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Im 13 and wondering if I can runaway from home. From what I read I won't go to jail so I want to know if I runaway can I call CPS and have them move me to foster care or what needs to be done for me to be moved to foster care. Also I am in Texas.
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Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways. It is our understanding that you are correct: running away is not illegal and you will not get arrested or go to jail for it. However, it is unlikely that CPS would put you in foster care unless there was a reason for it that they thought was legitimate, for instance if your house was unsafe for some reason.
It is difficult for us to say what you should or shouldn’t do in order to leave without knowing some more information. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org if you want to talk more about what is going on and what options you may have.
Take care,
NRS
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what would happen if a 13 year old runs away from homeComment
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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS
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What will happen if u feel like your treated different so u run away
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Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. Feeling like you are treated differently can be a frustrating and unfair experience. While it is not illegal to run away, your parents can report you to the police who will in most cases return you back home. Whether or not you feel like you need to run away is up to you and whether or not you feel safe where you are. Running away can sometimes be very dangerous and not helpful in solving what your problem is. We would be happy to help you in whatever way we can. We can provide referrals to mental health resources, shelters, legal advocacy, among other things. We can also just talk you through whatever your situation is and help you figure out what your options are. We aim to empower youths and we prioritize their safety and their well-being. If you are interested in anything that we have to offer, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.
Take care,
NRS
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I ran away from home when I was 16 in Texas, I was put in handcuffs when the police found me. Does that mean that I was arrested? and if so, did it go on any sort of record that a future employer might have access to?Comment
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Hello there -
Thanks for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline. Running away is what the law considers a status offense. This just means it's something a youth can't do because they are considered a minor. We are not lawyers, so we don't know how the police would have processed your specific situation. If you contact us, we can help find a local legal resource that could provide better insight. Most likely, this would not be recorded on a criminal record, so a future employer would not see it.
For confirmation, you can request a copy of your own criminal record from your state or local police department. A local police record may only have local arrests and convictions, but an officer should be to tell you what's included in their records search. We hope this helps.
If you have additional questions or need assistance, please reach out to us any time via phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or live chat at 1800runaway.org. We're here 24/7 and confidential.
We wish you the best of luck!
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Will you get in big big trouble if you run away from home at age 13 in Texas?Comment
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Hey there! Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step.
Running away is a pretty big decision, and one that can absolutely have some negative consequences. While it's tough to say if you'd get into big big trouble for running away (because our definitions of that might be totally different), it's definitely important to know that there are some risks involved. Some of the risks associated with running away from home on a smaller scale level have to do with your parents. It might be helpful to think over how you might get into trouble with them if you leave home--will you be grounded? Have something you really like taken away? Damage their trust?
On a larger scale, it's possible that if you decide to runaway, your parents will file a missing persons report or a runaway report. That means that the police will become involved, and it's pretty likely that a lot of people will dedicate a lot of time to try and find you to ensure you're safe. As you continue to think through some of these consequences, it's also important for you to know that in running away, you become more vulnerable and at risk of finding yourself in situations that could be harmful to you. If you cut yourself off completely from the people who know you and then find yourself in an uncomfortable or scary situation, it makes it a lot harder for them to help and make sure you're safe. It's also good to know that sometimes if you runaway quite a bit or are considered ungovernable, this could be considered a status offense in your state. This means that the courts could become involved and put certain measures in place to ensure your overall safety and wellbeing.
As you can see, there a quite a few different ways that you might find yourself in big trouble if you decide to runaway, so it's great that you're trying to develop an understanding of them now. If you have any other questions or want to chat in more detail about what's going on, you can reach out to us directly by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.
Take care.
NRS
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