16 in nevada

Hi I’m 17 and I’ve lived in a home where I’m put down 24/7 I’m never told anything good and that takes a strain on me. I ran away in August and cps got involved. My father has beat me and neglected me on several occasions the cps didn’t talk to my friends but talked to my father ofc he’s going to lie to cover his own ass. My birthday is in July 24th and I can’t take one more minute of this house if I leave now can the police do anything.???

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It sounds like you and your sister are in a rough spot. You must love her a lot to take care of her and to work so hard to shield her from the toxic environment that your parents provide.
We aren’t legal experts here at NRS but generally speaking, if your sister has left your parents’ home without permission they could file a runaway report. If a report is filed and she is located by the authorities she will most likely be returned home to your parents. If there is child abuse/neglect going on at home you can always contact your local DCFS office or go to childhelp.org to file an abuse report. From there you can work with a caseworker to see if your sister could be placed with you (this is often called kinship care). Another option would be looking into a local legal aid group for additional information or alternatives that may be applicable to your specific 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 and your sister may have available, 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

Hello,

I am 22 years old and I have been taking care of my little sister for quite some time. She lives with me in a town about 60 miles away from our parents. She is 16 years old, and I’m helping her get on her feet, get her driver’s license, finish school, get a job, etc. The living conditions with our parents are toxic and unhealthy. She is worried that they will be able to take her away and force her to live with them. Can she legally choose to be with me?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I am 17 and I’ve been living with my mom for 8 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. We are not legal experts so it might be a consideration for your mother to speak with an attorney about any custody issues between her and your father. You do not deserve to be abused. He had no right to do that. It was not your fault. It sounds like the police when called have not been very helpful. You can contact child protective services to file an abuse report. By doing so it will set in motion an investigation to the abuse allegations against him. It’s not an easy thing to do but it’s one to consider if you are feeling at risk. This can be done by you or your mom.
To file an abuse report contact: Child help USA 1-800-422-4453
www.childhelpusa.org

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

I am 17 and I’ve been living with my mom for 8 months. I haven’t had much contact with my dad and I haven’t lived with him or have spent time with him except for 3 times but they have been short interactions. He recently called my mom saying that if Im not home at a specific time and certain day, he will call the cops on me to go live with him. Although the laws say that I can decide who I live with by the age of 16, I’m scared that they will force me to go live with him. I live in Las Vegas Nevada and my dad has been very abusive but it’s been really hard to prove it based on how the police the department has shrugged off these incidents. How will I be able to stay with my mom and not go live with him forcefully? Or is there anything I can say to the police for them to not make me go?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I want to move out ....

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

We appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We would like to be of assistance to you if we can. 18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.
If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
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.

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

I want to move out and live with my girlfriend shes turning 18 and ill be 17 by that time, can i do that without my parents consent?

[ccsmod5]

Hi,
Thanks for reaching out. Generally speaking, either one of your legal guardians can file a runaway report with the local police and if they are able to locate you they will return you home. So if your mom is one of your legal guardians, yes it might be an issue.
--NRS

what if my dad lets me go back to nevada and knows where i'll stay and approves . will my mom calling the cops still be an issue .

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We're sorry to hear about all that has been going on and want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your home. We are not legal experts, but because you are a minor, if you leave home your parents could file a runaway report and you would be returned home. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor. If you want a liner to talk through other options such as mediating a conference call between you and your mom or dad, child abuse reporting, thinking through other adults or family members who can advocate for you, or general information on emancipation and legal aid numbers, don't hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-786-2929. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

Best,

NRS

I'm 15 years old , i do well in school and don't do anything bad but that doesn't stop my mom from degrading me and abusing me mentally . She kicked me out a couple months ago and made me go live with my father in texas . But things don't change everyone talks badly about me here my dad is the same as my mom my parent's don't seem to care wether i live or die and go on with saying everything is my fault , i'm tired of being around so much negativity . i am pursuing to return to Nevada and live with a family member or friend since my mom won't take me back . But am concerned if i do return my mom will file a police report even tho she neglects me and denies my return home with her . Can i get into trouble even if all she's done is neglect me ? And honestly i hate it here in texas living here with my dad and his family no one really cares about me and what i desire . i just wish to go back home , go to school , live my life and reunite with my loved one .

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are very sorry to hear that you got into a fight with your mom. You don't deserve to be treated that way. If you feel as though you are in danger, we encourage you to contact the police. Child Help (1-800-422-4453) is a great resource to explore your options and get information on how to transfer custody. It sounds like you want to leave home. Having a plan about where you would go and how you would take care of yourself is important. If you decide to runaway, your mom has the right to file a runaway report. With a runway report, if the police find you they would return you home. Running away isn't against the law but if you decide to stay with one of your friends, their parents could get in trouble for harboring a runaway. You could try asking your mom if she would allow you to stay with another family member or close friend. Another option that you have is looking into emancipation laws for your state. We hope that this information helps, please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat.

I am 16 in less than a month and I no longer want to live with my mother. Recently there was an incident that involved a physical fight between us that she instigated. CPS is involved now. She makes my sister and I watch my baby brother until ungodly hours. I am being punished for being the reason CPS is involved . One punishment is social isolation. I'm scared of another fight. I want to be able to contact my sister and baby brother. I do not want to contact my mother. Multiple people have offered me sanctuary but I don't want anybody in trouble . Help ? I'm lost and I feel trapped.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have started to make a plan to leave and are wondering what your options are. A couple of things to think about would be that because you are a minor, if your parents file a runaway report then you could be returned home by the police. Another thing to think about is that while tunning away is not illegal, there could be legal action taken against your boyfriend or whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a runaway. Some options would be to get your parents permission to leave or you could look into emancipation. Emancipation can be a lengthy and costly process, but you would be able to seek legal aid and ask questions about what petitioning for that would look like. If you give us call at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we could look up legal aid for you or action plan with you what you think would be best for you in your situation.

We aren't legal experts, but being able to stay at the high school you're currently enrolled in would be affected if your parents file a report. This could also possibly effect trying to enroll in a different school. Once again, seeking legal advice with these questions could be a good first step.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to give us a call,

NRS

I am 16 and want to runaway with my boyfriend that's 18. I will be looking for a job soon. I am currently enrolled in a high school. I live in Las Vegas Nevada. How do I continue high school after running away? Is there any way I can enroll myself with copies of my certificates and personal information? My boyfriend is fully capable of taking care of me and has a job and a car. My main concern is finishing high school, what can I Do?