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I am 15 years old and I want to go live with my mom. My dad and step mom are violently, mentally and emotionally abusive. My dad has full custody of me because my mom defaulted custody when she got arrested for a failure to appear warrant. I cant take living there and I keep running away but the police keep bringing me back even though I tell them I dont feel safe there. My dad is a convicted felon and he has multiple guns in the house so I have a hard time sleeping because I'm afraid hes going to kill me or attack me again if I do. I just want to go live with my mom but no one will listen to me and she doesnt have the money to be able to take my dad to court. Is there any real help out there because I also dont want to become ward of state or placed in foster care. I just want to live with my mom.
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Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at 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 and you have a right to be safe.
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 and what your options might be to live with your mom.
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. 1-800-RUNAWAY
Be safe,
NRS
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Hi. I'm 17 with 3 weeks until 18. I was supposedly reported as a runaway but I went to the emergency room a bit ago and Child protective services talked to me. I was illegally living with my dad but it's been a month since dcs found out that I was living with him and the police has contacted him to tell him that when I am ready to press charges to call the police department. I was hired at subway and am wondering if their I9 check will pop up that I'm a runaway but I can't find my name in any databasesComment
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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 really unfortunately cannot answer your question as there is no way for us to know. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance.
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
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I am 16 years old and want to run away from home. My mom is very abusive verbally and emotionally sometimes physically but my dad lives in California and I have can’t see him that often. I might be able to run away and live with a friend in there house with there parents but I don’t want to get them in legal trouble by living with them and escaping. I know there is no penalty for me legally running away but I don’t want to get other people in trouble that help me get away from my mom. My mom really tries to keep me in the house and would probably call the police as I can’t leave the house for more then about 5 hours I don’t know how she would react with running away. I also don’t want to tell the police or CPS about the abuse because then I would get into foster care or be forced to go back home with therapy and I just want to be away from my mom and live at my friends house. If there parents take me in consensually and keep me in school, and take care of me in every way a parent is supposed to can they take me out of that home and send me home and can they get in trouble for harboring me and taking care of me if I am fully taken care of?Comment
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Hello,
Thanks ever so much for reaching out to us. We are so sorry that the situation at home with your mom, it is never ok for anyone to be abusive towards you, you deserve to live in a space where you feel safe. It sounds like you are considering living with a friend, but you have questions about what might happen if you stay with them. We are not legal experts, but we can share information that may help you decide your next steps.
You are correct in that you do have the option of reporting the abuse to your local child protective services, and that decision would be yours to make. From what we understand, if you are considered a minor in your state, you cannot live somewhere else without your mom's consent if she is your legal guardian. Regardless of whether your friend's family takes care of you and allows you to live there, if your mom files a runaway report and local police find you, they would likely return you to your mom's house or have her pick you up. Because we are not legal experts, we cannot say with certainty whether or not your friend's family would be charged with a crime, as these laws are state-specific. If you have questions about the possible consequences to you or your friend's family if you chose to run away to their home and your mom filed a runaway report, the best resource for you would be the non-emergency number of your local police department or your local legal aid agency. If you need help finding this information, or if you just need someone to talk to, please feel free to reach out to us.
Whatever you decide, know that we are here to support you. We cannot tell you what to do, but we will do our best to help you stay as safe as possible as you figure out your next steps. If you would like to talk more in detail please call us 24/7 at 1.800.RUNAWAY (786.2929) or 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 are here to listen, here to help. Stay safe!
-NRS
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Im 15 and ranaway i know my parents called the cops i wonder what they said but i also don’t wanna go home cuz my dad has been molested me since i was a little girl ☹️ I don’t know what to do because iam afraid if i tell the law iam not trying to go back in to foster care i was there when i was 11 and don’t wanna be there again.Comment
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Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. So sorry to hear that you are going through such a rough time right now. You have certainly gone through a lot at such a young age but hopefully you are in a safe place now and can look ahead.
At NRS we are not affiliated with any legal organization so it is hard to determine exactly what may happen if law enforcement picks you up. It is possible that you would be returned to your parents as they are legally responsible for you until you are 18 years of age. Here at NRS we have a database of resources that may be of assistance to you in finding a more permanent and safe place to live. If would be great if you could reach out to us either
at www.1-800runaway.org for an online chat or at 1-800runaway (1-800-786-2929) to speak to someone on the phone. That would allow us to get a bit more information about your situation and allow us to look into our resources.
Again, thanks for reaching out to NRS! Hopefully you will reach out to us in the very near future!
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Hey, I know im 17 and im thinking of running away for two weeks or three because I'm scared about telling my parents that I'm gay. I don't know how I would get my medicine and I don't have a clue of who to talk to. My parents are extremely strict and heavily christian and I feel like if I tell them im gay then they will take away everything I have and even stop letting me go to college.Comment
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Hi,
Thank you for reaching out; we are glad that you did. It sounds like things have been hard for you since, with their religious beliefs, they may not accept you and your sexual identity. We are so sorry you are going though this.
It's understandable to feel pressure to come out to them. But coming out is for people who will be physically and emotionally safe when they do. As a minor, you don't have much in the way of rights if they do the things you are afraid of them doing. They can't prevent you from going to college though. Once you are 18, you can leave and determine your own future and dreams and relationships and loves.
You can reach out to www.thetrevorproject.org which has a 24/7 confidential chat to talk over coming out before you are able to determine your own living situation. They are a mental health and support site for LGBTQ youth.
We are also here to talk about this with you. We work best when we can have a conversation with people. You can chat us 24/7 confidentially through this website, or call us at 1-800-786-2929. running away is really hard and potentially dangerous, so we hope we can help you talk this all through.
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS
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Hello my Daughter was adopted by a family member me thinking she would be in good hands and come to find she wasn't.....she had ran away they called me to go get her and I did I was so Happy but when they needed her to watch the kids there house cleaned or the yard we where there so pretty much that's what they used her for .... And the last time we weren't able to make it they had threatened me with the police and they where going to tell the police that I had her and that they didn't know ... I didn't want her to return to them after what I had seen I even had confronted them and they said is my word against there's well my Baby is 18 now she calls me to let me she's ok .... What do I have to do on my part to help her to find out if she has a warrant or what because she did have a probation officerComment
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Hello,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We appreciate you reaching out and sharing what has been going on. It sounds like your daughter is in a very stressful situation. We are here for you 24/7.
We are not legal experts, but you mentioned your daughter is now 18. The age of an adult in most states is 18 years old. Arizona recognizes 18 as the "age of majority," or the age at which state residents are legally considered adults. In most states, you can leave home without your permission. If you want to check a warrant, you can call the non-emergency police station for them to check.
We would recommend calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by Live Chat, we are here 24/7. Please call or chat soon at our website www.1800runaway.org.
National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)
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Hi, I’ve been trying to get away from my abusive household for years I finally work a full time job at 17 and a half and my home life has gotten so bad to the point where people are noticing but not doing anything so im kind of stuck at the moment. And if I try to get emancipated it’ll take too long bc of the process of it all. If im making enough money to take care of myself at my age and I decide to runaway but to a safe place if the cops show up in case im reported as a runaway will they make me go back home? Or is there a way they could help me since im 17 and a half?Comment
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Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, it takes great courage to reach out and we are so glad that you have reached out to us! We want you to know that you are not alone and we are here for you.
You do not deserve to be abused in any type of way and you do have a right to make a report. One option is you could tell a school counselor or teacher and because they are mandated reporters they would be required to make a report. Another option would be to call Child Help at 1800-422-4453 and they can help with making a report. Lastly, you can always call or chat with us online and we can help you with making an abuse report.
We know you mentioned wanting to run away, we are not legal experts but we do have some information on the laws. If you were to leave because you are a minor it is a possibility that you could be returned home. Safety is the top concern and you can always call us to explore options and we can try and help you look for safe places. If the police were to catch you, you could always let them know about the abuse and they may be able to help and get child protective services involved.
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 available 24/7 to listen and to provide support.
NRS
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I’m 17 years old and will be turning 18 in 7 months. I have my GED diploma and attend an adult culinary school. Can I still be forced to go back home if I run away to another family members house?Comment
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Hi there, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are 17, turning 18 in several months and are wondering if you would be forced to go back home if you run away to another family member’s house. Also it sounds like you already have your GED and are attending culinary school, that’s great that you already know what you want to do and are pursuing it. It would be most helpful if you could have your parents permission to go to the family members house. If your parents filed a runaway report, it could vary on how police respond given that you are close to being 18 and considering whatever the circumstances are that are leading you to want to run away. The best way to have a direct answer, is to contact your local police department as they would be the ones responding. It could also help to have the family member have a discussion with your parents if that could make it easier on you. If you would like to discuss this further, please call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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If There 17 and reported as a run away under social service can they still work at a job or get a job??Comment
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Hi,
Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did.
Usually runaway reports are filed with local police, so if you come in contact with them and they run your name, they can return you. But the list is only accessible to police, so you can work. Police can go to your place of work if parents/guardians direct them there.
If you have more questions, or want to discuss your plan please chat us through this website, or call the hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS
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Hello I am 17 years old and I graduate in 2 months but wont turn 18 another 2 months after I graduate and I want to move out. My living situation has no sorts of physical abuse in the but the way my mother speaks to me or about me makes me not want to be here anymore and it's getting to the point where I potentially want to take my own life and I cant live here any more, I don't know how much longer I can wait but I would also be going to my bf house I just dont want anything to happen to his mom or dad especially because my mom can change a story alot to make it seem like ill be in danger or im a danger to others. I just need some solution to be able to get out of here asap.Comment
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Hi, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are wanting to move out as soon as possible due to how your mother has been treating you. You never deserve to be treated in this way. It sounds like you are trying to make it through until when you can leave and we care about your safety and do not want you taking your own life. In Arizona, the age of majority is 18, so if you were to run away before that, your mother could file a runaway report with the police and you would likely be brought back home. An option is to reach out to local police to find out their policies especially since you are so close to being 18 and they can answer if they would even try to bring you back or not. It sounds like your boyfriend is a person for support in your life, it can also be helpful to try and talk with any trusted adults about what you have been experiencing. We are also here to support in any way that we can, so if you would like to talk more about this please either contact our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS
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