Running away to a friends house

[Guest]

ive been having issues wirh my mother for the pass years and ive had enough with it. im 15 and on probation and i told her& probation officer that i dont wanna live there or see her till things cool down. is it considered running away if i told her where i am and technologically got off the bus here?

[ccsmod5]

Hello,
Thank you for your message. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation and we’re glad that you reached out. It makes sense that you would want to be separate from you mom until things cool down; that shows a lot of maturity and forethought on your part. Here at NRS, we are not legal experts so we can only give general information. Generally, if you leave home without permission you would be considered a runaway. That being said, if your mom thinks that you’re one place and doesn’t file a runaway report, the police wouldn’t know to be looking for you. One thing to keep in mind is that the consequences for running away while you are on probation may be more severe than if you were not on probation. If possible, it might be an option to ask your mom for permission to stay somewhere else; if you need help having that conversation, we do conflict mediation calls here and are happy to help. That being said, we understand if having a conversation doesn’t feel like an option. If you would like to speak more specifically about your situation, get resources, or need some help coming up with your next steps, we are always here to listen and help in any way we can. Our number is 1-800-786-2929. We hope to hear from you soon,
Stay strong and stay safe!
--NRS

[Guest]

I’m 11 and I want to run away to my best friends house, (and I am VERY serious about this) I have looked up the legal issues, and where I live there are no laws against it. I was just hoping for some advice.

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to listen and here to help. We are not legal experts but we will do our best to help you. Because you are a minor if you were to run away, your parent’s have the right to file a runaway report on you. If the police found you they would most likely bring you back home. They could also press charges on your friend’s family for harboring a runaway.
Your safety is our top concern, if you do plan to runaway we hope that you are safe. There are more options than running away. If you would like you can call us and we can explore your options with you. We wish you the best of luck in your situation. We are here 24/7 to listen and provide support.
NRS

[Guest]

Im twelve years old and am thinking about running away....

do you know if it would be a good idea? My parents keep putting alot of stress about school and about how they will send me to mexico and end education for me if i dont stop soon and get my grades up.... I really think i need time away from them to get my self back together but i know if i told them they would think its a big joke... im trying really hard here to get my grades up but i just dont understand some of my classes. please help. If i ran away to a friends house would i be able to stay there for a bit until i got my self together to return home? I want to do this but i dont know if its legal, and my parents would probably end up sending me to mexico or beating me really bad. Please help? I live in Lindenhurst,Illinois.

I dont know what to do.. please help!

[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. Perhaps speaking with the school, like a teacher or counselor about your grades could help. They could maybe tutor you and help you get to learn the material.
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]

Hey there!! I am 14 and I’m thinking about running away from home. Life is just going so bad for me and I can’t stay here at home with my parents because they make me feel extremely depressed 24/7. I am supposed to be taken out of school because my parents don’t want to deal with it. I am going to run away to a friend’s house and maybe just for the night. If not, then I will end up at sister’s house. Is it bad to go to my sisters because she is over 18? Idk what to do because I really can’t stay here. If I do runaway what should I bring with me? Or should I really worry about bringing stuff if I’m just going to a friends or my sisters? If I really want to do this, should I?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hey there!! I am 14


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 having a tough time emotionally and considering running away to a friend or relative. Sometimes things might feel out of control and its tough making a decision about how to cope.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can’t tell you what to do, you know your situation best. What we can do is listen and explore options with you. 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).

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]

Hi I’m a 13 year old turning 14 in under a month. My mom isn't in my life anymore because she recently went to jail and will soon be in prison. The guardians that I live with are my dad and his girlfriend. My whole life my dad and I haven't really gotten along. He never lets me go anywhere, he blames me for everything, and gets mad at me for no reason. I do chores every day and have all A's and B's in school.
I haven't been allowed to have a phone for almost 2 years now. I can't control him yelling at me no matter what I do. I don't want to have to deal with this. I either want to figure out how I can legally move out or run away and stay with my friend without getting his family in trouble or myself.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I'm a 13 year old turning 14

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. Often moving transitions can feel awkward so we understand that it has not been easy for you seeing your mom leave and now staying with your dad. A situation like this can be frustrating for all involved. That being said. We’re glad you reached out.

It is times like these that it might be have some comfort to have a listening ear.
We would like to be of assistance to you if we can.
Sometimes it can be helpful to talk with someone about your feelings for the situation.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you as well as your son through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat so that we might learn a little more about your situation and how we might assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, we would be glad to listen and perhaps explore some options with you. 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]

Hi I’m 13 and I want to run away my life sucks at home and I want to run away to my best friend house it just my life I just can’t feel this depression no more so I wanted to see if running away is illegal

[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]

Hi, I'm 17 and live in Louisiana. I'm wanting to get out and move in with girlfriend in Wisconsin. I already have most things planned out. I just need to see if it would be possible to put this plan into action sooner than expected. Thank you.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Hi, I'm 17 and live in Louisiana.

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 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.
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]

Hello, I have a friend who is 16 and wants to run away I told her she can come with me but I would call the police to let them know what had happen I want to know if that would still get me introuble

[ccsmod16]

Hi, Thanks for reaching out to us at NRS. It sounds like you're dealing with a tough situation. It's great that you want to help your friend. It depends on whether your friend's parents file a runaway report. If they do file a report, it is possible that the police could compel your friend to return home. If the parents or police wish to press charges, it is possible that you could be charged with harboring a runaway if you are over 18. It is a good idea to cal the police first, like you mentioned. Policies vary from place to place, so you can ask the police how they handle situations like this. Good luck to both you and your friend. We're here to listen and help 24/7. Feel free to reach us at 1-800-Runaway.

[Guest]

I am 12 years old and I want to run away from my family for the weekend. I am planning to stay at my friend's place with their parents' permission. I am not being treated fairly at home unlike my younger sister who is loved and cared for more than me. My mom keeps saying that she doesn't care about me anymore, and I don't like my parents. Is there anything illegal about this? I don't want to get my friend's family in trouble. I live in California in the United States.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. Running away, even for a short time, is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your mom can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned to your mom.

It’s great to hear that your friend's family supports you. If you go to stay at a there without prior permission from your mom, your friend's parents could be charged with harboring a runaway, which is a misdemeanor. Penalties for harboring a runaway vary from state to state, police officer to officer, and how your mom views the situation.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 14 and I ran away to my friends house. My parents can get pretty mean to me when I get into trouble. This last time i got in trouble I got pushed I fell down and decided with some of my friends help that I wasn’t going to stick around since I’m not wanted. My friends mom called cps the first night I stayed. My parents came to my school and talked to me and told me they were sorry for how they have been and want me to come home to talk and work things out but I decided not to. Did I make the right choice will my friends family get in trouble for helping me? Should I go back home if they will work on things getting better?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. Your parents' actions and abuse is unacceptable. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. It's great to hear that you are recognizing and acting on your own safety needs. Only you can decide what the right choice is. If you have any questions about where you can legally stay while a CPS investigation is ongoing it may be a good idea to contact the caseworker assigned to your case. You can contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-422-4453 for help locating your local CPS office.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 15 and I dont want to leave my home I just want to be able to have fun with my friends and hang out and be able to have sleepovers and I don’t see any trouble with that, I mean I get good grades and am mostly respectful to my parents and others. My parents just don’t want to let their little girl go and I get that but I should be able to hang out with my friends!! And sometimes I just want to go hang out with my friends one day when I ask my parents and they say no and go anyway but I know I would come back is that bad?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us and sharing a little bit about what's been going on, we know it takes a lot of courage to reach out to others. It sounds like you're in a very frustrating situation - it must be hard not to not be given some independence and see your friends. It seems like there may be some disconnect between how you and your parents view the situation. It may be beneficial to try to reach out to others for some help communicating your thoughts and feelings to them. Some ways that you might be able to do this could be writing them a letter, going to family counseling, or you can call us directly and we can set up a conference call with your parents and help mediate a conversation.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS

[Guest]

I am depressed and have cut myself. I have bad thoughts and I want to die. I hate myself. To make that worse, I am sorta kinda maybe verbally abused at my dads house. He yells at me, calls me names like slow and smart-ass, makes me do all of his work, makes unreasonable demands, get upset at everything, criticizes everything I do and more. My parents are divorced. My mom says he loves me just doesnt know how to show it but i dont know... I have been thinking about running away to my mom for a couple of days now. Can you help me sort this out? Should I run away to my mom or not? I don't know how to tell him about how I feel. I don't know what to do and its driving me crazy!

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, and sharing a little bit of your story with us. It must be really difficult to have all those feelings, those feelings can be really hard to deal with alone. We want you to know you are worth living and you are a valuable person. We also want you to know that there is always someone willing to listen and provide support to you. If you ever need to talk or are feeling suicidal you can of course call us or The National Suicide Lifeline at 1800-273-8255.
You mentioned being verbally abused by your dad, you do not deserve to be treated that way any type of abuse is unacceptable. If you would like to report the abuse you can call the Child Helpline at: 1800-422-4453. We know that sometimes making an abuse report may be scary if you would like our help with making the abuse report please give us a call at any time. You could also consider talking to a school counselor about what is going on. Sometimes holding these thoughts in can be very difficult and having someone help you process these thoughts may help you feel better.
You also mentioned wanting to run away to your mom’s house. WE\e are not going to tell you if you should run away or if you shouldn’t run away because that is ultimately your decision. If you do decide to run away to your mom’s house we do have general information on the laws although we are not legal experts. If you do leave without permission your legal guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. If the police found you they most likely would return you home. One option you could consider is trying to talk with your dad about how you feel and that you would like to stay at your moms. We know you mentioned you are afraid to do this. At NRS we offer conference calling where if you call us we can call out to your dad and have a conference call. Conference calling allows you to be heard and we are there to provide support and mediate the conversation.
We hope this information will help you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS