Running away to a friends house

[ccsmod6]

Re: Help

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like your friend is going through some tough times at home right now, and it seems he is thinking of running away from home. You ask some good questions about your friend moving out. We are not legal experts, however, although his mom may have told him to leave, verbal consent unfortunately does not sound like it would be enough to legally allow a minor to move out of the home. If his mother agrees to let him live elsewhere, there may need to be legal documents stating that she is either giving up full rights or granting partial rights to those he is planning to live with. Otherwise, he could be considered as a runaway if his mom chose to report him, and anybody he lives with may be charged with harboring a runaway and face legal consequences. The best way to learn about the laws in your area is often by calling out to local non-emergency police to learn of the consequences that one could face for assisting or harboring a runaway as well as laws regarding a 16 year old leaving home.

If we can offer any additional support or services please reach out soon.

Best,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Re: Running away to a friends house

I'm 14 about to be 15. I'm thinking of running away to a friends house for a few days. They live close by but I don't want them to get in trouble. I don't know the laws around this and wanted some help. I'm in the UK and just need to cool off away from most of the people close to me. What should I do?

[ccsmod15]

Re: Running away to a friends house

Hi, and thank you for reaching out.
We’re very sorry to hear that there may be a tough situation going on at home that’s making you think about running away to cool off…
We’re US-based and not familiar with the laws in the UK, so it’s a little difficult to reply directly. But if the laws are similar, and if your parents should find out where you are staying and press charges, then your friend’s parents could in fact get in trouble for “harboring a minor without legal guardian’s consent”.
Since you mentioned that you’re thinking about being there just for a few days, do you think it might be possible to talk about your plans with your parents, so that they could actually give you permission? Maybe you could have an adult (someone that you trust) participate in that conversation and discuss the issues together? If they agree with you staying at your friend’s place, it would certainly make things much easier. Another idea would be to stay with a relative, or someone that your parents agree with… How does that sound?
Again, we’re sorry to hear that something is going on and that you’re need time out of the house; hopefully you have support from your friends and can get things straightened out with your parents. Please contact us again if you need to talk things out, ok?
Good luck!

[Unregistered]

Running Away

I live in a home with 3 brothers and my mother and father. Being the only girl child, I am treated differently. I am never allowed to do the things that my brothers are allowed to and I always have to do all the cleaning and care for the youngest brother (he is 4). I am 15 years old and live in Ohio. I want to leave and go live with my friend. Will this cause any legal issues for either me or my friend's family?

[ccsmod15]

Re: Running Away

Hello there,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are upset about the way you are being treated at home and feel that the rules you parents have made for you are unfair. It must be very hard to have so much responsibility for all the cleaning and care for your younger brother. This must be a very hard situation. It is great that you are thinking about your options and are reaching out for help.
You stated that you are thinking about leaving home to live with a friend and are wondering if this would cause any legal issues for you or your friend’s family. We are not legal experts here, but we can provide some general information to answer your question. It is not illegal to runaway or leave home without permission, but your legal guardian can file a runaway report if you leave. This means that if you are found the police will return you back home to your legal guardian. In addition, the person you stay with could potentially get in legal trouble for harboring a runaway. We are not here to tell you what you should or should not do, we just want to help you make a safe plan of action. If you want to call or chat with us more directly about your situation, we can see if there are any additional resources that you might find helpful in your area. We don’t know if you have already tried talking with your parents about how you feeling, but some other things to think about might include whether or not there is anything that can be done to improve your current situation at home or at least make it more tolerable.
Again, we are really glad that you reached out to us. It is very brave to ask for help as you are trying to figure out your options. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are always available to talk about your situation, help you to explore your options, and support you in choosing a plan of action. We are here to listen, here to help.
Take care,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Dont want too live at home!

Hi my name is jimmy!
I live in plymouth, england (devon) and dont want to live at home! Im 16 years old and going into sixth form! I know if i say to my dad i dont want too live here he will still make me live at home, i have been chatting to my friends about leaving home and staying with them for a bit but i dont want there parents getting into trouble! I know if i did move in with them my dad would turn up at there house kicking off, if not that he will turn up at my sixth form kicking off, he has said that i am only aloud out to stay out saturdays and can only go out in week if i get a job for bus fare! All my mates can go out whenever they want! Just think if i move out of home i will be better off!

[ccsmod1]

RE: Dont want too live at home!

Hi Jimmy,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: http://www.childhelplineinternationa...where-we-work/
We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

[AhFu]

Runaway

Hey I'm 16 Y/O I'm about to runaway from home .. my parents always hit me , I wanna stay with my friends .. but I don't wanna my friends to get in trouble if people know.. that Im staying with them.. Can U help me? I live in Malaysia

[ccsmod14]

Re: Runaway

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. You don’t deserve to be hit, you deserve to feel safe. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: http://www.childhelplineinternationa...where-we-work/
We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

[Unregistered]

Running away at age 14

My do not like me and they have told me that they do not care if I left. So if I leave even with their permission would it still be considered running away? And if I go to a friends house would that get them in trouble?

[ccsmod3]

Re: Running away at age 14

Hello there,

Thank you for taking the time to post on our forum. It sounds like you feel like your parents/guardians do not like you which doesn’t sound like it would feel very good. If you think they will give you permission to stay somewhere else that might be viewed differently than running away. We are not legal experts; however, it could get tricky if they decide to go back on their word. If you are concerned your parents/guardians would try to get your friend’s family in trouble, perhaps they could talk to your parents/guardians about giving them temporary guardianship of you through the courts.

We’d be happy to continue discussing your situation and welcome you to try out our Live Chat. Best of luck!

[Unregistered]

Re: Running away to a friends house

hi im 14 and i wanna run away from home. i wanna go to my bestfriends house and get out of my house. but i dont want to get her or her family in trouble. my family and i are not getting along. we live in arizona. is it illegal?

[ccsmod15]

Re: Running away to a friends house

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you're in a really difficult situation. It's hard to deal with feelings of wanting to run away, and we are here to help you through the process.
It sounds like you think that going to your best friend's house would be the best option for you. We aren't legal experts here, but we can give you a general idea. If you run away, your parents can always file a runaway report, and the police can come out to find you. Yes, your friend’s parents could get in trouble for “harboring a runaway”, which means having you at their house. It might be good to talk to your parents about why you are thinking about running away. It also might help to have your friend ask their parents about if they are okay with you staying with them. There are different options that we can discuss with you.
You may be able to reach out to the police in the area and ask general questions (without giving out your information) about what the rules are locally for you. Certain rules vary with different states, such as where you are in Arizona.
We understand that you are in a difficult position, and here at the National Runaway Safeline we are here to help you. We would encourage you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or open a chat (a private, anonymous conversation) on our website. Situations like yours can be really complicated, and we can help you through the process of figuring out what is best for you. Once again, thank you for reaching out to us.

[Unregistered]

I wanna run away

I'm 15 years old and i live in Michigan. I want to run away to my friends house because I don't feel safe at home. In the past my dad has hit my butt and left welts. My mom's snakes me across the face and left underneath my eye to swell. The most recent time was when we were hunting and i didn't wanna leave bc he was getting worked up bc i told him to quit smoking. So he chased me around a tree and chased after me and shoved my to the ground. When we got home he grabbed me by the back of my hair and dragged me upstairs. Me and my dad are currently in a fight and I'm scared he is going to take my phone away from me aand I won't be able to get any help or I'm scared he is going to hit me. Am I allowed to run away at the age 15 and not get myself or anyone else in trouble?

[ccsmod16]

Re: Running away to a friends house

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safline; it was very brave of you to reach out to us. It sounds like things have been pretty scary at home and like you have been going through a lot with your parents. No one has the right to hurt you and if you ever feel unsafe you have the right to call 911 for immediate help. While we are not legal experts here we can talk in general about runaway reporting. In most states the age of majority, or the age when someone is legally considered to be an adult, is 18 years old. Until someone turns 18, his parent or legal guardian is legally responsible for him. If someone under 18 years old leaves home without permission, the legal guardian has the right to file a runaway report with the police. Running away is a status offense, which means it is not a criminal charge and does not go on your permanent record. Normally, if someone who has been reported as a runaway is found by the police, they are typically returned home. There are usually no legal consequences for running away unless the person is already on probation or has outstanding legal matters. Some states do have laws about harboring a runaway that can bring legal consequences against an adult, someone over 18 years old, who helps a youth that they know has been reported as a runaway. The specific laws and exactly how they are enforced can vary not only among states but also between counties. We often recommend contacting the local police in your area to get more specific information about exactly how they handle runaway reports and how they enforce the related laws. You can find the non-emergency phone number for your local police station at www.usacops.com. You also have the right to file an abuse report with your state’s Department of Child/Family Services department. If you have questions about what happens if you file an abuse report or are looking for support you can find more information at www.childhelp.org or by calling Child Help USA at 1(800)422-4453. We are glad that you reached out to us for help and are available via phone at 1(800)RUNAWAY (1800-786-2929) 24/7 as well as through our online resources that can be found on our website www.1800runaway.org.