How far will they go to find me?

[Guest]

I'm 13 and in Florida, but will be 14 when I leave. I'm going to NYC with a close friend. We've both been expelled from school, and have no reason to stay. What are the chances of getting caught? Will I be actively searched for?

[ccsmod0]

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. You questioned what would happen if you were to leave home without your parents’ permission.
Your question is similar to a lot of other post that we have on our bulletin board. We want you to know that we are not legal experts nor are we affiliated with the police so we can only speak generally about what could happen if a youth leaves home without the consent of a guardian. Leaving home without parental consent (running away) is not a crime, so the police will not arrest you. If you do leave home without permission your guardian does have the right to file a runaway report. Running away is not a crime it is a status offence (something that only a minor can get in trouble for: truancy, buying cigarettes, etc.) this means that if you have any interaction with the police they will simply return you home. On the other hand the people that you are found to be staying with could face legal consequences that vary depending on your state. You can find out more about how runaway’s reports are carried out by contacting your local police department. If you have any further questions please feel free to give us a call anytime 1-800-786-2929