Running away to a friends house

[Guest]

My friend is 12 and wants to run away due to possible neglect and or abuse. She wants to stay at my place for awhile (I’m 14) and I’m not sure if me or my mom would get into serious trouble if we tried to help her. I’m also not sure if her parents would get in trouble due to them being the reason she possibly runs away. I want to contact a counselor for her but I’m not sure what to do to help.

[ccsmod15]

Hello,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We’re so sorry to hear that your friend is in such a difficult place at home with her parents. It sounds like you and your family are a great source of support for your friend, and you have some questions about how to continue supporting her to stay safe. It is never ok for anyone to make your friend feel unsafe, and we hope that she is currently in a safe place.

If you suspect your friend is being neglected or abused, organizations like Child Help, available by phone at 1-800-422-4453, or at www.childhelp.org , can help you, your parents, or your friend, file an abuse report with your local child abuse agency. If your friend leaves home without her parent’s consent, they can report her as a runaway with their local police station. We’re not legal experts, but from what we know, it’s technically not illegal to run away, but it is considered a status offense in some states. While it may not be illegal for you to run away, anyone that houses a runaway minor may be charged with harboring a runaway or aiding and abetting a minor. It may help you or your family to reach out to your friend’s local police department for more information on how that might work. We encourage you, your friend, or your family, to feel free to give us a call if you need help reaching out to any of these agencies, or if you just need to talk to someone.

Please know that we are here for you. We can’t tell you what to do, but we will do our best to help you and your friend stay as safe as possible as you explore your options. You can reach us 24/7 by phone at 1.800.RUNAWAY (786.2929) or by chat at our website https://www.1800runaway.org/ . We’re here to listen, here to help. Stay safe!

-NRS

[Guest]

I am 16 years old and I live in Goodletsville, Tennessee. Right now, I want to move in with my girlfriend. I want to do this because my mothers always constantly yells at me. She has yelled at me every since I was young, and it made me become a very tedious person that lacks confidence. In short, with my mother yelling at me a lot as a child up until now, this means that I have experienced many years of mental and emotional abuse. And I want it to end. I have not got permission from my girlfriends parents yet, but I want to reach out to y'all so I can know if any of this is safe to do without my girlfriends parents getting in trouble.

[ccsmod15]

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 forum 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

[Guest]

Help me plz

My best friend wants to run away from her family because her family doesn't treat her right and her father abused her everyday and she wants to run away to my house but I don't want my family to get in trouble with law and them go to jail and I live in dallas texas and she is 12 years old what can I do?

[ccsmod15]

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 sounds like your friend is quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned them being harmed. We’re sorry they are going through this. They don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If they are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage them to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you or them ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. They are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi wanna run away to one of my friends house and I was wondering could their parents get in trouble? Because it’s not like I’m gonna say they kidnapped me because I am willingly trying to go there. I am 14 and I live in Chicago.

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at NRS and we appreciate you sharing a bit about your situation with us.While we are not legal experts we can speak generally about this. If you leave home without permission, your parents can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means your parents can ask for assistance from the police to return you home. Whoever you stay with is at risk being charged with harboring a runaway. From what we know this is not very common but it is a possibility.

We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I’m 14 and live in Chicago, my dad is really mean to me and I’m tired of it....I love him but I cannot take it anymore. I was wondering if I were to run away to my friends house could her parents get in trouble. I was planning to call my dad everyday to let him no that I’m fine, healthy, and well taken care of. But if I’m willingly trying to run away and they take me in what will happen even though my dad will know that I’m ok and tell him why I ran away and tell him not to worry about me also I know how my dad is....if he knows that I’m ok he won’t call the police.

[ccsmod15]

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. If your dad doesn’t report you as a runaway then police won’t know you are gone and have a reason to bring you back home, however he could face negligence issues if he didn’t do so. 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

[Guest]

I’m 16 and I’m planning on running away to another state. My mom and my step dad is currently going through a divorce and me and my brother have been living with my step over about 13 years. My mom moved to chicago while married with my step dad for about 7 years. My brother is already grown and moved on with his life but I had to move to chicago because my mom is my biological mom and my step dad is just my step dad. I’ve always been close to my step dad more than my mom because he’s basically raised me while my mom was in a different state. Me and my mom aren’t that close and we don’t have the best relationship. She verbally abuses me. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment but we have a room mate that’s a couple and me and my mom has to share a room with her baby that she’s had for 3 months because she cheated on my step dad and got pregnant. I’m always in the living room with no privacy while the man in the couple that lives with us is always walking around and it makes me uncomfortable to not have any privacy of my own. I’m the type of person to research anything before doing something dumb so I won’t get in trouble. I’m also debating about doing this completely because I don’t want running away to effect my education. I’m in 11th grade and I have 2 more years of high school left. I don’t want to stop my school because of this I want to finish. But It says that your chances of enrolling into a school without the cops finding you is very slim because my name would be put into the run away system. I do have someone that can pick me up and take me to another state that running away isn’t illegal and we plan on getting an apartment together and I already told him about the “contributing to a delinquency of a minor” thing and he doesn’t care and wants to help me out. But the only thing I don’t have figured out is school and that’s one of the important thing for me. I have considered emancipation but i’m looking for a job and then I have to wait like a month to know my monthly income to see if i would be able to support myself with that much money and then after a month of working then I can apply for emancipation but then emancipation takes AT LEAST 2 MONTHS and I just don’t have that much time. I can’t live here any longer. I was wondering how can I run away and still go to school without cops pulling up to my place and can I enroll into online school without them knowing i’m a runaway and tell the cops ?

[ccsmod0]

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, but it sounds like you already know most of this information.
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.
The easiest way to leave home is with your parents' permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to your parents. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.
In regards to enrolling in school, that may be better answered by a lawyer or school personnel as policies can vary.
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

[Guest]

Hi im 15 about to turn 16 and ive been having problems with my moms lately like arguing all the time and they grounded me to my room for like 4 months without being able to see anyone that i know outside of the house for those 4 months. I really need a break from this because being in my room for months on end is literally ********ing up my head. im a very social person and i need those interactions. so basically i was wondering if i left the house for a few hours at a time to go see friends or something if i could legally do that without getting them in trouble. or could they get in trouble if they didn't know that i didn't have permission from my parents. Please email me your response because i wont be able to see it. my email is #######

[Guest]

I need Help Please

Hey, I am 11 and I want to run away to my friend's house. I know I am young but I can't shake these thoughts and feelings. I have anxiety and I believe I have depression. Can I run away to my friend's house? Is it a crime in Virginia beach, ZVirginia to run away? I only want to do it temporarily. My Best friend supports me and thinks it's the right thing to do. Should I?

[ccsmod15]

Hello –

Thank you for contacting us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We understand that it takes great courage to reach out. I’m sorry to hear that life at home has led you to want to run away, that sounds like a difficult situation to deal with.

Having a place to stay to ensure that you are safe is very important. While we are not legal experts, running away is not considered illegal. However, since you are a minor, your guardians have the right to file a runaway report. With a runaway report, if the police find you they would return you home unless you express to them that you live in an unsafe environment. If you left home and decided to stay with a friend, they could get in trouble for harboring a runaway. However, due to the McKinney Vento Act you also have the right to go to school regardless of your living situation. To learn more about the process of running away and being able to enroll in school without your legal guardian’s permission, you can also call the National Center of Homeless Education Hotline at 1-800-308-2145.

If you would like to discuss the reasons as to why you want to runaway or you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

We hope the information provided helps. Remember we are available 24/7 and can be toll-free reached at the number listed above. We are confidential, anonymous, and non-direct.

Best Wishes
~NRS

[Guest]

My name is H I live in Tennessee. I'm 13 and I live with my mom, her boyfriend, and my brother. every since I was little me and my ma have had problems. She doesn't talk to me, she sits in her room all night, and we don't have any food in the house that I know how to make myself. My mom screams and yells at my brother and I, she doesn't know how to control her anger or anything. she has pill bottles all over her room but she claims it her "medication" but some of it has other peoples names on them. I want to run away to my best friend Camrons house for a day or so just so I can get away from her. His mom has already talked to her about me staying for a couple days and she agreed but then changed her mind. His mom understands my situation but I dont know if she would take me back home. but I feel like it wouldn't be that bad if I went over there because my mom knows thats where I would go if I ran away. so all she would do is have to come pick me up if she wanted me home so then the cops wouldn't get really involved. do you think that would be a good idea or no? please help me figure this out.

[ccsmod15]

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. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
You mentioned some things that raise concern for your safety and well-being. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. Neglect in the form of not providing food, and having prescription drugs around that don’t appear to be hers can also be abuse. 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).

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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

Hi I’m 17. So my home environment is not mentally healthy for me and causes a lot of stress which adds to my depression and anxiety. My mom still hits me from time to time but it’s not one or two hits its multiple. I told my bf who has a home of his own and he said he can take me in and is able to support me till I graduate in June and can get a job. I’m really considering packing some things and going to stay there for a while and leave a note for my mom but I’m worried how her and my dad will react.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We’re sorry to hear about the situation you’re in. You don’t deserve to be hit and abused. It’s not your fault that this is happening. You are very brave for reaching out. It is against the law for parent’s to abuse their children. You have the right to file a report with child services. You should be able to feel safe at home. It sounds like you have a supportive boyfriend willing to let you stay with him. If you left and your parent’s filed a runaway report you could be picked up by the police and returned home. Also anyone known to be harboring a runaway could face legal charges. However you could explain the situation and get child protective services involved. We understand the difficulty of your situation and NRS is here to listen and here to help.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, 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 or seek emergency assistance immediately. To report child abuse or get information about reporting any abuse contact Child Help at: 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org

Take care and stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

hi im 14 and i want to run away from my home i dont feel safe here aand i need to leave im being emotionally abused and mentally and im on the urge of doing something that i dont wanna do

[ccsmod0]

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.
The easiest way to leave home is with your parents' permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to your parents. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.
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 would like to look into further emotional support options, you can text with a crisis worker at the National Alliance on Mental Illness 24/7 by texting "NAMI" to 741741.
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

[Guest]

My best friend is 12 and wants to run away. She is having LGBTQ issues and if she comes out she knows she’s going to get beat a lot. I live in Alabama and I want to know if there are any legal issues with it. I don’t want to get my family into any trouble. I know she will be a lot safer and happier with me.

[ccsmod15]

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 your friend is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they mentioned wanting to run away. It’s great that your friend has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them.
Remember that your friend is not alone. If they ever want to talk more about what they are experiencing or get additional support we are here 24/7 at 1800-RUNAWAY or our live chat service. The GLBT National Hotline at 1888-843-4564 is another option to gain great support from those that are familiar with the issues and experiences of those that are also a part of the LGBTQ community. You can access their website link bellow to utilize all the other possibly useful resources they have to offer: http://www.glbthotline.org/
You mentioned some things that raise concern for your friend’s safety and well-being. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, they and 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.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your friend through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. 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).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.
Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

heyy my name is arma'ni and im a girl and i want to run away to a friends a house but i dont want my grandfather to where i am and im only 15

[ccsmod15]

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 forum 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

[Guest]

Help my life sucks I’m 11 and my life sucks I would like to run away to my friends house but I really don’t know if I should

[ccsmod16]

Hi, thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did. If you reach out to us via live chat at www.1800runaway.org or through our hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we can talk over what you are going through. Running away is a really big decision for anybody, so we would like to listen to you about what you’re going through and help you figure out how to get help.
We hope to hear from you soon.
NRS

[Guest]

I am 14 and my parents don't support me and love me soim running away to my best friends

[ccsmod15]

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. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, 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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS