If i go out with my friends can my parents call police for refusing to stay home?

[Jonpena99]

Hello I was arrested over a year ago im not on probation or anything an my parents still don't let me leave the house if I try just leaving they tell me to come home blah blah then they threaten to call the police so i usually give in an go home but if they do call the police can I actually get arrested again? and I'm not running away just hanging out with friends then coming home at night

[ccsmod6]

RE: If i go out with my friends can my parents call police for refusing to stay home?

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to today. We will do our best to answer your question, however we are not legal experts and can only speak generally. If you were to leave home without your parent's permission, they may try to call the police if they want you to stay home, especially if it is past curfew according to your state. The police may search for you depending on what the police are informed of by your guardians as well as if you are out past curfew. From our understanding of how most states operate is that if a youth is not currently in trouble with the law, then the youth would not be arrested unless there is a reason for it. If police were to patrol the area to stop you/question you, it is important to follow orders and avoid any trouble with the police as that may result in an arrest. What would generally happen is that the police would take you back home to your guardians. It seems unlikely that they would take you into custody, unless there was a reason for it.

What do you think could help your parents give you some freedom to go out with your friends? It sounds like trust may be an issue between you and your parents. Something that may be helpful is to compromise or negotiate with your parents about going out with friends to build up the trust again. Perhaps doing extra work or chores around the house to earn privileges of going out may be an option or asking them what it is that you can do to build the trust back up. It sounds frustrating to not be able to spend time with your friends when you would like to.

Please be mindful that curfew hours may be strict in some states and should be obeyed to prevent police involvement. It is often best to consult with your local non-emergency police for specific answers to your questions and to learn about curfew times in your state of residence. But in short, if you are not on probation/parole and are home by curfew time, it seems the police would not have a reason to arrest you unless you became non-compliant or committed an act of crime.

We hope this helps. If you would like to talk more about your situation or explore some options that may help you with your parents, we are here to listen and provide support. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or you can reach us by chat through our website www.1800runaway.org.

Be safe and take care.

Good luck,

NRS

[Guest]

So I was staying with my sister for the night and I snuck out to go see my boyfriend but my sister knew and so did his parents me and him got in an argument and the cops had got called by the neighbors the cop took me back to my sisters for a curfew violation couldn’t his parents just tell the cop I was staying the night at their house

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to us here at National Runaway Safeline. We understand that it takes courage to seek help. We are sorry to hear that you got into an argument with your boyfriend and the cops were called. We are not legal experts so we cannot say for sure what could have been done to prevent the violation. For more information, you may want to contact your local police through their non emergency number to ask about how they handle curfew violations. Please feel free to contact us directly via our 24 hour crisis hotline (1-800-786-2929), email, or live chat if you have any other questions or just want to talk.

[Guest]

Hey if i were to get in a fight with my parents and go to my friends house, are my parents able to call the cops and say im running away then put me in foster care. They keep saying they can but its toxic here and I just need a break sometimes

[ccsmod15]

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.

Leaving home can be hard and it can be helpful to think about where you might stay and how you might pay for food, rent and other living expenses. Taking to other family members, friends or a school counselor can be helpful in many situations. We are not legal experts however, speaking generally if you are to leave home without your parents permission the police can bring you back home and whoever you are staying with could be charged with harboring a runaway and get in trouble.

If your safety is at risk you can call 911. If there is any any abuse going on at home, please know that this is not your fault and you don't deserve to be hurt in anyway. If you would like you can call the Child Help hotline at 1-800-422-4453 and they can help you provide more information on filing an abuse report.

This can be a lot to think about. 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 wish you the best and hope to hear from you soon.

Best
NRS
Please remember you can reach
us directly by calling our 24 hour hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or through
our Live Chat via www.1800runaway.org.

[Guest]

If I was to go hang out with friends or a family member and my mom said I couldnt and it wasnt past curfew or anything could i be in trouble or would they restrict me from leave to hangout again

[ccsmod15]

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 forum 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]

so i am 16 year olds and my parents only let me go out on the weekends for a couple of hours. i am not allowed to go out on school nights even though i have absolutely nothing to do. they keep me locked in my room. if i were to leave to hang out with my friends and then return home can i get into legal trouble? am i allowed to leave my house to hang out with my friends at age 16 without parental consent?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. It sounds like your parents are super restrictive and it must get really overwhelming and frustrating! We aren't legal experts, but generally speaking, no matter the amount of time you have been gone for your parents can contact the police to file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned home.

It seems like your parents do not fully understand how their rules are affecting you. It could be a good idea to work with a local family counselor or have a conversation mediated by a school counselor/social worker, trusted friend, or family member to help clear the air. If you'd like, you can also call us directly and we can conduct a conference call with your family so you have a safe environment where you can express yourself.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

[Guest]

I’m 14 and my legal guardians won’t let me see my birth mother, my sisters or my boyfriend. If I leave me house during the day before curfew, and tell them when I’ll be home can they call the police on me?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There.

Thank you so much for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. We are sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult situation right now.

We are not legal experts but we do have some information on what could happen if you left. So even if you were to tell your legal guardian when you would be back and where you would be, if they do not give permission they can call you in as a runaway. Running away is not illegal but if you are found by the police the police most likely would bring you back home. One option to consider would be to speak with a school counselor or an adult about your situation. They may be able to offer you support and help provide you with some resources.

We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation, please reach out if you have any more questions or would like to explore your options. We are here for you 24/7 by phone or by chat. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

I am 17 and my parents dont let me go anywhere but school or see anyone. If I hang out w friends how much trouble can i get in?

[ccsmod15]

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 forum 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 turning fourteen this month and my parents don’t give me permission to hang out with friends yet i still do so anyway. they know where my friend lives and threatened to call the police, bring them, if i go out again. would i get in trouble if my parents did call the police?

[ccsmod10]

It sounds like your parents have been really restrictive/controlling and aren't taking the time to put themselves in your shoes. That can be really frustrating/annoying/angering to deal with. If you were out when your parents wanted you to return home, they could technically call law enforcement and ask to return you home. Not all police officers would actually do so (sometimes they just check if you are somewhere safe and let you stay), but there is also the possibility they would return you home. You wouldn't likely get in any more trouble than that; what you're doing is not a crime. Feel free to contact us again if you want to talk about anything else.