Hello there –
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline on our public forum. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It must be really hard to feel like you don't have many options or choices in your own life. Must be pretty isolating for sure.
Now we aren't legal experts here and you might have already read on this forum thread about what could happen if you were to leave home before the age of majority. So we won’t get into that since you can find it fairly easily.
Of course we can’t speak for all police, but it is to our understanding that if law enforcement were to find a reported runaway it’s in their policy to return them home. When a parent files a runaway report, it usually is also entered into the NCIC (The National Crime Information Center) so if you were to leave the state and go somewhere else, the report will follow you until your 18. If you were caught outside of your state, we have heard of youth being placed in either youth shelters or juvenile detention center until they can be released to their parents and/or legal guardian.
We encourage you to reach out to us here for more support and to talk further about your situation if you would like to. We are here 24-hours a day via phone or online chat. Best of luck to you.
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
What are the consequences of a 15 year old running away
Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
-
Guest repliedim 15 and i just dont like the way things are going at home. what would the consequences if i ran away to a different city that is 4 hours away? would they have all cops looking for me?
-
-
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. It sounds like you’re fearing that the situation may end in suicide if things don’t change. Your safety and well-being is important. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255); www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org is also a great resource to reach out to in addition to our crisis services.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. This may be an isolating and lonely time for you, but 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 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 repliedhi uh, i honestly really want to run away and i have nowhere to go, my family is horribly toxic and its gotten so far to the point where i want to either kill myself or cut myself. Home doesn't even feel safe anymore, i'm getting mentally abused by my mom while nobody in my family cares, i really want to leave and stay with friends but i feel like i would be trouble to them..i really need somewhere to go i can't stay here any longer before i end up doing something i can't take back
Leave a comment:
-
-
Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step. It sounds like things at home with mom have been pretty difficult, and we're sorry to hear that you're being treated that way.
If you're in a space where you're considering your options, one route to go that might be helpful is to file an abuse report with Child Protective Services (CPS). From there, it's likely that an investigation will be started and a worker will meet with you and your family to learn more about what's going on and how they can help. Their number one goal is to ensure your safety. If you're interested in filing an abuse report, it's something that you can do one your own by looking up your state and Child Protective Services. Their website will instruct you on how to file a report. You can also file a report by disclosing the abuse to a teacher, who is considered a mandated reporter. They can file the report for you. Contacting us here at NRS is another option. We can file a report with you, or for you. And if you want to learn more about abuse, filing an abuse report in general or find additional resources, you can contact the Child Abuse Hotline, Child Help. You can call or text them at 800-422-4453 or chat with them at Childhelp.org.
If you'd like to talk more about what's going on at home, your plans once you leave, or explore your options, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY, or chat with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.
Take care.
NRS
-
-
Guest repliedHi im 14 years old and i've been trying to figure a way to run away ive been pushed to the edge to where i just wanna leave. Today my mom beat me with 3 belts i told her i couldn't breath and she kept going. When she finally stopped i had marks all over my bottom. She also yelled in my face forced me to tell her something and when i didn't she continue to beat me. i'm currently trying to find a way to leave and get my devices she took from me. All i have planned is i can get an uber somewhere at night or maybe mid day i just don't know where i'll go. I might try to contact a friend to help i just hope to not see my mom ever again.
Leave a comment:
-
-
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing with us a little bit about what's going on at home. It sounds like it's been a pretty rough time for you and that you feel your family is unsupportive, toxic, and even abusive. You certainly don't deserve any sort of abuse. If you want, you can always make an abuse report with us, your state's child abuse reporting hotline, or through www.childhelp.org. But that's up to you. We never tell anyone what to do.
It sounds like you are considering running away. That's a really big decision to face. You ask if it's possible to possibly run away overseas. While no one can tell you for sure what is and is not possible, it seems rather unlikely that you would be able to carry out such a plan without getting found out by family or the authorities. We don't write that to you as any sort of invalidation of your *desire* to leave home, only that it might not be practical to do so, particularly if it involves leaving the country. Even if you were to leave home and not run far away, your parents could still file a runaway report and anyone you stay with could be accused of harboring a runaway.
It sounds like you have a lot of feelings to get off your chest and we are glad you are talking about this. Perhaps there are other options for you besides running away. Maybe you could ask your parents if you can live elsewhere. Getting permission to leave would not make you a runaway. Or maybe there are even other things you can do that can help the situation. We'd like to help you figure out what those options might be if you give us call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via the chat feature on our website: www.1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon!
Stay safe,
NRS
-
-
Guest repliedhi, im 15 yr old and my step mom and dad abuse me because of my bad grades, i have A,B,C,D and one F and they make big deal of it , my first year high school and i already have problems,i used to be straight A-B student in middle and elementary,and i was a gamer,i have had enough of my stepmom's ******** my dad dont even support me, no one love me it just toxic family i been wondering if it possible for me to run away taking my lap top,phone,and tablet with me and head to Eorope maybe germany or indo through boat maybe coz i dont have a passport , i dont want to continue living this jail life not being allowed to have fun, they force me to do expired schoolwork that wont even fix my grade
Leave a comment:
-
-
Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It sounds like you are going through a very hard time at home. We are here to help in any way we can.
You said that your mom and her husband emotionally abuse you. No child deserves to be abused. Childhelp is the National Child Abuse hotline. They are a great resource if you are thinking of filing an abuse report but want to know what the process looks like, and they can also help you file a report if you choose to do so. You also mentioned that you are nervous that the police won’t believe you. Childhelp can offer information on what kind of proof might help to solidify your case, such as texts, voicemails, or phone recordings. Their website is www.childhelp.org and their phone number is 1-800-422-4453. That can be a scary call to make alone, and here at NRS, we are happy to make that call with you if you would like. Our phone number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you ever find yourself in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you want to talk through this further or anything else, feel free to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or via our chat feature on www.1800runaway.org. We are a 24/7, completely confidential helpline. Here to listen, here to help.
Best of luck,
NRS
-
-
Guest repliedhello i want to run away im 15 years old my mom and her husband are emotionally abuse im scared to go to the police i feel like they wont believe me
Leave a comment:
-
-
Guest repliedNicely put, Manyy thanks! Best Essay writing cheap essay writing service
Leave a comment:
-
-
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline! It sounds like you have been going through so much and we are glad that you reached out for help. No one has the right to hurt you and you absolutely have the right to be safe. Self-harm, suicide, and real mental health illness are serious questions to navigate, especially with limited support. If you ever feel like you experiencing a mental health emergency or are feeling suicidal the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
It sounds like you have been trying really hard to speak up to your parents and advocate for yourself. Have you been able to talk to anyone outside your family about what you have been going through as well? Sometimes, when immediate family is unsupportive, people turn to other sources for support and guidance, for example a teacher, counselor, coach, or family friend.
While we are not legal experts here, we can talk in general about runaway reporting. Someone is legally considered a minor until the age of 18, which means their parent (or legal guardian) is responsible for them. If a minor leaves home without permission, their guardian has a right to file a runaway report with the police. Being reported as a runaway is a status offence, so it does not go on your permeant record or causes legal trouble unless someone has been in trouble with the law before. While laws are enforced differently among different states and even among different counties, generally, if some reported as a runaway is found they are returned home. Some states do have laws regarding “harboring a runaway” that can punish an adult who helps someone that they know has been reported as a runaway. An easy way to verify laws in a specific area is by contacting the non-emergency police and asking anonymously about runaway reporting. Local non-emergency police phone numbers can be found at www.USACOPS.com.
It was very brave of you to reach out for help! If you have further questions, need a safe place to talk, or need help making a plan were are available here at the National Runaway Safeling 24/7 via live chat on our website www.1800runaway.org and via phone at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).
-
-
Guest repliedHey, I’m 15 years old and I live in Pennsylvania . My home life is extremely toxic , mentally abusive , and verbally abusive . I’m thinking on spending some time at my boyfriends house , maybe a week . I’m trying to avoid self-harm & suicide . My parents are two petty stuck up narcissists & they can never accept that they’re wrong . My dad doesn’t want to see me anymore & my step mom is always talking bad about me . They’re thinking of sending me to live with my biological mom in another country ! She left me when I was 1 and a half and she only ever reaches out when she’s single , wants money , or bored . Which ends up being once every couple of months . I have depression , anxiety , adhd , and an eating disorder .. but since my parents don’t believe that mental illnesses are real .. they just yell at me and tell me to pray ‘cause “the devil got ahold of you.” My dad has also said “pretend like I’m dead to you, cause you’re dead to me. Do whatever you want you’re not my daughter anymore” when I told him how I felt about everything but he acted like nothing happened the next day, but then the day after that, he wants nothing to do with me! What’re my best options? I’m definitely going to leave soon but I don’t want any charges against anyone.
Leave a comment:
-
-
Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.
We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.
-
-
Guest repliedim 15 pronouns are he/him, bi and transgender --parents are accepting, my parents are annoyed at me a lot for a few years now, im planning to run away, because they dont listen to me and cant accept they are wrong, i think i may go to blackpool or london i have quite a bit of money.. what shall i do? i feel if i stay here any longer im going to self harm again or do something i will regret.~~~Alex
Leave a comment:
-
Leave a comment: