Texas age 13

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Safeline. It takes great courage to reach out for help and we are glad that you reached out today.

We are sorry to hear that you are going through so much trouble at home. You don't deserve that and this is not your fault. You shouldn't have to live like that. You have the option to file an abuse report if you choose. You can call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 and they can help her provide information on filing an abuse report. Family counseling can be helpful in many cases. You can contact your school counselor or call 1-800-950-NAMI and they can help provide you counseling resources.

Leaving home can be hard and it can be helpful to to think about where you might live and how you might pay for food, rent, and other living expenses. We are not legal experts however, speaking generally if you are to leave home without your parents permission the police can bring you back home and whoever you are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway and get in trouble with the law.

This can be a lot to deal with and if you like you could call us at 1-800-786-2929 and we would be happy to listen to you, explore your options and provide you any resources.

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

Best
NRS

Hey I’m 15 years old and I’m under so much stress constantly because my mother is not responsible at all she pressures me to put in to the bills and wants me to be responsible for her kids and now she is being very verbally abusive and is telling me to leave her house not only me but my siblings and that she has had enough of it when we put up with her not being responsible and we have a whole cps case and we recently bailed her out because of a dui witch I put in half the bond money and I’m so tired and overwhelmed by all this I plan on running away maybe to a friends house or sum can I get sum advice because I don’t want to be send with my father he Is very abusive towards me and my siblings

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It is not illegal for a minor to run away and it is definitely not illegal to feel like you should run away. If you do run away, your parents can have the police return you home, though. We would be happy to talk to you in greater detail about whatever is going on and come up with a plan that prioritizes your safety if you do run away. If you would like to tell us some more about your situation, please reach out on our hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

Is it illegal for me to run away or feel like I should?

[ccsmod10]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. We are not experts on the issue, but generally once it's been reported, social services will either decide whether or not to take the case and further investigate. If they do take the case, they will send out someone from child protective services to do an investigation (interviewing people in the household) and from there they will decide the level of danger within the household. It generally ranges from no danger (the youth stays in the home, some services are given, and the case is closed), moderate danger (they will provide family services with possible temporary displacement) and high danger (they will remove the youth from the home and offer certain services).

If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering.

If you don’t feel safe and feel like you need to get away Nationalsafeplace.org provides a safe location for you to meet a staff member who can take you to a designated place where you can discuss all options about how to stay safe. You can text 44357 the word “safe,” and your location to find a safe location in your area. Once you arrive let someone who works there know you need help connecting with a staff member.

We would love to talk more about the details of your situation so that we can work towards a solution you find acceptable. If you would like to share more, please feel free to call our 24 hour hotline at 1-800Runaway (786-2929) or use our live chat. We hope this information was helpful and take care

hi i was just wondering is verbal abuse and mental abuse legitimate reasoning to run away at age 13?

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like home life has become really stressful and it’s understandable why you want a break. If you left home without their permission, your parents would be allowed to call the police and file a runaway report. That does NOT mean that you are going to get in trouble with the law or get arrested. It just means that if the police find you, they will notify your guardian and then return you home. However, if your parents do not file a runaway report, your parents could possibly get into trouble for what is called neglect, a form of abuse. Additionally, it might be worth it to consider that when you do go home, your parents might punish you or be upset with you for running away. If you want to talk more about what’s going on, please give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

If a 12 year old were to run away, would there parents no longer have custody over them/ get in trouble? I don't want anything to happen to me or my family but I really just need a break.

[ccsmod0]

Hello, Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are hungry for adventure. We want you to know that you do not have to run away to get it. People take trips and explore the world all of the time. It just takes some simple planning and a courageous attitude. Having a good plan of where you will stay and how much money you will need is key. The only real challenge would be your age. It may be harder for places to accommodate you but if you have your parents’ permission then doors will open up. If you would like to talk more about a plan and ways to talk to you parents about your desires please feel free to give us a call and we can try to help. 1-800-786-2929
Best wishes,
NRS

I’m 14 and i’ve always just wanted to runaway, live life, and see where it takes me, adventure, and travel around. Why can’t I be free to do that?

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. If you are a minor (under 18 in the state of Texas) and you run away, your parents would have the right to file a runaway report with the police. If they do so it does not mean that you are in trouble or that you will get arrested. It simply means, if the police encounter you, they can notify your guardians and return you home. If you want to talk more about what is going on or if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

What happens if i run away from home in texas?

[ccsmod7]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out today. It's smart to ask questions like this.

Generally if you run away and then call the police, they would typically pick you up and return you home. There are not usually any legal consequences since running away is a status offense meaning it is not illegal, rather it's just something you cannot do because you are a minor.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk through your situation, or we can also call out to police with you if you are feeling nervous doing it on your own: 1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org. We are primarily concerned about your safety and truly want to help.

Best,

NRS

What if u runaway and a few days go by and u call the police what would be the consequences

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are not legal experts but we do have some information regarding running away. If you were to run away our organization does not look for you as we are completely anonymous. If you leave home without permission your parent’s do have the right to file a runaway report. If the police do find you they most likely would bring you home.
Running away is a big decision that only you would be able to make, whatever you do decide we want you to be safe. One thing to consider is the consequences of running away, where would you go, what you would do about money and food, and what your plan would be if a dangerous situation arises. One option you could consider is seeing if you would be able to stay with a family member or a friend. Another option you could consider is talking to your school counselor or therapist about why you want to run away, sometimes talking to a professional can help you feel better. There are other options out there that we can help you explore.
If you have any other questions or would like to explore your options further please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support to you. We wish you the best of luck in your situation!
NRS