I am 14 and want to runaway to an orphanage

[Guest]

Hello there.

I am a 12 Year Old boy, and am planning on running to either an orphanage or living in the streets. I have Ben a victim of Verbal abuse, and trauma from my school. I am reaching out to you as I don’t really know what to do anymore.

I plan on leaving next week, as I want to think about my decision long and hard. I don’t want to end up dead, but I want to be away from this town, this neighbourhood, and this family.

I am adopted, and I am wanting to know if I am actually allowed to ask to go to another family. I don’t think I am and I don’t really know who I would ask. All I want is to leave.

I have talked to my mother, I have talked to my father. They always tell me to shut the f*ck up. When I confront them my father stands up, and tells me to do something about it. And I do. I look him dead in the eye, tower over him, and tell him never tell me to shut up again. He has threatened me on MULTIPLE occasions.

I will not be able to check back on this website much, as I will have to remove it from my search history. I have no privacy at all in this household. Of you wish to contact me contact me through my backup email. It is [email protected].

Thank you in advance, your.. I don’t really know what I am to you, Jameson. (Not my real name, my nickname.)

[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. 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 email 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]

Hi, I'm 11. I was sleeping in my basement and my sister was in the other room. It was really late, and she was on the phone with her boyfriend. I told her to stop and go to bed. She somehow bragged about her crying three times already and embarrassed me on camera. She said that she couldn't believe I was sleeping on the floor with "creepy doll Annabell" in the next room over. I was so mad that I put the doll on the bench outside the room she was sleeping in. Later I heard a small squeal and herd her go up the stairs saying that I suck. I thought she was just mad and would go upstairs to sleep in her room. A few minutes later I heard her crying. My dad yells at me really hurtfully every time I do something bad. It hurts more that it's my dad yelling because most of the time he loves me so much. I was convinced any moment he would come stomping down the stairs and yell at me. I feel so bad. I can easily slip out the back door. I have money saved up. I don't deserve to live in this house after what I did. I could take my bike and ride to a grocery store. I could live. I could live without knowing that I ruined her life, and I wouldn't be able to ruin anybody else's.

[ccsmod3]

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 email 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]

Hi I am turning 13 and I want o run away from my parents. I have WAY too much stress and I need to leave.

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to write us here at NRS. It sounds like things at home have been incredibly stressful it is making you feel like you need to leave. Difficult feelings like these can certainly be very tough to cope with and can become overwhelming. You deserve to be getting support with what is going on and we want you to know were are here to listen and help.

Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means that if you leave without permission your parents or legal guardians can report you as a runaway to the police. While you would not get into any legal trouble, the police would return you home. The easiest way to leave home as a minor is with your parents’ permission. In this case, they would be allowing you to live somewhere else where you are safe and being cared for. A helpful step is to start reaching out to friends and family members you might be able to stay with. Sometimes having an adult on your side to advocate for you can make communicating your needs more effective to your parents. Perhaps an adult family member, a friend's parent or a counselor at school can talk to your parents with you about your experience at home.

If you are not quite ready to talk with someone in person about the way you are feeling, you can text with a counselor through the Crisis Text Line by texting "connect" to 741741. You can also go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org to talk to someone about the tough feelings you are having. Having a support system during difficult times can be helpful and often having a safe place to talk through things can help you brainstorm options you had not thought of previously.

If you are wanting to leave due to abuse, you do have the right to make a report to child protective services. This would lead to an investigation where a social worker would likely talk with you and your other family members. First steps of intervention might be house checks, parenting classes, and counseling for you to hopefully improve the situation. Removing a child from a parent's custody is usually the last intervention to be taken and only if home is not safe for the child. You can speak with an advocate at Child Help, 1-800-422-4453; www.childhelp.org, to learn more about the reporting process and if its an option you want to pursue.

We truly want to be a support for you as you decide on your next steps. We are available 24/7 to listen and help as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out again by phone or chat if you would like to talk more in-depth about your situation and explore your options. You can contact us by phone at 1-800-786-2929 or use our live chat services at www.1800runaway.org.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello, I’m 12 years old and going to be 13 soon. I live in marinette wisconsin and want to run away. Can I go somewhere safe without letting my parents or family know? What should I bring? When’s the best time of day to leave? :/

[ccsmod15]

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are going through a really tough time. We understand it takes great courage to share about this.

It sounds like you are looking to run away. 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. If you feel like running anyway, it is important that you have a place to go, and that you know how to survive once there. If you do not feel comfortable talking about your situation with teachers, you may feel better around a school counselor. Friends are another great resource for this.

We hope some of this information was useful to you, and that you are feeling more hopeful. If you want to talk further about your plan to run away, we would love to help you work things out. We are available 24/7 at 1800runaway.org (for live chat) or at 1-800-786-2929 (for phone). Good luck and stay safe.

[Guest]

hi im 17 and i dont wanna be at home anymore im not happy here

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on.

We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, 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 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi,
I’m almost 13 my family is good but I’m complacently different I don't agree with there from of punishment ( a whooping with a belt ) I don't think it's abuse and my mom drinks a lot and I really don't think she's stable that's why most of us ( me and my siblings ) live with our dads she won't acknowledge my bad anxiety and when I had a panic attack she yell at me and "said stop being a brat" and "act like a normal child" and when she told me to stop or she'll give me whooping I stopped but only because I was terrified and later I found out she was bluffing about whooping me there a lot more I can say and there's reasons I can’t stay with relatives and I’m tired of all of it I want to run away with my friend but she might not want to and she's the only one who understand me and I don't to leave her but again I can’t stay at home I’m starting to plan now like what transportation I can use and what food to bring and were to go but I’m scared of being caught

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We would like to be of assistance to you if we can. It is times like these that would be nice to have a listening ear. It is also important that you remember to exercise self- care. You showed some by reaching out to NRS. Good for you.

It’s not your fault that she chooses to discipline you with a belt.
It sounds emotionally upsetting for you. Your feelings are important and they matter.
We understand how frustrating this must be for you. You mentioned possibly running away. There may be some other options to explore to get the results you would like to have.

NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat so that we might learn a little more about your situation and how we might assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi I’m 15, and I have dealt with a lot of things with my life including family problems. As a kid my mom and dad would hit me (metal bar), pull my hair, yell at me, threaten to give me away. For the past two years of my life I have been dealing with bullying from my peers, and I have been in an abusive toxic relationship too. When my parents found out that I was cutting, having anxiety attacks, my dad told me he didn’t care if I died or not. There was a big conversation about it that we had as a family, and I finally spoke up for myself towards them. So for a few months now my mom has changed so much, and has tried to understand me the best she can. It’s my dad who hasn’t. He yelled at me the other day calling me names, and he did that for no reason. He did all that knowing that what triggers my attacks is yelling. A little raise to the voice I could panic, and feel suicidal as I do now. But the past few months I’ve made progress so now all I wanna do is get out of this house instead of feel suicidal. Everything is getting taken out on me when I’ve done nothing. I have made a lot of progress with myself but I feel as if I’m slipping away from that because my own father despises his own daughter, and he even wanted another child for a do -over.

[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 sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now. It sounds like you’re fearing that the situation may end in suicide if things don’t change. Your safety and well-being is important. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255); www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org is also a great resource to reach out to in addition to our crisis services.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. This may be an isolating and lonely time for you, but you are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
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 hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe and stay strong,
NRS

[Guest]

Hello, iim a 13 year old an im planing on running away when i turn 14 next year.What are some places i can go to or pack?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing about what you are feeling. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and running away feels like one of your only options.

We are here to support you through this challenging time. Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We can best help by phone or chat so if you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.

Regarding running away at the age of 14, 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. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We’re here to listen and help, and hope you can reach out soon.

Take care,

NRS

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

hi i am 13 i have had a hard life.when i was four my dad got put and jail and my mother wasent feeding me and we got put in are aunts hands sence then (that included my 1 brother and my 2 sisters )i have been through so much i treid to run away and it did not go well.i wanted to get away for my step parents so i can become an actress in la.and i have been with my ponys that help me. i really want to run away.my step parents have called me a lier and have hit me and wiped me witha belt and my step dad has threatens me. have been bulied seens a younge age please help

[ccsmod8]

Hello there –

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. From reading your post it sounds like you thinking about leaving home due to the possible abuse you face in your household by your guardian. No one deserves to be treated that way at all. Just know that you always have the right to report any abuse (physical, mental, sexual, or neglect/abandonment) to child protective service in your state or you can talk to us about it. You have rights too. Only you know yourself when it’s time to leave home due to it being an unsafe situation. If you reach out to us, we can look to see what is in our database any youth shelters or safe places that you can reach out to for some local support.

It sounds like you might some specific questions that you want to ask us or maybe find a place to vent about what you are feeling right now. It’s hard to talk to just anyone one about what has been going on. Please rest assured that we are completing confidential. So anything that you share with us will stay between us. We don’t ask for any identifying information, unless you want to report any abuse. You can chat with us by going to our website (www.1800runaway.org) and clicking on "chat".

We certainly want to help you.

[Guest]

What if my mom died and my parent if divorce and we don’t have our own home where can I live because I don’t have good relationship with my relative

[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. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon. We can look up some shelter or housing resources for you if you'd like.
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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi i am not 14 or older but i m ten and i just wan't to leave my so called home because its not really feeling like my home every since my granddad had died at 5 and ever since then i got depression for 5 years and i don't feel at home here and i also want to runway without people knowing.please help me.

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We are sorry to hear about the loss of your graddad and how it has affected you emotionally. 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.
The easiest way to leave home is with your parents' permission. We understand that might be challenging, however, maybe there’s another family member, relative, or a family friend who could help to communicate how you’re feeling to your parents. The second way is through Child Protective Services if safety is a concern. Lastly, you can also look into emancipation options. In most states you need to be at least 16 to be considered and demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and independently. Emancipation often can be a lengthy process and may even cost some money for court fees. We would be happy to look into legal resources if that’s something you are considering.
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 email 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 would like to look into further emotional support options, you can text with a crisis worker at the National Alliance on Mental Illness 24/7 by texting "NAMI" to 741741.
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]

Umm hi. Im a random person who wants to run away, and i dont have a phone. So if a reply goes to email, dont send me one, because then my mom will figure out. And my mom scares the heck out of me, and so does my step-dad. I feel like my mom and step-dad dont love me, and my real dad and my grandparents are the only people that love me, but i barely see them anymore. And my mom makes me feel like i should run away because she makes me want to die. And im scared of the pain of dying, so i was like ‘nope. Im running away.’ Today she said i look like im homeless and then i thought ‘well if i look homeless then why dont i be homeless?!’ I was just too sad and mad. And i tried to calm myself down, but i couldnt. I just want to leave. I actually thought of killing my family, so i know i should leave. Please dont bring this up to the authorities. Im not even allowed to be using the ipad because my sister keeps getting me in trouble. Just please dont tell anyone about this. But im only 10 and i want to leave. What should i do? Reminder do not write back if it goes to email because if it goes to email my whole family will find out. I really thought im going crazy and i shouldnt feel like this. So...what should i do?

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It sounds like you are going through a really difficult time right now, and we want you to know that you are not alone.
We are sorry that your mother says mean things to you, you do not deserve that. And having thoughts of dying can be serious. If you are ever feeling suicidal please reach out to someone for help. You can always contact The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at: 1800-273-8255. There is always someone willing to listen and willing to help.
We know you mentioned wanting to run away, we are not legal experts but we do have some information. If you were to leave without permission and the police were to find you they most likely would bring you back home.
We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any more questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. Best of luck!
NRS