17yo college student nowhere to go winter break

[Pilgrims]

I'm 17 & in college. I'm kind of realizing that I have nowhere to go this winter break.

I could go home, but that's just generally a bad idea because my parents are abusive & have tried to kill me. Not to mention it's super stressful and I just don't want to do that.

I don't know about going to a shelter. Would my parents need to be informed? I want to go to a shelter but my parents have the legal ability to make me go home or send me to a pray-the-gay-away/troubled teen camp thing. If they knew I was going to a shelter I'd be screwed and they would probably do one of those things.

I might try to do an internship or short-term job something that provides housing but I don't know of anything that might do that.

I'll try to see if I can stay with a friend but I don't know anybody whose family will be willing to take on somebody for two weeks.

Finally, I was considering somehow becoming a ward of the court or otherwise having them not have legal guardianship of me. But I don't know how I'd do that and I can't really afford a lawyer.

[ccsmod1]

RE: 17yo college student nowhere to go winter break

Hello,

Thanks for posting. It sounds like you are in a tough situation this winter break. We are sorry to hear that home is so stressful for you. It is understandable that you would not want to go home. Nobody deserves to be abused, and it sounds like going home is not a good or safe option for you. It is good to hear that you are thinking ahead about your options. If it comes down to it and you don’t have anywhere to go, we can help you find shelter resources. You do not deserve to be sent to a "pray away the gay" camp. There could be LGBT shelters or resources in your area that could help. Most shelters will likely contact your parents because you are a minor. This is not ideal. However, since you are 17 and enrolled in college, law enforcement might not force you to go home. Your idea of getting an internship or job sounds like a good idea. If you live in student housing, you might want to talk to your housing coordinator about your options. Sometimes students who do federal work study are needed over breaks. It could be worth it to talk to someone at your school to find out if there is a way you can stay. It sounds like you are also considering finding a friend to stay with. It is a good thing that you are trying to make plans early. Maybe you can find someone who is able to let you stay with their family during the break.

It sounds like you are also thinking about emancipation. We are not legal experts. Laws are different in every state, and filing for emancipation to end your parent’s legal guardianship rights is a court process that can take some time. If you are interested in exploring this, we can help you find a legal aid resource that you can talk to free of charge. If your college is affiliated with any law programs, you might be able to find resources or someone to talk to through them as well. We are happy to talk through your situation and come up with more options for you. We are here to support you in any way that we can, and we wish you the best of luck.

[pilgrims]

I would really appreciate legal contacts

Thanks for your reply.

[ccsmod5]

re:

Hey again,

So in order for us to provide you with the legal aid information, we would need to know what city and state you currently reside in. We highly encourage you to reach out to us at 1-800-RUNAWAY and we would be more than willing to provide you with that information. Please remember that we also have a live chat service that is available for you to get in contact with us. Our hotline is available 24/7 and we would be more than happy to provide you with more information and referrals. Hope to get your call or chat soon!

Stay strong,

NRS

[pilgrims]

Thanks. I called & got some resources. For some reason whenever I try to use the chat it says it's "offline".

[ccsmod7]

Hello,

We are glad to hear that you were able to get some resources from calling. Our chat hours are from 4:30-11:30 CST. If you find that you need some additional support we're here 24/7, 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929).

Best of luck,

NRS