but I haven't had any insurance for years now my plan is to move in with him and his family he mom has no problem with it what so ever she wants me to live with them I'm trying to avoid neglect is this the right solution

[ccsmod4]

what could happen to my bf if we run away together??

Hi,

Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.
It sounds like you are having some difficulties at home that have been troubling you.
It’s great that you are in Job Corps and set to finish in two weeks. It sounds like you have the support of your boyfriend and his mom to come and move in with them when you are ready.
It’s unclear as to how you were hoping we might assist you with your situation.

You are considered a legal adult in your state and as such are free to make your own decisions.
Is there anything legally binding that says you have to remain under your parent’s guardianship? There was also something written about trying to avoid neglect.
What did you mean by this?

We would like to be of some assistance if we can perhaps you can call our 24hr crisis line and talk more about your situation with one of our crisis liners.
Just call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or visit www.1800Runaway.org and sign in to our NRS live chat session. NRS live chat is from 4:30pm until 11:30pm (CST) 7days a week.
How does that sound?

We appreciate you reaching out to NRS we hope to hear from you.
Take Care

[Unregistered]

I'm 14, going to be 15 in about a month. My boyfriend has to move away from me so he wants to runaway. His parents are really really mean and his dad always gets in his face and pretends he's going to hit my boyfriend. I don't like my house either. It sucks! My boyfriend is 16 and I'll be 15 soon. We want to run away together. If we got caught before we were 18 what would happen? And if we didn't get caught , and came to out parents when we were 18 what would happen?