Running away at 18 and dropping out - legal ramifications?

[Guest]

So things are getting bad in my house(verbal and emotional abuse turning into physical abuse) and I'm finally 18. My mum and I recently talked about me dropping out of high school and getting a job in the city but she told me neither of those is happening especially me getting a job. I'm financially ********ed, for lack of a better word. She doesn't even let me babysit for her friend's kids to make a few dollars. I just feel so trapped and hopeless that I'm going to go to a women's shelter in the city and get a job and start my own life.

Can she legally do anything to stop me or make me stay under her roof? Are there any legal ramifications to me dropping out without her permission and can she force me back to school if I am taken back by the police or something?

[ccsmod16]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you’re going through a tough time, and it was brave of you to make this first step. No one deserves to be abused.

We are not legal experts here, but speaking in general terms, since you’re 18 you may have some more freedom as far as leaving. If you contact us via phone, we can try to look for some shelters with you, if you need help with that. One thing to consider is whether it might be helpful to try and find a way of supporting yourself financially before you leave, since the shelter likely won’t be able to help you with that. As far as school, you could probably find this information by contacting either the school district or your local police station to determine their policies on this.

There’s also a helpline specifically for youth that are located in Canada. They might be a better hotline to contact since most of our resources only include those in the United States. There is the “Kids Help Phone” (https://kidshelpphone.ca/) in Canada that might be of more help since our resources don’t go outside the United States. There also might be a number in which you can call as well to talk to them about what has been going on. It might be a great way to talk to someone there that can help you get through these terrible times with your parents.

We hope that this resource helps!