Trying to move from Mom's to Dad's

[Guest]

I'm 14, I currently live with my mother in my grandparent's house, and I can't stand it.
My mother and I used to have a pretty good relationship until (because she suggested it) I started talking to my dad again (who I hadn't seen in the past 5 years). Since then, we've been constantly fighting, which at times has gotten physical, and she actually kicked me out of the house once. My grandpa (who I live with) has also kicked me out of the house numerous times, and the most recent time, after we had a physical fight, he told me "Get out! Get the f**k out of here! Don't come back!"
After that incident I ran down the street and called a friend to come pick me up. When I got to her house, I texted my dad to let him know I was there, so he came over for a while and I ended up going home with him.
I spent the weekend at his house and felt like I could finally relax. Like I didn't have to worry about being forced to leave or always be ready to fight something. My mother never apologised, but she did call my dad in an attempt to argue with me. He handed me the phone and I hung up shortly after.
My grandpa has also beaten me over the years. When I was 8 he threw my head against a wall, which caused my ear to bleed, that same year he threw me on the back porch when I was bringing some chairs inside, the first time I got kicked out he literally strangled me, and he's always threatening me and screaming.
I've been kicked out at least a dozen times in the past two years. At first it was just my grandpa doing it, and I just walked to a friend's house whenever it happened (a friend who lived clear across town). They let me stay there for a while and bring me back that night. There have been times when I would ride the bus to his house after school to avoid getting kicked out and having to walk.
A few months ago, my mother kicked me out in the middle of winter without a coat and I had to walk to a different friend's house. I told her and her mom what happened and I was going to stay there that night, but my mother made her bring me back via text.
I talked to my dad about it, and he told me that my mother was the same way when they were dating, and that she has a history of acting without thinking and being emotionally unstable.
I need to leave this house, and I don't know if the law's on my side. My parents were never married, and my mother is unemployed. I don't want to raise hell and make things worse over here if I can't actually leave. Please give me any info you can. I live in Idaho if that changes anything.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us for help, we know making that step isn’t always easy. It is very responsible for you to try to figure out safe ways to leave a situation that is harmful to you. It sounds like the abuse that you have suffered and the fights with your mom have been very stressful and hard to deal with, and no one deserves to be abused.

While we are not legal experts, we can offer some general information about your situation. It sounds like you have suffered abuse in the past and have been forced out of your house, which are both grounds for you to file an abuse report. This can be a lengthy process and we cannot guarantee that it will give you the results that you want, but it would involve Child Protective Services doing an investigation into the abuse and neglect. Also you could talk to your father about the possibility of him obtaining legal guardianship of you so that you could live with him.

Again, thank you for reaching out to us, and feel free to call us if you have any further questions. We might be able to help you think through other options if you do want to call us. You can reach us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You seem very mature to be trying to figure out all of your options, and you have been dealing with stressful situation very well, we wish you the best of luck!