Im 16 and i want to live somewhere else.

[Guest]

I'm 16 about to be 17 in two months I want to live on my own I can't live with my parents no more

[ccsmod6]

Hi,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us tonight. We're so sorry about everything you're going through that makes you feel like you can't live with your parents anymore. We can let you know a little bit about runaway laws and hopefully that can help you out.

Normally when you leave home before the age of 18 you would be considered a runaway. Running away is not illegal but it is considered a status offense. What this means is that you won't be arrested for running away, but your parents could file a runaway report for you with the police and the police would be looking for you. If the police found you they would take you back home. It would not go on your permanent record and you would not get arrested. If there is any abuse going on at home you can tell the police about it if you feel comfortable doing so, and they would likely get into contact with child protective services for you.

You did mention that you are turning 17 soon though, so it's important to note that sometimes some police departments do not take runaway reports for 17 year olds. This differs from police department to police department though, so you may have to call your local police department and see what exactly they would do in your situation. If they do not take runaway reports for 17 year olds you can leave without your parent's permission when you turn 17 and they will not be able to get the police involved. If you do this it is important to come up with a plan about what you would do if you left – like where you would stay, how you would get money, finishing school if that’s an option for you, and things along those lines.

If you need anything else or just want to talk more about what you're going through please don't hesitate to reach out to us again! You can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY, we are 24/7 so someone will always be here to answer and help you in the best way that we can. We wish you the best of luck with everything.

[Guest]

I hate my mom

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I hate my mom

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We appreciate you reaching out.
Some situations can be disappointing and even upsetting thus making things uncertain about what to do or where to turn.
We understand and 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) or www.1800Runaway.org.
Again tell us what it is you would like us to help you with and we will be happy to explore some options with you.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I been wanting to live with my dad for the longest time now. I don't like living with my mom and the town I'm in my ex has always been a ****** to me and I feel like I'm not good enough and wanted to end my life because of him. I want to b homeschooled but my mom won't let me. I don't want to b around him and I want to live in Newark with my dad. Please help me

[ccsmod7]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through such a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. We want you to know that you are worth it, that there is hope for you, and that you are good enough. No one deserves to be made to feel that you’re not good enough, and you should not have to go through that. That sounds really hurtful to not feel uncomfortable in your home or at school.

If you ever feel that you are in danger of hurting or killing yourself, you could call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255; suicidepreventionlifeline.org) or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.
Also, if you haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support. If you haven’t already, you could also consider asking someone else to help you talk with your mom and tell her how you’re feeling.

There are also many resources that could help you find a safe place if you’re in need of that, work through conflict at home, or help you with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us or chat with us online.

Again, thank you or contacting us. It sounds like you’ve been going through a really hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.

[Guest]

I'm 15 and I don't like my household at all. My mom is legally my guardian and doesn't work and she is married to my stepdad who is currently working. My dad who isn't legally my dad because he isn't on the birth certificate lives in the same state as me and but not the same household. I'm not abused I guess but my mental health is slowly deteriorating. I have depression, anxiety and probably other things I don't know about. I've had suicidal thoughts and thoughts of hurting myself and others, of course I never have but the thoughts are there.
My mom is a good woman..and I love her but when she is stressed (which is all the time) she gets snappy and yells at me for practically no reason. And my stepdad yells at me for the same things, for no reason. My younger sister is uncontrollable and is a serious brat. And my biological father is over protective and never let's me do anything.
I have a boyfriend and he lives many states away but I've gotten to see him 3 times and we've been dating for almost a year now. His parents say I can live with their family as long as my parents say yes. But I know my mom will let me but my biological father won't. He would cause problems like call CPS and the police on my boyfriend's parents and my mom, if I went without his concent. But if I were to go would I really need his Vincent? Since he isn't legally my father? I really need to move away I feel as though if I don't my mental health with slowly wither away into nothing.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

We're sorry to hear that you've been having a rough time at home. We want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and happy in your household. We also want you to know that your safety is our first priority. If you are ever feeling depressed or suicidal, know that you are not alone and that there are people out there that can help. Don't hesitate to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 if you need someone to talk to. We are also here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you need help looking up counseling resources or other things you may need.

We're glad to hear that you have a boyfriend that supports you. We aren't legal experts so one thing you can do is look up legal aid in your area to get answers about whether or not you would need the permission of both parents to leave. You could also give us a call and we could look that up for you. If your mom is willing to let you leave, you could ask her about who has what percentage of custody over you to get some of your answers. We also have a conference call service here at NRS where a liner can help mediate a conversation between you and your parents where you can possibly feel safer voicing your feelings and coming to some resolutions. Let us know if that is something that you would be interested in.

Good luck, and let us know how we can best help,

NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16
My life is a living hell. I do NOT feel safe at home. My parents mentally and emotionally abuse me. They force me to clean everything and treat my brothers like angels. They never do anything for me. I can't do it anymore and I feel like if I stay here I will hurt myself. My parents know I wanna hurt myself sometimes and they don't care. I just can't do it anymore. I have a place to go with my aunt. I looked into other things and it says that I won't be forced to leave unless they think I'm in danger. What do you think?

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out to NRS through our online forum service. It sounds like you are in a very hurtful situation at home with the way your parents are treating you. Reaching out to us is a great first step in a establishing a plan to better your situation. You deserve to live somewhere where you feel respected and safe.
You mentioned you feel like if you stay in your home you feel like you will hurt yourself. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a great resource to help you talk through these feelings, and can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. Also, you mentioned that your parents are mentally and emotionally abusive to you. The National Child Abuse Hotline is another great resource to reach out to, and they can be reached at 1-800-422-2243. Have you talked to your aunt about the way your parents are treating you at home? If your parents allow you to move in with your aunt and she is okay with it, you are allowed to move in with your aunt if you feel that would be best. If you run away without permission from your parents, they may file a runaway report with the police. While running away is not illegal, the police would be obligated to return you to your parents if they do locate you.
At NRS, we would be happy to speak with you and explore some more options to better your situation. We can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929), or via our online chat service at 1800runaway.org. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

[Guest]

I am 15 and my legal guardian abandoned me. I live with my mom who signed her rights over to me years ago, and my stepdad who is emotionally abusive. I want to go live with a friends parents who would most likely take me in. I'm tired of living with my "parents". Can i move in with my friends parents?

[ccsmod15]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you’ve been going through such a tough time, but we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. We want you to know that no one deserves to be abused, and you should not have to go through that. But it sounds like you have some supportive friends in your life.

Just so you’re aware, if your legal guardian has abandoned you, that may be considered neglect since they have a legal obligation to take care of you. If you haven’t already, you could consider reporting the abuse you’ve been experiencing. If you want more information about abuse or neglect reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453 or you could call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

We’re not legal experts, but generally there are three ways to leave home before being an adult: with guardian permission, if there is abuse, or through emancipation (a legal process that can sometimes be long and expensive where youth become a legal adult before 18. We have legal aid resources here if you have specific questions about the laws in your state or if you want to learn more about emancipation.

If you haven’t already, you could consider reaching out to a trusted adult, relative, worker/teacher/counselor at your school for help and support. You could also consider talking to your parents about how you’ve been feeling. Just so you’re aware, we have a conference calling service here where we could help mediate a conversation between you and your parents.

There are also many resources that could help you find a safe place if you’re in need or help you with anything else you may need. If you want to talk more about what’s been going on, or if you would like more information about resources, you can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) or chat with us online.

Again, thank you for contacting us. It sounds like you’ve been going through a really hard time, but you’ve shown a lot of strength by working through these challenges and reaching out for help. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to call us or chat with us online. We’re always here to listen and here to help.

[Guest]

Hi So I am currently 14 (15 in 1 1/2 months). I've been having family troubles. I'm not abused physically but they're taking a HUGE toll on my mental health. Just today I came home to my brother calling me a retarded bit*h and a lil a*shole. All I did was ask him to do his chores. My mom laughed and yelled at me when I had a complete breakdown after I got home from work. I was crying but hysterically laughing because that's how I get people to not worry as much... I have been to the ward 2 times for anxiety and severe depression... My boyfriend has started to notice how the family has been treating me.. He offered for me to move in with him when I turn 16, but I wanted to know if I would be legal. I am not physically harmed but mentally drained and feel targeted from my family a LOT. In Iowa, U.S. would it be legal for me to leave at age 16? Thanks.

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are very sorry to hear that you are being emotionally abused at home. Abuse is never okay and you don't deserve to be treated that way. Although verbal abuse is harder to prove, you have the right to report it. Child Help (1-800-422-4453) is a great resource to explore your options and get information on how to transfer custody. In the state of Iowa, a person has to be 18 before they can leave home without your parents permission. You could ask your family if they would allow you to stay with family members or another close friend. Another option that you have is contacting Child Protective Services if you feel unsafe at home. One final option that you may want to consider 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 if you have any questions or just want to talk.

[Guest]

Hey,
I'm 16 and my mom passed away 2 years ago. I moved in with my cousin and her husband. They take good care of me and I truly believe they care for me. At the same time they are overly strict and put me on punishment starting at 1 month most of the time. This whole school year i've been on punishment for various stupid reasons like leaving dust on the tv or a piece of food on the table. I do well in school and I try to be responsible but with them I always seem to fall short. It's like i'm not enough. I will admit that sometimes I do things. But I'm currently been on a punishment since my birthday March 18 for something I honestly admit I did wrong but not worth a 6 month punishment. I can't have my phone, work, do extra activities, or take a run off my own street. I feel like a prisoner for my whole teenage life. They never cook home cooked meals. there is things I am can cook on my own but i guess I was something every once in a while coming from a home of getting it. I want to live with my god mom but she won't let me go! WHAT SHOULD I DO?

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear you’re having such a tough time at home right now. It sounds like you would like more personal freedom and not be excessively punished. That’s understandable. We never tell anyone what to do, but we can offer some possible suggestions that might help you better decide what you’d like to do going forward.

One thing might be to have a heart-to-heart talk with your guardians and try to explain how you feel. Perhaps you could even write them a letter. One service we provide here at NRS is conference calling in which we could act as a mediator to help you have a productive conversation with your guardians, explaining what you’d like and figuring out what they might allow. You would just have to give us a call to do that. And, of course, you can call us anytime to talk about what’s going on or see how we can help. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY. We hope to hear from you soon!

Tale care and be safe!

NRS

[Guest]

im 15 and i want to leave this house i cant live here anymore but everytime i runaway my parents call the police and i cant put up with them anymore

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It seems like there must be a lot going on in your life, especially at home, if you’re thinking about running away again. It’s great that you were able to find out some information about our hotline. Hopefully we can help.

Legally you are a minor and under your guardian’s supervision until you are 18 or are emancipated by a court of law. While we’re not law experts, we can try to find one in your area, there may be legal ways for you to be able to move out of your house. We’re here to try to brainstorm options with you.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. You are always welcome to call into our 24/7 crisis center, or use our chatting services via our website. However, the chatting service is not open 24/7. So the best way to tell us everything would be to just call into our hotline and talk to one of our trained liners.

Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

I´m 15, I will turn 16 in less that a month, and I live with my dad, who has full custody of me. My mom lives roughly 30 minutes away, she has no custody,but she does have custody of my 3 younger brothers.Here at my dad´s house, I have 2 twin sisters who are 8, and my step mom who is 12 years older than me, and then there is my dad. I am an athlete. If i move that gets taken away,but if i dont i will continue to suffer everyday, and i cry myself to sleep most nights. Reasons for my suffering is when I was 14 I lost a teammate in a freak car accident, then i lost my great grandmother, and an uncle a week ago. I almost got kicked out of my dads house last thursday for vaping. I want to move to Illinois, where my mom´s side of the family is, because i am truly happy there. What should I do?

[ccsmod5]

Hi, thank you for reaching out to us at NRS.
We are so sorry to hear about all of those terrible events that happened in one year. It’s understandable that you are suffering, and it sounds like you feel like being in Illinois would make you feel happier. Have you talked to anyone about all of this? If there was a family member in Illinois who would be willing to let you stay with them, and your dad gave permission for this, it would be possible to do that without any negative consequences. NRS does offer a conference call service where you can have this conversation with one of your parents and the support of a NRS liner. To learn more, you can always call us at (800) RUNAWAY. It might be good to also consider what you would be doing about school, however, if you are planning to stay through the fall.
Please know that we have a completely confidential 24/7 hotline, if you ever want to talk about everything you are going through and explore your options further: (800) 786-2929. If you are interested in talking to a counselor outside of your school about everything you have been going through, you can go to samhsa.gov or call (877) 726-4727 to see what is in your area.
Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi.
I’m 17 years old leaving with my uncle and aunt since I was 15, I can’t live here anymore, my parents are immigrants and we’re deported when I was a little girl, my dad when I was 6 and my mom when I was 7, I had to go with her since I was a minor and I came back to USA at 15 living with my uncle and aunt, wanting a better life and opportunities, but it seems like my aunt doesn’t want me here anymore and she’s telling me that she’ll send me back to mexico, I don’t want to go back, and I don’t know what to do, my brother will be in jail for 3 months and he’s the only family I have, they’re not my legal guardians there’s no paper that proves it.

[ccsmod6]

Hello thank you for contacting the NRS. We are sorry to hear that your parents were deported and that you are now unhappy with your aunt and uncle. We are also sorry to hear about your brother going away.
Your situation is really tough and we are not legal experts so unfortunately there is not going to be much in formation we can provide you with. However, possibly looking into finding a legal aid resource to ask questions about your situation and whether or not you are obligated to stay with your aunt and uncle may be helpful. We can attempt to help you find this resource in your area if you call into our hotline at 1800-786-2929.
We are open 24/7, confidential, and toll free. We hope this information was helpful. Take care.
-NRS

[Guest]

So I'm 16 and my mom keeps verbally attacking me she made me quit my job and sending me to a bad school for punishment of me so called being a hoe she does this multiple times and I can't take it anymore but I know I am forced to live with her since I am under 18 years of age but it so hard I am diagnosed with major depression so this is toture I don't even know how I'mma keep putting up with this cry every single night

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for reaching out. It sounds like your mom is really making things hard for you, and with your depression you feel really bad at home. Nobody deserves to be verbally attacked by their parents or anyone else, and we’re very happy that you decided to reach out for help.

It’s true that while you’re legally a minor (until you’re 18 in most states, in Alabama and Nebraska it’s 19 and in Mississippi it’s 21) you can’t leave and stay somewhere else without her permission. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to make your situation better. A lot of times it can help to talk to people – is there anyone in your life that you can go to for support, like a friend or teacher or school counselor?

We’d really appreciate the opportunity to talk with you more and help you with this. If you go to our website’s homepage you’ll find a link to chat with us, and you can also call us at 1-800-786-2929. You can do either of those things at any time, 24/7. You’ve taken a great first step by reaching out!

-NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16 and I want to move out of my house because alot of times we don't have alot of food and are lights are not at the moment and when they do get back on there not on for long we haven't had lights for 2 weeks and I can take pics to proof and my bf mom said I can live here if I wanted to I have lights and lots of food here and I can also take pics and proof that plz help me I just want to know how do i move out at 16 and live with my bf mom because the problem I'm in right now