What are the consequences of a 15 year old running away

[Guest]

I've been in a home i hate since being adopted at the age of 6 (im 15 ill be 16 in less than two months). My parents treat me like crap. Recently i informed the school my dad shook me around and pushed me the ground hard enough to leave bruises from his fingertips. They alaways ground me because they think im a bad kid when im really not. I dont want to live with them anymore. Today they found the phone ive been using since im grouneded and they flipped out!! Ive comteplated leaving and running away to a friends house. What will happen to me if i do?

Hello, I'm 15, actually almost 16, and I am thinking of running away from home. I live in the U.S and I want to leave home because having parents of Asian heritage is extremely stressful to me. I'm trying to do better in school but somehow everyone does better and they have better lives than me. Please reply soon because I might go after Christmas. By the way, I have no place to stay and if I do run from home, I'll take some clothes, food, water, supplies and I'll just go wherever I can as I have no place to stay. Please reply soon! Thanks!

[ccsmod0]

Hey 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.

You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

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 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

[Guest]

Hi I’m 15 but will be 16 soon. I’ve been engaged for awhile now and can’t stand to live with my family anymore they’ve been quite abusive and I’m not happy here and mentally tormented. If I leave the country with my fiancé could I be arrested if I return?

I’m 15 going to be 16 and wanting to leave the country with my fiancé. I’m been mentally, emotionally and physically abused and tormented from my family and I am just not in a livable situation. Could I be arrested if I come back to the country? Or can I be arrested in the country I arrive in?

[ccsmod0]

It looks like you might have contacted NRS today through another means (for example, live chat, email or bulletin) for the same issue. Thank you for contacting us. NRS understands it takes courage to reach out for help; therefore, we would like to minimize the need for you to repeat your situation and avoid offering you duplicate services. Please call or chat us again if your situation changes or if you have more questions or concerns, or if you need additional support. We are here for you: 1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org.

We are not legal experts. You may want to reach out to TSA or your local police department to determine the consequences of this in your area.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

What if i run away at age 15 what will happen will i go to jail?

[ccsmod15]

Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out.

You mentioned that you want to know what the consequences of a 15 year old running away are. You’re really brave for wanting to know what consequences if any lay ahead. Running away is not a crime. We’re not legal experts, but in most states anyone under 18 is considered a minor. If you were to leave your home without parental consent, your guardians can file a runaway report with the authorities and whoever you end up staying with, may face some charges for harboring a runaway. To know more about runaway laws in your city and state, you can contact your local non-emergency number and inquire anonymously.

We hope these resources have been of some use to you. If you need additional help, or want us to make a call to another organization on your behalf, feel free to reach out to us anytime at 1800) 786-2929. Best of luck!

[Guest]

Hi I’m 19 and I plan on leaving my home bc it doesn’t fell like home anymore I have two siblings who are both 15 year of age and they wanna leave also will I who is 19 have any charges against her.

[ccsmod15]

Hi,
Thank you for reaching out to us; we are glad that you did. In 49 states you can leave without any problems. You are in charge of your own life (Mississippi is the exception at age 21).
For your siblings, it is their parents/guardians who have responsibility and rights regarding them until they reach the age of majority in your state.

So if they left with you, your parents could insist on police involvement. We are here to talk further with you or with your siblings. We are here to listen to all of you 24/7.

You can reach us by phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY, (1-800-786-2929) or through live chat via www.1800runaway.org.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

hey i want to runaway from home my family is split in half & it feels like im living in a fantasy , it feels like both my parents dont care , they are not together but their mindset of a kid to them seems like its just a job nothing else , basically eat , sleep , pee , poop , eat , sleep & repeat i dont like that , plus there is really bad history and chemistry with us now i really almost dont get along with them i want to run away im only 15 but i want to know what they can do with their rights , can i return w my will ? or can i stay wherever im at. ?

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to write us and for sharing a bit about your situation. It sounds like your parents lack of involvement and emotional has been causing you quite a bit of stress. It can certainly be difficult when the adults in our lives are not supportive. It is completely understandable you would be thinking about leaving to better your mental health and well-being.

We are not legal experts here at NRS so this is not legal advice by any means, but we can share our knowledge of runaway laws and protocol. Running away itself is not illegal, but your parents do have the right to report you as a runaway to the police. You would not be arrested, but if your parents know where you are staying then they can have the police return you home.

Having a support system while you navigate this challenging time is really important. Sometimes having a safe place to talk or even just feeling like you have someone on your side can help as you think through your options. Maybe there is another family member or a trusted adult at school that you can go to for support. Additionally, we are here 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. You can contact us at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

so i wanted to know i usually be coming home around 10-12pm and then your parents harassing you and you don’t like that so you decide to run away and stay in your personal car at the age of 15 turning 16 can there be any really bad consequences

[ccsmod0]

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. 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

[Guest]

Hi so I have been planning to runaway with my little brother for a while now we are not safe in our enviorment and my dad's girlfriends abuses us and we keep getting forced to go back what should I do I'm only 12 and I'm confused and fustrated because my brother has to go through this stuff and he is only 7 years old he cries his-self to sleep and wishes to go back with our mother pls help I'm really concerned for my brother and would do anything to keep him away from all this unhealthy stuff.

[ccsmod9]

Thanks for reaching out to NRS! We understand you are going through a rough time and we are very sorry that you are being abused by your dad’s girlfriend. You and your brother do not deserve that. Some options available to you are to report the abuse. We would recommend gathering evidence before you call and report. Evidence looks like marks on your body or bruises. It can also be texts, pictures, audio,video anything that can prove your dad’s girlfriend is being abusive. If you feel you need to call out to report you can call Child Find (800-426-567 They are an organization that can help report and find you help. You can also call us here at NRS (800-786-2929) and we can help find you shelters and Transitional Living Programs which can also be programs that can help assist you.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS. 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

[Guest]

I’m a 15 year old in Armada Michigan my mom is spreading my life from everything I don’t have a dad she got this new boyfriend and she makes me stay here without her and it’s uncomfortable I lied about being raped bc I thought it would make her mad and make her let me leave but it didn't, I’m always home alone she doesn’t buy me clothes or food or water and it’s really hard and I don’t know what else to do what if she can control my life

[ccsmod4]

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 would like to be of assistance to you if we can.
It is important that you remember to exercise self- care.
Sometimes talking with someone you are close to or perhaps a counselor might help to discover ways to cope and come up with ideas on how you might communicate your feelings to your mom. You were very brave reaching out to NRS. We are here to listen and help any way we can.
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 so that we might learn a little more about your situation and how we might assist you. 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.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I’m 14 and I’m thinking about runaway I have 3 friends that can go me a house to live in but I want to know what would happen if I leave at this age the only reason I’m leaving is because I was aight doing something I shouldn’t be doing and my dad has done the stuff I did but he stop when I was born but yesterday he said if he caught me doing it I would get beat the sh*t out of me and my dad I’m scared of him because today he will come and beat me and I’m just scared because my mom said that she will call the cop on me and I just don’t want to go to jail at this age

[ccsmod13]

Hello.

Thank you for reaching out to us. We’re sorry you’re going through such a difficult time. It can feel awful when you’re afraid of what your parents might do to punish you when you need their support the most. You ask a great question and you did the right thing by reaching out. Evaluating a decision like this is a very mature thing to do.

We’re not legal experts, but typically, running away is a status offense. This means that if you leave your parent(s) or legal guardian (whoever is responsible for you) and are found by the police, you will likely be returned home. Because you’re 14, and legally not an adult, this is usually a status offense. So it’s not illegal to run away, but there can be consequences from your parents. You should also know that if your parents report you as a runaway, and you’re found in the custody of another adult (18 years or older in most states) who’s not approved by your parents to look after you, that person could be charged with harboring a runaway, which is illegal.

It is not okay that your dad is threatening to harm you. You never deserve to be physically abused like that. Having a support system and trusted adults to talk to in these situations can provide a lot of help. You can try reaching out to a counselor or teacher at school or even another family member. If you are not quite ready to talk to someone in person, there is an organization called Child Help that advocates for young people in unsafe situations. You can contact them at 1-800-422-4453 or go to childhelp.org.

We invite you to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us at 1800runaway.org. We’re available 24/7 and can help discuss options and some other things you might want to consider before running away. We won’t judge you or tell you what to do. We’re here to help you make the decision that’s right for you. We’re confidential and can talk about anything you like.

We’re sorry you’re going through this, but it’s great that you reached out. Please call or chat with us sometime soon. We’re ready to listen and ready to help.
And we wish you the best!
-NRS

[Guest]

Hi I I'm 15 I plan on running away cuz I'm being bullied at school and I need more freedom from the home .my mother keeps saying she would get rid of me so I plan on leaving for good I have another place to go. My mother is getting verbally abusive now. so I going to go through with my plan

[ccsmod0]

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. 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

[Guest]

I’m 15 years old and I don’t have the best family situation. I feel like I’m living different variations of the same day over and over and over for eternity. I’ve wanted to leave home for a while but I’m just scared. I have my drivers permit but not a license so I can’t legally take my car but I’ve still thought about it. If I did I can sleep in my car until I can get a job and afford somewhere else to stay. I probably won’t go through with it but I don’t know how much more of this cookie cutter lifestyle I can take.

[ccsmod10]

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. 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 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

Hello, I`m 15 turning 16 in a few months and i want to run away. Even though i love my family so much, i just cant stay here. i cant do anything by myself and i want to leave my home but i have nowhere to go. what should i do?

[ccsmod0]

Hey there,

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 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 and stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, I am 15 my family hates me and i want to runaway and stay at my cousins house or at a friend's and i dont wish to be found by my family if i dont leave i feel like im trapped in a prison cell and i have been depressed alot because of my family and there have been times where is really wanted to kill myself i just really need to get out of here

[ccsmod10]

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

[Guest]

Ive been wanting to run away for a while, i have a trusted adult that i can be with across the country, and he can get me braces. After a year and my teeth are straight my mom will have saved up alot of money to pay for my existing court fees. But im wondering how long will i be in juvie in idaho after i return? Ive already been there for a week and i wanted to die lmao.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

It sounds like you have a lot of concerns right now. We aren't entirely clear what your situation is so it probably would be best if you give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via the portal on our website: www.1800runaway.org. We are totally confidential and are here 24/7 and want to help as best we can.

We are concerned when you mention running away to an adult across the country that is (evidently) promising you braces. Just so you know, running away is a status offense and your mom is obligated to file a runaway report if you leave home without permission. Crossing state lines usually makes running away a more serious matter, and anyone you stay with could be accused of two crimes: harboring a runaway and aiding and abetting a minor. Plus, please be careful of anyone offering promises to you or encouraging you to run away to be with them. That can be a very dangerous situation. With that said, we really would need to know more about your situation to see how we can help. Please give us a call or chat with us. We hope to hear from you soon!

NRS

[Guest]

If I runaway it my auntie n Arizona could my family take me back