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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?
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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
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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.Comment
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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
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hi i was just wondering is verbal abuse and mental abuse legitimate reasoning to run away at age 13?
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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
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Is it illegal for me to run away or feel like I should?Comment
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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
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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 siblingsComment
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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
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So what if I run away before im 18 and I have no special cases on me. If I am able to stay uncaught until im 18 will I have my freedoms ? I am currently 14.Comment
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Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen.
We are not legal experts but if you were to leave home your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they most likely would bring you home. Once you turn 18 the runaway report would go away and would not be on your record.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support to you best of luck!
NRS
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i barricaded the door to my apartment after i ran away im 13 what should i doComment
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Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like home life has become really stressful and it’s understandable that you would want to leave. 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. If you are feeling unsafe at home you have the option to file an abuse report. 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 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. You can always contact us at 1800-Runaway if you want to talk over your options. We are 24/7, confidential and here to help. Best of luck!
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what is the worst thing that can happen to me if i run away in texas and i stay at a church and i do nothing against the lawComment
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Hi there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you are planning on running away to a church and would like to know what could happen if you leave.
18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.
Please do not hesitate to call or chat if you have questions, need resources, or need to talk. We can explore your situation, go over all your options, and come up with a plan and resources to deal with your situation over the phone or on live chat. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.
1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org
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Im 13 and my mother is often intoxicated, is it okay if i then leave the home for a bit while things calm down or could i still get reported as a runawayComment
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Hey there,
We're so sorry to hear you are struggling with your mom being intoxicated and feel like you need to leave for a bit. Because you are under the age of 18, your mother could file a runaway report when she sees you have left the house. You could send her a text and let her know you are with a friend or maybe a family member. If you are with family, she may feel more comfortable with you being away from home. If she does report you as a runaway, she can request the police to pick you up and bring you home. Ultimately, you know what is best for you and your safety.
Best of luck,
NRS
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Can you be charged if you are reported as a run away and you run away from the law when they find you in Texas?Comment
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Thanks so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are going through a very difficult situation, and just want some more information to help yourself. We are here to help you in any way we can.
We are not legal experts, and information can vary state to state, so all the information we provide is very general. It is possible that there are different laws where you live. These specific questions can be answered by your local law enforcement. You can reach out and have your questions answered by your non-emergency police department (not 911). You don’t have to provide any personal or identifying information that might jeopardize your safety. If you can’t find the contact info for your local police department feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-786-2929 for help.
If you do choose to leave home without permission before you are 18, you could be filed as a runaway. Running away is not considered a crime, so the police’s top priority would be to return you home. If the police find you their top priority would be to return you home, not to arrest you.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any other questions. You can chat with us on our website or call us at 1-800-786-2929. We are completely confidential and here 24/7. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS
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Im 13 and im a runaway from home im not alone my two cousins came with me but if the police catches me do i have to go back home or can a refuse and remain where i am?Comment
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Hello,
Thanks for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear about your situation, it is good to see that you are looking at your options and trying to figure out your next steps.
To begin, although we are not legal experts here at NRS we can tell you that it is not a crime just to run away. Yet, since you are a minor it is possible that if your parents decide to press charges against whoever you stay with then they may get in trouble for harboring a runaway. Along with this, it is also possible that the police may force you to go back to your legal guardians. Since we do not know too much about your situation we are unable to give much guidance, yet if you would like to give us a call we are available at 1800-786-2929 anytime and we are confidential. We also provide the service to create abuse reports or make calls to Child Protective Services (CPS) if you are interested. If you'd like more information regarding CPS reporting you can check out childhelp.org.
Perhaps we could come up with a plan together that focuses on your safety and possible solutions to any problems you might be going through. Again, we’re really glad that you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good to see. If you would like to talk further about your situation please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re here to listen, here to help.
-NRS
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I wanna run away so bad, I need to get out. How can I get out of here and not be found?Comment
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Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to us. We are always here for you and we are here to help in any way we are able to. You are not alone in this.
It sounds like home life is getting to be too stressful for you if you’re thinking about running away. We’re here to talk and listen if you want to call or chat with us. If you do decide to leave home, we can look to see if there’s runaway shelters in your area. Reach out to us if you’d like those resources.
Again, thank you for reaching out. If you want to talk more about what you’re going through at home, we are always here. Call us or chat with us via our website www.1800runaway.org
Thanks, NRS
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My parents are good people, like they care about my education and stuff, but they're too overprotective. I've tried talking to them about it but they don't understand. I've thought about this a lot and running away is my last resort. I'm 13 and not sure if I have anywhere to go, I can get resources but I'm not sure how long they'll last me. My parents took all my electronics away, I can try to find them but no promises. If I can't find them I won't have a way to find somewhere to stay. My friend has said multiple times that she would do anything for me, but I think harboring a runaway might just be too much for her. This is the only thing I can do to get help right now, I can't go to a different website or call any numbers.Comment
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Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to NRS, it seems like you are feeling stifled at home because of your overprotective parents. You have been trying to talk to them and see if they can ease up a bit, but it seems like that isn’t working. It’s understandable to feel frustrated by that situation and want to look for ways to get things to change.
You are right that if you stayed with your friend their parents could be at risk of a harboring a runaway charge. Add to that, police would probably bring you straight home once they found you if your parents file a runway report.
Since you can’t really reach out to other websites or numbers we can’t really suggest other resources. However, it may be worth trying to consider what is motivating your parents to be so overprotective. From their perspective they may feel like you are still so young and innocent that they aren’t used to you being able to be more independent. There may be ways that you can try and compromise with them that would help them to see that you don’t need all that protection. It might be worth trying to ask them what actions you need to take to be able to get and keep your electronics, and then from there ways that you can take on bits of responsibilities to make them see that you can be your own person.
Hopefully this information is helpful, if you need more information please reach out to our online chat function https://na0messaging.icarol.com/Cons...d=254&cc=en-US
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How can I pack and get ready to runaway without my parents finding out?Comment
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Hey there,
Thanks so much for reaching out, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It’s important to consider all the possibilities that can occur if you leave home. You will need to plan out how you will cover basic necessities like travel, food, clothing, etc. If you have a place to go in mind, it’s good to see what the expectations of the living arrangement will be like; rules, the amount of time you’re allowed to stay, if you’re expected to contribute financially, etc. Living on your own can also bring about many safety risks. You will need to consider ways that you can protect yourself from physical harm as well as the possibility of sexual and labor exploitation. It's also important to keep in mind that because of COVID, many agencies (that could be potential resources) may not be able to accommodate new clients (or even previous clients) . This can all influence your decision to leave.
If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.
We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think
Stay safe,
NRS
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Is it smart to runaway during quarantine?Comment
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Hi there, thanks for reaching out. That's a great question.
Generally speaking, if you leave during quarantine, your options for where you could go and how you could get there might be more limited than they would be normally. So if you do decide to leave, you might make sure to identify informal contacts that you can go to, and make sure they would allow you in their house and that you have a safe way to get there. It is hard to say whether or not the local police response could be affected by COVID or not, it is still possible that local police could look for your and return you home if found.
Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk in detail about your situation. We are always here for you.
1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org
-NRS
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