How much trouble is she in?

Re: How much trouble is she in?

thank you so much for your help, i will have my friend call the hotline

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Re: How much trouble is she in?

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Switchboard with your questions and we hope that we can provide you with sound answers to alleviate some of the worry you are facing. We imagine that your friend have reasons for why she chose to runaway and we are not here to judge on that basis. We want to empower you to encourage your friend to make the best choice because the safety of the youth is priority for us. It is hard to say what your friend is risking with the military but running away from the military is not the same as running away from civilian life. It is unclear at this point if your friend ran from her parent's house or if your friend is AWOL in the military. AWOL means "absent without leave" and usually is punishable by military rules for deserting your post. However, this question is more suitable for a marine officer since we are not experts in this area.

On the other hand, in terms of civilian life, we are aware of the fact that running away is not a crime but you cannot leave home without permission if you are not an adult. In most states, the age of adulthood is 18 and that means that your friend's parents can file a runaway report with their local police to prevent from being charged with neglect or to verify your friend's status as a runaway if she is found. If she is found, it is expected for the police to return her home to her parents. Although it is not a crime to runaway, it is illegal for anyone to harbor a runaway. It is important for you to be careful with this because you do not want to risk the chance of getting into legal troubles with the law for keeping her,even when you feel you are in the right for doing the right thing. If you feel comfortable contacting her parents, it is usually recommended. However, we imagine that you do not want to risk your friendship, if your friend is relying on you for a safe place. If you are worried about taking her back, it is recommended that you contact the local police to explore what you are risking if she comes to your door. You do not have to tell them who you are calling for and from where, but can investigate what the laws are like in your city. Since the laws vary from state to state, it is hard for us to give a definite answer on what the outcome is going to be.

We want to continue to help out with you and your friend, if you were to call us at our 1800RUNAWAY number. We are confidential and never judge you. We are all qualified to take your call to guide you and your friend to make the right choice. It is good that you are trying to be a good friend and you are looking around for the right answers. We commend you for taking the time to reach out. If it were the case that she needs to not be with you and to find a shelter, we are here for that. We can locate a shelter for her if this was the case. However, shelters require consent from parents and this means that her parents are going to know where she is and this may not benefit her if she doesn't want to be found. We want to encourage her to think about options that may be the right ones for her. However, we are here to listen and we can provide insights into making sure she remain safe. Until we here from you, please take this time to stay strong and we wish you and your friend all the best. Good luck.

-NRS

my friend who is seventeen ranway and she is enlisted in the marines can you tell me if she is going to go to jail and if she should call me should i take her home right away?