Running away to a friends house

[Guest]

Hi im 15, about to turn sixteen and I'm being emotionally abused at home and its slowly escalating and I feel that if I stay I may start to experience physical abuse. I want to run away to my friend's house and they are ok with it. I live in California and I want to know if they would get in trouble if they decided to take me in. If I contacted the police and child protective services my whereabouts and I don't feel safe going home with my friends parent's get in trouble?

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear that your parents are treating you in an inappropriate way and that you feel like your home is becoming more and more unsafe. Nobody deserves to feel threatened or attacked in their own home. If you feel like you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you are interested in learning about the reporting process or making a report, please contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or childhelp.org.

We aren’t legal experts, but we have general knowledge about running away. In most states, running away isn’t illegal, but what is called a status offense. You can’t get arrested for it but it will mostly likely go on your record until you are 18. The police will only know if you have runaway if your parents/guardians file a police report. We can’t say for sure how the police will respond, but we hear a lot that police will take potential places you might be and will actively search for you. If they come across you, the most likely will return you home to your parents. Sometimes we hear that if you are staying with someone who knows you are a runaway and are not actively trying to return you or finding shelter for you, your guardians/or police can press charges against the people who are housing you, with something that is called harboring.

If you want to talk in greater detail about what’s going on and what you can do about it, please do not hesitate to reach out to our 24/7 hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY or our chat at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

i wanna runaway to my boyfriends house away from home cause my parents are always fighting and i don't know what i will need if i do. I'm 17 yrs old.

[ccsmod9]

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

[Guest]

I'm 14 and my mom died when I was four years old, my step mom would verbally, emotionally, and mentally abuse me. My dad has barely been in my life because of work. My boyfriend told me he will let me stay at his house with his mom, he's 16. I've been really depressed and suicidal but my boyfriend makes me really happy. We live in New Jersey, would the police force me to return
home?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I'm 14 and my mom died when I was four years old,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

It sounds like that you have been going through an emotional time living at home with your father and stepmother. First we would like to offer our condolences on the loss of your mom. It is probably still hard for you emotionally. It took a lot of courage for you to reach out. We appreciate you sharing your feelings about the situation. Well done.
If you are reported as a runaway and picked up by the police they can return you home to your parents. Also anyone known to be aiding or harboring a runaway could face legal charges. We hope that makes sense.
You spoke about the way things are at home.
It sounds like you feel treated unfairly by your stepmother as she sounds very abusive to you. You don’t deserve to get abused in any way. It is not your fault that she chooses to do this. Even being in the face of this your strength has been amazing. Support can be quite helpful during any crisis. It does not sound like you feel you feel supported by your father. It would probably feel encouraging if he was. Perhaps you can come up with a time when it would be best to talk with him about what has been going on.

That being said it sound like you have a supportive boyfriend.
Even though you stated you feel depressed and suicidal he has a way to make you feel happy. Good for you. You deserve to feel some happiness.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may help to lift some of the stress off your shoulders and give you the opportunity to explore some positive options towards feeling better. It may also bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You 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 call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. For those times of depression or suicidal thoughts reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (24hrs).

What a courageous thing you did reaching out today. Nice job.
Remember NRS is here to listen and here to help.


Take care,
NRS


We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

i’m 14 & i live in washington dc , my parents are separated but they share my custody i don’t feel safe at my moms house if i go to my dads house is that considered running away ? & can my dad get i. trouble ?

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS! We understand you are going through a lot and our hope is that we can help give you information so that you can make an educated decision on what you would like to do. As far as running away to your dad’s place it might be best for you to speak to him. He would be able to tell you if you can stay some time with him. Perhaps even explain what is happening at home and why you feel you don’t want to go after school. 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 want to run away i moved from home with my mom to be with my dad and its terrible i cant take it there

[ccsmod8]

Hello there -

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

You have stated that you left your mother to go live with your father and now things are what you were expecting. That’s pretty understandable when a child goes from one parent to the next without really thinking or talking about what their new life is going to look like. A lot of times youth leave thinking that it’s going to be less strict or more fun than living at home, but it sometimes is the complete opposite. This can cause a lot of distress in youth and they want to return back to the original parent.

If your parents got divorced and are living apart, it might be that one parent gets awarded primary custody while the other is awarded secondary custody. So whomever was awarded primary, which is the parent that you have to live with while the other would have certain rights (ie. visitation or living with them every other weekend). That is assuming that the custody is going to be shared and not awarded all to one parent. It might be a good idea to talk to your mother about the possibility of her having custody over you and then just means you can go back to living with her; if she approves of course.

So it sounds like reaching out to your mother might be the best solution to your issues and explaining to her that you would like to come back to live with her.

[Guest]

16 and want to run away

I’m 16 in Tampa, Florida and I want to run away from my abusive parents. They threaten me that if I run away, they’ll punish me like hell and I’m terrified of what they’ll do. I’m not sure if it’s illegal to run away at this age to a friend’s house. What are the consequences and will the people that help me stay in their house going to be arrested?

[ccsmod9]

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 you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you 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. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.
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.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You 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]

Can i run away today

[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 contacting us.

It sounds like you are thinking about running away. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. Running away can be hard and it can be helpful to think about where you might stay and how you might pay for food, rent and other living expenses. 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. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or live chat with us at www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Can I run away to my boyfriend house and i don't want him and his family in trouble? I am 13 years old I live in Minnesota is it legal here plz contact me plz

[ccsmod2]

Hey,
Thank you for reaching out to us, it seems like you have been treated unfairly and that now you want to take action. It is unfortunate you are being treated bad by those who are supposed to support you. It is good to hear that you have a plan and a place you can go to be safe.
Being in Minnesota it is legal for you to run away, but it might be a risk for those you stay with. We are not legal experts but generally your parents will have to file a runaway report with the police. This means that if the police find you they will bring you home. You won’t be brought to jail as it is not a crime to run away. The parents of your friend might get charged with harboring a runaway. Generally if they cooperate with police and don’t lie to them they won’t get in trouble. If you are worried it might be worth it to have them consult a lawyer, or ask the police anonymously what the laws are. If you want we can help you to ask if you call into our confidential hotline.
Hopefully this information is helpful to you, and if you have more questions or feel stuck please call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You should never be treated poorly by those who are supposed to raise you up, and we hope this can be the start of it improving.

[Guest]

Hello I have a situation
my sons best friends just run away from home after a big fight with his mom .He asked my son if he can stay here fir tonight ?? What can I do ? Am I going to get in trouble !!

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If they are under 18 and leave home, their parent/guardian may file the youth as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those whom they 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. It always good to make sure the youth isn’t under any abuse at home before doing anything. If they are it would be a good idea to call the cops and inform them from there you would not face legal charges.
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 14 turning 15 in a few months. I’ve been wanting to leave home for a while now. I want to move in with a friend who has their own place, job, etc. I’m so tired of my home, I can’t be myself and my mom presses her religion on me and its really taking a toll on me. I want to leave a note saying I’m fine and I don’t want to be found. How would that turn out?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I'm 14 turning 15 in a few months

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. It sounds like you are considering running away from home. Things have not been good and it sounds like you are frustrated by this.
Leaving home is a big step. It is important to understand that once you leave your mother could report you as a runaway with the police. If found you would most likely be returned home to your mother. Also anyone known to be aiding or harboring you could face legal action.

We understand that there are maybe some things like your mother pressing you about religion and not feeling like you can be yourself has you feeling emotionally tired.
Sometimes communication gets hard and all you want is to be heard.
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. Sometimes speaking with someone might help to generate some ideas and options as to what steps you might help to change the situation.
You did a good job by reaching out today.
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).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS


We hope this response was helpful! We’d love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis email/forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to youth and families. Please click the link to fill out our survey: Your Opinion Matters to Us

[Guest]

Hey I want to run away to my friends house my life is bad at my house and there is verbal and emotional abise but my friend is worried that the police could cause arrests. Is there anything I can do and I don't have the money to file for emancipation.

[ccsmod15]

Hello,

It can be difficult to ask for help, and we are glad you reached out to us today. You do not deserve to be abused. If you are ever in immediate danger, reaching out to the police is always an option. Child Help operates the National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-422-4453) that can also be a helpful resource.

We are not legal experts and consequences for running away can vary from situation to situation. Running away is not illegal but if the police are involved there can be consequences for the people who take you in. Calling a non-emergency police number is a helpful resource for learning more about the consequences for leaving.

In addition to being available by bulletin, we operate a 24/7 hotline (1-800-786-2929) and are always here to help and provide additional resources. You do not deserve to be mistreated and you are taking the right steps to improve your situation. Do not hesitate to reach out.

Good luck,
NRS

[Guest]

Help I’m 14 and am running away how do u go back home after

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. Not really sure of what exactly your question is. But we will try our best to answer. If you run away and eventually want to return home you can talk to your parents about coming home. Because you are a minor if your parents refuse to allow you to come back home, you can call your local non-emergency police and talk with them.
We hope this answered your question. If you have any more questions please feel free to give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi im a 13F and I’m wanting to runaway to my best friends house who lives 11 min away from me.. I want to get away from my brother who used to abuse me both physically emotionally and verbally. Right now it’s just the verbal abuse. Anyway I’m going to my friends house so that he and his mom can help me get everything ready and I’m off...still looking for a group I can be with though anyway I’m also wondering what will happen if the cops go to his house and see that I’m there. What will they do? Will they get in trouble big time? Can they get arrested for harboring a runaway? I live in Florida by the way. So I’m not sure what the law is for harboring a run away

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We are sorry to hear you have to deal with that kind of abuse. No one deserves that kind of treatment. If police find you at a friends house after running away, your parents can file charges against them for harboring you. If you run away, your parents may file a missing persons report because if they do not they will be opening themselves up to potential neglect charges if the police become involved at some point.

If you haven't already, you might let your parents or guardians know what your brother is doing and how you are feeling. They are the ones that might be able to make the most change in this situation. We would be happy to do a conference call with them if you are worried about having that difficult conversation with them.

There are a few other options worth looking into. Any time you need to talk out your options we encourage you to call our phone number. We are confidential and open 24/7 year round to help you find resources or just talk things through. Another option is that we could offer a conference call between us, yourself, and your parents, so that we could referee and ensure everyone feels they are being heard. One last option worth considering is that we may be able to offer you sliding scale therapists in the area that could help you feel heard and help you feel a little more supported in your day-to-day life.

Again, we are here any time if you should want to explore these options further. Thank you again for contacting us, and we wish you the best of luck.