15 out of Arkansas

[Guest]

Hello there, im currently writing this message, to see what form of response I may get from it. My mother is currently with a new boyfreind, who is extremely sexist and 'in my opinion' mistreats here greatly. Always yelling alot, pushing etc.. She wants to be with him, but I dont want to be around it, so I am packing up and rolling out possibly within the next 27 hours.

I hold Anarcho-Communist belief also (starting the "Crusty" lifestyle), and I plan on making my way up north. From there I plan on squatting. I have means of transportation/food for the travels up there, so that is no big deal. I dont really feel attached to my family anymore, my dad is a pedo, my mom is in a relationship I dont want to be around. So I guess I feel like im alone, either way. I hope its the right choice, if not. Then oh well, no turning back!

Not one step backwards, comrades.

[ccsmod1]

Re: 15 out of Arkansas

Hi. Thanks for posting on our bulletin board. From the little you wrote, it sounds like you’re determined to leave where you currently are because of different family issues. It’s understandable why you wouldn’t want to be around your mom when her boyfriend treats her the way you described. Does he treat you that same way? Have you discussed any of these frustrations with your mom? What about anyone else –friends, teachers, counselors?

You wrote about your travel plans, but what about plans for survival once you get to where you’re going? Have you thought about where you’ll stay, how you’ll get food, what you’ll do in your day-to-day life? Do you know anyone where you’re going? How do you plan to stay safe in general? These are all important questions to consider when thinking about running away. You may have already gone through all the different scenarios too.

Do you think your mom will file a runaway report with the police? That’s another thing to think about because if she does, if you get picked up for any reason (out past curfew, loitering, etc) they can see that you’re a runaway and where you belong. Usually, there aren’t major legal consequences for running away, but if you’re caught out of state many times the police will put you in juvenile detention until transportation home is arranged.

We aren’t really here to tell youth to runaway or not to runaway. We just want to make sure you’ve really thought about the possible outcomes and consequences. We do this by talking to you about the situation, how you’re feeling, you options and the pros and cons of each option. One of the questions we often ask is, what do you hope to accomplish by running away? Also, is there anything you can do at home, realistically, to make life better so you don’t feel the need to leave? This is obviously a tough question, if the problems are things you can’t control, like who your mom chooses to have a relationship with.

You’re absolutely welcome to call us if you want to talk about any of this in more detail. Also, please keep in mind that if you do leave, our number is free from any payphone. The hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY, is 100% anonymous and confidential. We could help you find a shelter if needed (but also let you know that they do have to call legal guardians usually within 72 hours of a minor coming to the shelter). We can also help you contact your mom if you wanted to, either through our message service or conference call service. Both of those services are described in more detail on our website.

Best of Luck with your plans and if you get into any jams don’t hesitate to call us. We don’t want you to feel alone. Someone is always available to talk, day or night.