I'm 18 and I Want to Leave Home

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I just recently I turned eighteen but I'm still in high school, hoping to graduate in 2016. I live in Washington state and I've been dealing with family issues at home that make me really stressed out. I was hoping to wait until after graduation to move out, but at the moment I can't take it anymore. My patience has run out. As of right now my current plan was to leave and stay with my boyfriend but I have various concerns:

- Are my parents able to file a missing person and get the police involved?
- Are my parents able to pull my out of high school (I was planning to keep attending)?
- Will my boyfriend's family be charged for keeping me?

I haven't contacted anyone about this for so long and it's difficult for me at the moment. Is it possible for me to leave without the police getting involved, having my education taken from me, and have someone I care about be legally charged? Please respond, I need some answers before I make my decision. Thank you in advance.

[ccsmod7]

Re: I'm 18 and I Want to Leave Home

Hello there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We’re sorry to hear that things at home are at the point where you don’t feel comfortable staying there. It’s great that your boyfriend’s family is supportive and willing to let you stay with them. Leaving home can be challenging and it’s good that you are thinking ahead by considering how your parents will react, school, and any legal consequences.

Although we aren’t legal experts here at NRS, we can speak in general terms about legal consequences. In most places, once you are 18, your parents can no longer file you as a runaway nor can you be forced to return home. Because of this, it is unlikely that your boyfriend’s family can be charged for harboring you. If you want to find out for sure whether your parents can file you as a missing person and whether your boyfriend’s family can get in legal trouble, you can also call your local police or a legal aid service and ask them hypothetically how they handle such cases at your age. We can help you to make this call or find the appropriate numbers to call if you contact us directly.

As far as school, it is your right to attend and finish public high school. If your parents attempt to remove you from school, it may be good to talk to your school administration about their policies regarding that. It may be challenging to continue at the same school if your boyfriend’s family lives outside of the district or area that your school serves.

Again, thank you for posting to our forum and please call or chat with us if you would like to discuss your situation in more detail.

Best of luck,
NRS