My Runaway Rights in North Carolina

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like it’s been very stressful and painful to be with your family, and they don’t understand how exhausted you are from their pressure. If you begin to think about harming yourself or ending it all again, To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are also good resources to contact during those tough times. To Write Love On Her Arms provides hope and support for people struggling with self-harm. They can help connect you to local resources at https://twloha.com/find-help/. If you’re thinking of ending it all, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can provide also provide support and can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 or via instant chat at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/.

If you’re thinking about leaving home, running away is a big decision. We can help you explore any additional options and think through your decision so you stay safe. Please feel free to reach us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or via instant chat at https://www.1800runaway.org/. We’re here 24/7 and are confidential. We hope to hear from you soon.

Stay safe,
NRS Crisis Team

hello
I'm 16 years old. I live in North Carolina. I'm so tired of my family and how they make me feel. I and my mom always argue about everything. my family puts a lot of pressure on me and I can't handle it anymore. it is so tiring I want to leave home I don't want to stay in that place anymore. I have tried to end it all several times. cutting, pills, starvation, and even just getting in front of a car. they expect so much for me I cant with this any more I want to leave and never come back

[ccsmod16]

[6:52 PM] Claudia Varner
Hi,
Thank you for contacting NRS to inquire about your niece, we are so glad you did! We are sorry to hear that your niece is unhappy living with her dad and would prefer to live with another relative. That can be an extremely difficult thing for her, and all involved family members, to cope with and she is fortunate to have someone in her life like you, who is looking out for her and exploring options.
While we are not legal experts, we are happy to provide some factual information. Firstly, the age of majority in North Carolina is 18 years old, so even though your niece is about to be 16 she is still considered a minor. Secondly, there are laws against harboring a minor who has run away. If her dad were to contact law enforcement and report that she ran away, whoever is housing her could be charged. We understand that this is a very hard situation to navigate, but we hope we’ve provided some clarity in your questions. She may wish to reach out to her caseworker to see if anything else is possible.

If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out by calling our hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY or writing into our online chat. We are here to help 24/7. Good luck!

Sincerely,NRS

My niece is about to be 16 dss took her from her mom over a year ago. She doesn't like living with her dad and at 16 wants to runaway back to her mom's my house (aunt) or her grandma's. DSS wouldn't approve any of us to be her guardian when she was first taken from my sister. Can she legally run away to your mom's house or mine or my mom's house when turns 16?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,

Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to listen and here to provide you support. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time and we want you to know that you are not alone.

You mentioned that your past and your parents are taking a huge toll on your mental health, you do not have to deal with mental health issues alone. A resource that you may find helpful is called NAMI (national alliance for mental illnesses), they can be reached at 1800-950-NAMI.

Also it can be super stressful to be failing classes and on top of that being afraid of your car being sold. One option is to talk to your teachers and school counselor about getting your grades up. You mentioned that grades come out in a month, so you still have time to improve your grades. And when you ask for help it shows that you care about your grades and teachers may be more likely to help when you ask for help. Another option may be to talk to your parents before your grades come out, that way you have time to talk about it and it does not come as a shock to them. Your parents may even be willing to help you with bringing your grades up.

We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please reach out to us. We are available 24/7 to help you and support you.

NRS

Hello, I am 17 and need to get out of my home, my past and my parents are causing me stress and taking a huge toll on my mental health. I am stuck between them outing me to my entire family if I leave or them finding out that I’m failing my classes and that made them say that they will sell my car and force me to quit my job, which are the only things that get me away from them. My grades come out in a month and I need to make a decision. I don’t know what to do.

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at NRS and we appreciate you sharing your situation with us. It sounds like living with your dad was a volatile situation for you and you felt it was best for you to leave. We are so glad that you have been safe with your best friend and that you have been in contact with your mom. We want you to know that you are not alone in this and we are here to support you as best we can.

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).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe, NRS

Hi, due to unfortunate events, I chose to leave home. My father told me if I mess up one more time, he'll walk me outside with my bags. Then stated that can CHOSE to leave. When he went on a run, I packed my bags, took my bike, and left. I am safe and proceeded to go to my best friend's house and stay there. This all happened on a Sunday. When I called him on a Monday he told me that I need to face him like a man and that when he files a runaway, he is deciding to let the cops take me somewhere, but not back to his house. I asked to stay with my mothers and he told me no. My Mom knows about the situation and her and my friend's mom have been in contact. It is now Thursday when I'm writing this and I may be able to finally go to my Mom's. He thinks that I'm not attending school, and staying with my ex-boyfriend, who he hates. I'm still attending school, proven from attendance. And when my friend's parents pick her up I go too.

[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 sharing about what’s going on. We are sorry to hear this has happened to you. You always deserve to be safe physically and emotionally.

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. It also sounds like you might consider making a report to child protective services in North Carolina. If the severity of what is occurring in a home is enough, they may intervene and assist immediately.

Last, while we are not experts on the law, someone your age that leaves home, the parent/guardian may file them as a runaway and they may be returned home. Those that a reported runaway stays with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. Anyone found to be assisting or aiding someone to run away may also find themselves at risk legally.

You might consider contacting the local non-emergency number for the police. You might also look for a legal aid center in the area. They may be able to answer questions on the subject.

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).

Be safe,
NRS

Hey i am 14 years old and live in Hamlet North Carolina,i was raped by my brother told my mama and she didn’t do anything we argue fuss and fight all the time she call me names tells me im stupid and she hit me in my eye and made it swollen she choked me and tried too kill me i plan on running away to my friends house tomorrow what is the consequences?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

We appreciate that you reached out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing what’s going on with us. It seems like you’ve been through a lot in the past, and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options due to the situation with your family. It sounds like you’ve given a lot of thought to your options of what you can do, and although it is typically what we might recommend for someone in your situation, we understand that emancipation is not a viable option for you at this time.

Outside of that, we’re not legal experts, but here’s what we do know: If your parent decides to report you as having run away, most states have laws against harboring runaways. Usually people that are just letting runaways stay with them so that they don't have to sleep on the street will not get into legal trouble. However, the possibility exists for any person who lets a runaway stay in their home to face legal trouble. That being said, any runaway report made about you would expire after you turned 18, so it doesn’t appear that you could get in trouble for running away at 17. While you would not get into any legal trouble, there is a risk you would be returned home if found.

We’d be happy to discuss more options to help ensure your safety if you’d like. Please feel free to reach out to us at 1(800) RUNAWAY, or you can chat with one of our crisis counselors online at 1800runaway.org. Take care, and we hope to hear from you soon!

All the best,
NRS

Hi, I’m 17 currently and I turn 18 by the end of the year. I’m going through a rough time at home, and I’ve been through so much. I’ve gone through a lot of my options, and I feel like running away is the only way to solve them. They are forcing me to go on long trips which may cause me to lose my job and such. I’ve expressed how I don’t want to go, and my mother doesn’t care, she said losing my job isn’t her problem. I’m very mature, I’ve been able to live on my own, take care of myself, and work through lots of adult problems on my own. I live in North Carolina, and have plenty of friends and friends family I could stay with and be supported through school, work, and life at. Im not able to go through with emancipation due to lack of evidence, no parental consent, and lack of funding to pay for it. I wish to know what legally I can do to run away, and if I do run away, that if I resurface at 18 will I get in trouble?

[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 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 forum 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

I'm just tired of the rules, feels like I can't breath without getting in trouble, no real example but I just need to get away, if I went and lived with my gf would she get in trouble? We both live in nc, I turn 17 in August and she turns 18 in November

[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 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