Hello,
My nephew, who is 17, took off from home after having an argument with his parents. He has been gone for over a week and had been staying with friends, etc. To give you a bit of history... the kid is not been behaving in the past year; he has several truancy tickets and has stolen money from his parents by using their ATM card so there have been many heated arguments.
Since leaving he has kept in touch with his parents by telephone but he does not want to go back home because they have filed a runaway complaint with the police and have told him if he comes back home they will instruct the police to take him to a runaway shelter. And they are holding firm on this idea. I can see both sides of the story here... the young man doesn't want to go to a shelter so he won't return home, yet the parents simply are tired of putting up with their son's behavior and want him to be responsible for his actions.
Now my dilemma... he has asked if he can stay with us so he can shower, eat, sleep, etc. but I'm afraid of the legal ramifications and consequences that may have since he is technically listed as a runaway. We've allowed him to stay a few nights to be sure he is taken care of and he's been an ideal guest. We've also talked to his parents so they know where he is staying. My big question... what can be done to help remedy this situation? Even if his parents know his whereabouts, is he still technically considered a runaway? I'm not sure what to do... but I certainly do not want to break any Wisconsin laws. Any advice?
My nephew, who is 17, took off from home after having an argument with his parents. He has been gone for over a week and had been staying with friends, etc. To give you a bit of history... the kid is not been behaving in the past year; he has several truancy tickets and has stolen money from his parents by using their ATM card so there have been many heated arguments.
Since leaving he has kept in touch with his parents by telephone but he does not want to go back home because they have filed a runaway complaint with the police and have told him if he comes back home they will instruct the police to take him to a runaway shelter. And they are holding firm on this idea. I can see both sides of the story here... the young man doesn't want to go to a shelter so he won't return home, yet the parents simply are tired of putting up with their son's behavior and want him to be responsible for his actions.
Now my dilemma... he has asked if he can stay with us so he can shower, eat, sleep, etc. but I'm afraid of the legal ramifications and consequences that may have since he is technically listed as a runaway. We've allowed him to stay a few nights to be sure he is taken care of and he's been an ideal guest. We've also talked to his parents so they know where he is staying. My big question... what can be done to help remedy this situation? Even if his parents know his whereabouts, is he still technically considered a runaway? I'm not sure what to do... but I certainly do not want to break any Wisconsin laws. Any advice?
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