What are the consequences of a 15 year old running away

[ccsmod15]

Hello!
Thank you for reaching out to National Runaway Safeline! I am not sure how to answer your question without more detail. Please reach out to us via our hotline at 1800-786-2929 or our live chat at www.1800runaway.org. We are able to try to answer any questions you may have as running away can bring about many questions. Our lines are available 24/7 and are confidential.
Stay safe!
National Runaway Safeline

[Guest]

Hi, I’m 15 years old and my parents are divorced. My mom left for prison when I was 3, she came back when I was 12 or 13 I moved in with her with hopes of having an amazing life. Well that’s not what happened. My mom eventually began to bring me to all of her boyfriend houses and I hated every moment of it. My dad and I are kinda close but after I tried killing myself back in October of 2018 it hasn’t been the same. My best friend that I have known since I was in the 4th grade and I have been talking about it. Her parents are kinda of bored. We both want them to get in trouble. She is in Florida and I am in Texas. I have been trying to get away for a while now. I’m not even sure maybe a year in a half. I’ve been telling her about my mom for a long time now. Our thing is her parents. We have a kinda a plan. But it’s her parents that don’t want to get in trouble. My brother ran away for 18+ and my mom didn’t do anything. She told me “that in him if that what he wanted to then let him ******** up like that” then continued to tell if it was you in this situation I would do the same. No cops were informed. I don’t think if he wouldn’t have come home he would still be missing. I feel like if I left I wouldn’t be found and that want me and my best friend both of on concerns of her parents. My and I fight but he would be one reasoning for me to stay. I’ve moved schools I’ve tried going back to my dad and she just won’t let me. I want to go back to my dad’s in a way but I’ve never wanted to leave more in my life. I need to get out of Texas of this town, house and this life. I need to start over; what do I do? I just can’t take it anymore.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
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 sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things in your life right now.
It sounds like you’re fearing that the stress from the situation is getting harder and harder to handle.
We are sorry you are going through a tough emotional time.

Sometimes when things are too stressful it might help to talk with someone about it.
It seems that you have a friend you are close with and the two of you seem to lean on one another for support. There are times when things can become so frustrating that it is difficult to know just what to do to cope with the situation.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. This may feel like a tough time for you, but you are not alone in this.
NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. Let us know what we might do to help you navigate this situation.
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).

You are welcome to discuss your situation and talk about possible options for help.
What you did today by reaching out was great. Good job.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 15 turning 16 soon im a freshmen in high school and i have been wanting to run away for a while know. I already tried and my parents found me within a few hours of me running away. I have been mentally abused and raped and sexually assaulted in my household. and I wanna just run away with my boyfriend. I don't know what I should do. I live in Pennsylvania. Im the last child that my parents had and they are never off my shoulder they always tell me that im just going to end up like my siblings and that I should just leave and never come back. please tell me what i should do.

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and we are so glad that you did. Wow it seems like you have gone through a lot of traumatic things in your household. You did not deserve to be treated like that and we are sorry that you have gone through that.
Some of those things you mentioned can be difficult to deal with alone. One option to consider is talking with a counselor about everything that has happened. Also a resource that you may find helpful is RAINN (rape abuse incest national network). They can be reached by phone or by chat, 1800-656-4673. You also have the right to report this by calling Child Help at: 1800-422-4453 or your local police.
We are not legal experts but if you were to run away your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police were to find you they may bring you back home. Because of the things you have mentioned they most likely would investigate your home and the situation.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi, I'm 15 years old. I want to runaway to my boyfriend. He only lives three hours away. My father is mentally abusive towards me and psychically towards my younger sister. I have thought about running away for a long time now and I finally have planned it all out. I also have hurt myself on purpose. I haven't been clinically diagnosed with depression but I'm sure I have it. I have no way to contact anyone. And my father might hurt me if I tell him I'm scared to tell anyone anymore. I believe that if I leave I can find myself a better life. I have also looked up how to get emancipated so that I can live alone but it says it would better if I was 16. I have 9 more months before I turn 16 and I don't know if I can hold out that long. I think about killing myself a lot and have tried to contact the suicide help line but I can't ever get the phone to contact them. If I went to court against my father is it possible I could move back with my mom or get emancipated? Would I have a smooth case?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to us here at The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. You and your sister do not deserve to be abused in any way that is unacceptable. You do have the right to make an abuse report and there are a few ways in which you can do this. One option to consider is talking with your school counselor, because they are mandated reporters. They would be able to help make a report on your behalf. Another option to consider is calling Child Help at 1800-422-4453. We can also help you make a report if you call or chat in with us.
We know you mentioned suicide, which is a really serious decision. We want you to know that you are valuable and you are worth living. We know you mentioned trying to call The Suicide Hotline, but they also have a chat service. This is there website where you can do a live chat https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. There is always someone willing to listen and willing to help and provide support.
We know you mentioned that you want to runaway we are not legal experts but we do have general information on running away. If you were to leave without permission your legal guardian could file a runaway report. If the police do find you because you mentioned abuse they may do an investigation. Also whoever you would stay with could potentially get in trouble for harboring a runaway.
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 give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

I have been wanting to runaway bc I miss home. I feel homesick every day and I'm from Maine and I moved there when I was 4 and I moved to TN and then to PA well I liked PA cause Baseball I played for 7yrs in Williamsport PA and now I feel like I can’t do what I want cause we moved to the south to KY and I hate KY cause in my opinion it's the south and I hate the south. I think the schools are trash and I miss the snow. A lot. My dad moved my mom and me here to K.Y. because he wanted my mom to be closer to her parents and I hate it. Is there a way for me to move back to Maine and move in with my dad’s mom? I was adopted just as I was born and I want to see if I can move in with my real mom if she lets me. Is that possible. I'm 14 turning 15 in 2 or 3 months so I'll he 16 in a year and a half.

[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 are not legal experts so we can’t offer much on custody issues.
We can however explore legal options with you. Running away is a big step and there may be things to consider when it comes to how you will survive.
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).

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 15 and I want to run away from my parents house and stay at my friends house

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

You mentioned wanting to know how you can leave home before turning 18. The easiest way to leave home is with your parents permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to your parents. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.

Please reach out soon so that we may offer support and resources to you. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

My grand daughter ran away from home. What can we do?

[ccsmod0]

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are here to listen and help as best as we can. It sounds like you are going through a really tough time not having your youth home and being unsure of their safety. They are lucky to have someone that cares so much about them.

One of the first options that can be important to explore is contacting your local law enforcement to file a runaway report. We are not legal experts here, but typically it is not illegal to runaway or leave home without permission. However, if a runaway report is filed, police that encounter a runaway youth will work to return them home when found. Keep in mind though, that the efforts made to search for runaway youth can vary from state to state or even within districts. Often it is up to the parents to advocate for themselves and keep track of the steps taken to find their youth.

If you have a way to communicate with your child either email, text, phone, or social media you can inform them that we are offer confidential 24/7 support. We can try to locate some resources that could be of assistance, wherever they are located, to help keep them safe. If you do not have contact with your child, we also offer a message service where parents can call us to leave a message for their child. If the youth calls in, we can deliver this message. We also take messages from youth to their parents that we deliver as well. This can be a great option for you to express yourself in a safe, productive, and non-confrontational way. If you choose to utilize our message service, we encourage you to spread the word to anyone you think may be in contact with your child to increase the chances of your message being retrieved.

Unfortunately we do not have a service that assists with locating youth, but there are agencies that offer to help in this way. One option is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which can be reached at 1-800-843-5678 or this link http://www.missingkids.com/home. You can also try Child Find at 1800-426-5678 or at this link http://childfindofamerica.org/. During a time like this, it can be important to remember your own self-care. Taking care of yourself and feeling heard can make an overwhelming situation more manageable. You can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY to talk or find additional resources.

[Guest]

Let’s say if I run away and live with a frined what type of trouble will I be in could I go to jail bc my friend ran away and she went to jail

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

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]

i am 15 going to 16 i want to know if you ru n awat will they make you go home

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us at NRS. Generally speaking, your parents are your legal guardians until you turn 18, so they can decide where you live. If you do choose to leave without permission, your parents can report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means that if your parents know where you are staying then they can have the police return you home.

The easiest way to leave home as a minor is with your parents’ permission. In this case, they would be allowing you to live somewhere else where you are safe and being cared for. A helpful step is to start reaching out to friends and family members you might be able to stay with. Sometimes having an adult advocate on your side can make communicating your needs more effective to your parents. Perhaps an adult family member, a friend's parent or a counselor at school can talk to your parents with you about your experience at home and the possibility of you leaving.

We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

We wish you the best,
NRS

[Guest]

im 15 and already ran away once but my parents didnt call the police. im not happy here and i genuinely just want to be happy. i know somewhere that i will be happy so what would happen if i did go there?

[ccsmod16]

Thanks so much for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed, and it’s good that you’re taking the time to think through all your options before making your next move.

We’re not legal experts, but if you decide run away again and your parents report you as a runaway to police, that gives police the right to bring you home. Running away is a statutory offense, not a crime, so you would not be charged with anything or taken to jail. However, there could be potential legal consequences for any adults (18+ years old) who you stay with for what’s called “harboring a runaway”.

The most important priority is staying safe, and making sure you have a plan to take care of your basic needs (food, water, medical care). We hear from many youth who find themselves in really scary situations because they ran out of money or had to live on the street.

It’s understandable that you might be feeling trapped because you’re unhappy at home. We’re here for you 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929 if you’d like to talk more about your situation or brainstorm other options. We can also help you find resources in your area like youth shelters or mental health services.

Stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

Im 15 and my parents shame me and make me feel un safe me and my boyfriend have been dating for almost one year when my parents found out they freak out and started treating me worst im scared of them and what they will do to me his almost 16 and im 15 we were planning on running away but he got scared when someone told him that he could go to jail for more then 7 years idk what to do and im scared

[ccsmod13]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS – it’s very brave of you to share what’s going on at home. We’re so sorry to hear that you feel unsafe at home. You deserve to feel loved, comfortable, and safe in your own home.

If you think you might be experiencing abuse, Child Help (www.childhelp.org) might be helpful to you. They have lots of information about child abuse and the child abuse reporting process. You can also call us at 1 (800) RUN-AWAY if you want to learn more about reporting, want help in filing a report, or just want to talk. We’re 24/7 and confidential. We’re here to listen, and we’re here to help. You’re not alone in this.

You know your situation better than anyone else, so if you believe that running away is your best option, we will do our best to support you and keep you safe. Running away is a status offense, not a legal one, which means that it’s something you can’t do because of your age. In other words, running away in and of itself cannot get you in legal trouble. If you run away, if your parents file a runaway report, and if the police find you, they will attempt to take you home. If that happens and you tell them that you don’t feel safe at home, they’ll call Child Protective Services and a social worker will conduct a full investigation. Also it is worth mentioning that if you run away, your parents file a runaway report, and the police find you living in someone else’s home, your parents have the right to press harboring charges against them. Although it isn’t guaranteed that whoever helps you will face these charges, it is a possibility.

Again, we’re so sorry to hear about what’s going at home, but you’re not alone in this. You’re welcome to call us at 1 (800) RUN-AWAY or chat with us at www.1800runaway.org. Together, we can brainstorm other options. We’re here to listen, and we’re here to help in any way we can.

Good luck & stay safe!
NRS

[Guest]

Hi im 15 years old and im just not happy at home. I struggle with depression and I have a lot of problems at home its a safe environment but I hate it. the only Time im happy is when im sneaking out with my friends. I want to run away and just be with my friends and by myself for a while until I want to come home. Is there anything I should know about running away that would help me. I just don't know what to do?

[ccsmod2]

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to us during this difficult time. It sounds like you are considering running away and want to know more about the consequences. The first think you should know is that it is not technically against the law for you to run away from home. In most places it’s considered a ‘status offense’. However, anyone you would be caught staying with could possibly be charged with ‘harboring a runaway’. It might be a good idea to talk to anyone who you would be staying with if they are okay taking this risk for you. It also sounds like you are wanting some independence and time apart from your home. It might be a good idea to talk to your current parent or legal guardian about your boundaries and see if they would be willing to let you spend more time with your friends. Here at the National Runaway Safeline we are always here to listen, here to help. Please give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY to talk about your options.

[Guest]

I’ve been having this problem with my caretaker (Guardian) Which is, my grandmother. And she’s been helicoptering me, and physically/mentally hurting me. I’ve been planning to run away but, I’m too scared. I’m too scared to face whatever I have to face in the world if I step out in my own. But I never had the thought of going to school and not wanting to come back home and I take slow walks from my bus stop to my house because I just wanna be away from everyone in my household. Let me remind you I’m 15 and I’m really not sure what to do my mind is just so hesitant at this moment.

[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 sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. 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.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.

If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello, I'm 15 and I want to leave my house because I feel like in not good at all to my parents I always make them mad and sad, to the point were my parents start saying things like, "I really should have aborted you " to " I don't love you anymore and I don't wanna be your mom" I wanna stay at my friends house for some time and try to get a job with him and me and him go to the same school, what can happen in legal ways will I go to jail or will my friend get in legal trouble? I just don't feel good I'm always sad and I don't like that. I wanna be with my friend and his dad they support me 100% will they get in any legal trouble

[ccsmod15]

Hello!
Thank you for reaching out to NRS! You do not deserve to be treated that way. Your parents should make you feel loved and supported. Child Help is a great resource that deals with how your parents are treating you. You can reach them at 1800-422-4453 or go to www.childhelp.org and use their live chat.
It is great that you have such a great support system through your friend and his dad. We are not legal experts, but from what we know it is not illegal for you to leave your house. If your parents were to get the police involved, and not allow you to stay with your friend’s family, they could potentially charge your friend’s family with harboring a runaway. We can definitely discuss this further with you if call our hotline at 1800-786-2929 or chat with us via our online chat at www.1800runaway.org. We are available 24/7 and are confidential.
Take care!
National Runaway Safeline