15 and thinking about running away

[Tek]

Hi i'm 15 and i'm currently living with a family that's very toxic to my health. Honestly at this point i'm just so done with staying with them.

I wanted to see if it was able for me to get to like New Zealand or Pennsylvania. I have friends there willing to provide me a home.

[ccsmod1]

RE: 15 and thinking about running away

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline, we are glad that you reached out and we are here to listen/help. This sounds like a difficult situation that you are in and your home environment seems to be affecting your health. It sounds like you have put some thought into this and are wanting to go live with a friend in Pennsylvania or New Zealand.
We are not legal experts, however, we do know that harboring laws exist, meaning that if you leave home and your legal guardian files a runaway report, the family/friend you are staying with could get into legal trouble for having a runaway staying at their house. As far as where you are wanting to go, New Zealand and Pennsylvania are two very different places. Running away across international borders comes with lots of risks, which could include criminal charges. The best way to help you and give you appropriate resources would be to give us a call. We can locate resources that would be of benefit to you and we can talk through your specific situation further.

We are also here to provide you with any support you may need. We are a 24/7 confidential hotline and would love to talk to you about what is going on at home. You can reach us at 1800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you are uncomfortable with talking to us on the phone, you can also reach us through our online chat services. Our online chat services are available all week from 4:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. central time through our website www.1800runaway.org.
We wish you the best of luck with everything and we hope to hear from you soon.