Questioners

[Guest]

I have just a few Questions for anyone who can answer them for me.

1. Is it illegal to runaway in Michigan?
2. What are the consequences to a thirteen year old runaway?
3. Is there any programs for runaway teenagers, like a group program?
4. If I runaway or am thinking about running away and I call 1800-RUNAWAY would you contact police and give them notice to where I am?

5. If I runaway with someone would we both get the same punishment?
6. What are the punishments of running away?
7. I don't want to tell my grandmother I need help and need to be put in some form of counciling to get my mind clear of running away. Are there any programs provided by you that can help me without my grandmother knowing?

[ccsmod7]

Re: Questioners

Thanks for writing in to the National Runaway Switchboard. In regards to some of your questions, in most states running away is not necessarily considered a crime. Of course laws are different within every state, and even within states they can differ, so we can never say for certain what could happen. If a youth does decide to runaway and police find him/her, generally they are just going to return the youth back to there legal guardian. Now some states may have consequences set up for youth who miss school or even curfew laws, which is something to take into consideration if you are thinking of running away. Obviously there can be other consequences if there are any crimes committed while on the run. If you decide to leave with someone else, if that person is underage as well the consequences will probably be similar. Although we are not affiliated with the police in anyway and most of the consequences may be based on what the legal guardians want to do.

You mentioned thinking of calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY which is great. Just so you know we are a completely confidential hotline, which means we would not call the police or your parents. The call is purely based on how we can help you. We are not here to tell you what to do, but rather look at all the options and figure out a safe plan if you do decide to leave. You also mentioned wanting to find some kind of counseling and that’s something we can help with as well. We have a large database of lots of different resources and we would be able to look up counseling centers or even shelters in your area. Also if you didn’t feel comfortable talking with someone face to face right away, you can always give us a call to talk about the situation. There is someone here 24 hours a day, so you can give us a call anytime. Best of luck with everything.