I am 14 and want to runaway to an orphanage

[Guest]

hello, i have a friend she is 15, her dad is very abusive and always yells at her and he hits her for the dumbest reasons. if she gets 1% lower in her exams than the previous one, he hits her and yells at her. he forces her to take some subjects in school for example, she was forced to take honours classes, and she is very stressed and doesnt have that much time to do anything else. and her dad always takes to his side jobs, makes her do the work and he gets the money for it, he is using her to get what he wants. and they never listen to her, is it because of her skin color? or is it because she is mexican is that why he is treating her differently?
please let me know

[ccsmod3]

Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can be tough seeing a friend in a difficult situation, and we're glad that you reached out to learn some additional ways that you might be able to support her.

It sounds like things at home for your friend have been pretty challenging, particularly with her dad. While we can't tell you if the way she's being treated is because of ethnicity or skin color (we just don't have enough information to make that sort of call), she still doesn't deserve to be treated like that. One thing that might be worth mentioning to her for her to consider is filing an abuse report with Child Protective Services (CPS). Their job is to ensure that children are safe in their homes, and if you're not, to decide what steps should be taken in order to make sure that they are. If this is something that she might be interested in doing, she can file a report on her own, by contacting us here at NRS for support, or by telling a safe person of the abuse (like a teacher, school counselor, therapist, etc.). Each person that I've listed is considered a Mandated Reporter and has a legal obligation to contact CPS when there are any suspicions or indications of abuse. If either of you have any questions about filing a report, what it entails, or would like to learn more about child abuse in general, Childhelp is another great resource to utilize. They're a child abuse hotline and can be reached by texting or calling 1-800-422-4453, or by chatting with them live at www.childhelp.org.

Another resource that might be helpful to your friend is Polaris, which is an organization that works to end human trafficking and exploitation. Because you mentioned that she is being made to do work and not receiving any money from it, it sounds like she might be experiencing a form of labor trafficking or exploitation. She can connect with Polaris by calling 888-373-7888, texting BEFREE to 233733, or by chatting with them live through their website at www.polarisproject.org.

If you want to chat more about how you can help, or think that she would benefit from talking with someone at the National Runaway Safeline, please feel free to reach out to us directly (or pass along our info) by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live through our website at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

You're a good friend.

NRS

[Guest]

I am 12 and wanna runaway I have been getting emotionally abused and my parents are saying to not call DSS on them and they tell me I can just leave or threaten to kick me out I already talked with a friend who I willing to keep me for a little but should I I’m been scared in my own house.

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing a little bit about what you are going through. we are sorry to hear you are being emotionally abused and threatened at home. That's not right and it's not your fault. Of course, you can file an abuse report if you want to. You can get more information about abuse reporting and even make a report through Child Help at www.childhelp.org (1-800-422-4453). You can also file a report through us, if you want.

If your parent's give you permission to leave home and live elsewhere you probably wouldn't be considered a runaway. However, if you do leave home without permission, your parents could file a runaway report on you and the police will likely return you home. So this is a pretty big decision to face.

You aren't alone, however. We are here for you and willing to listen and help. The best way we can do that is if you call our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). When you call or chat we can help you figure out what all your options are and come up with a plan that's right for you. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi i am 14 and i want to run away from home and go somewhere anywhere i live with my grandma and my aunt and when my grandma gets made she yells at me and my cousins and makes threats to hit us and throws things at us i don't know what to do i want to go somewhere but i don't know where i could go i just want to be somewhere where i feel safe and secure can someone help

[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 and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. 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 chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

My daughter's friend is 17 years old. She'll be 18 years old in 17 days. She's being abused beyond belief, the cops and cps has done nothing to help her, they keep sending her home because there is no proof. Her parents lie through their teeth and get the 4 younger kids to lie for them. They don't abuse the other 4 kids, just her. I've witnessed the abuse and no one will belive me either. She wants to get out of there now and move to another state with friends that care and love her very much. She just doesn't want to get anyone in trouble by then buying her a plane ticket to freedom and staying with them. Her parents would NEVER allow her to go until she's 18. Please, she needs help desperately.

[ccsmod15]

Hello there,
Thank you for reaching out to NRS! That sounds like a really frustrating situation where no one is believing or listening to the abuse reports being made. It is great that you are here advocating for her and supporting her! Another resource she may have in this is called Child Help. They work with youth who are being abused. They might be able to elicit option and resources to aid in the situation. Their number is 800-422-4453 or you can chat with them at www.childhelp.org. They are a really great resource that help youth nation wide.
If you would like to talk with us further about the situation you can do so by calling in or by using our live chat as we can only respond to forum posts twice. Our number is 1800-RUNAWAY or you can chat with us at www.1800RUNAWAY.org.
We're here to listen, here to help.
NRS

[Guest]

hi iam 14 and i want to run away i dont know what to do it can be a different state to just please help me...

[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 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 forum to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon. We can help find safe places for you to stay if you do choose to leave.
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]

Hey, I'm 14 and I want to run away or just be placed in an orphanage whether my parents know or not. It's been very hard on my mental health and no one(my parents) don't seem to care at all. I just don't want to be here anymore. Please help me. My number is:

[ccsmod2]

Hi there, thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It seems like you are having a difficult time at home and want to get away to somewhere that feels safe. You deserve to live in a mentally and physically safe environment.

You mentioned having difficulties with your mental health, so we wanted to recommend some resources to help with that. One option is to talk to your school counselor or perhaps a teacher that you trust and feel comfortable with. Another option is finding a resource in your community. If you call us at 1-800-runaway (786-2929) or chat with us online, we can help you find a resource near you.

If you are considering leaving home, have you thought about a relative that perhaps your parents would let you stay with? Another option is to call us or chat with us online and we can help you find a youth shelter in your area that you may be able to stay at temporarily. If you are feeling unsafe at home, another option to consider is reporting it to Child Protective Services. Childhelp.org can also give you more information about child abuse and can help you as well.

We saw that you left your phone number in your message, but for confidentiality purposes, we are only able to receive calls. Please call us any time at 1-800-runaway (786-2929), or chat with us online at 1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Good luck!

NRS

[Guest]

i am 10 and i wanna run to run away to a orphanage

[ccsmod16]

Hi, Thanks for reaching out; we are glad that you did.
It sounds like you might be going through something hard that is making you want to run away. We would like to talk with you about it. You can reach us 24/7 by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or via live chat through this website.
We truly hope to hear from you soon so we can listen and help.
Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

hi i am 13 and my parents are mean. I cry every night because of them.I got adopted but these parents are so mean and bring me down.I want to die sooooooo bad but i do not do it. please help.I have run awey twice. . I need your help but when i tell them i want to die they always hit. i have cameras in my house if you help me and need proof. plese help i need s0omeone

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for contacting NRS
We are sorry that is going on with your adoptive parents. It seems like you are being mistreated and not treated in a way that you should. Please know that if you fear for you life you can always call the cops and dial 911. They can help immediately remove you from that home. Some things to keep in mind are that you have options to help you get out of the situation you're in. One option is you can reach out to here at NRS or Childhelp (www.childhelp.org or 800-422-4453) which is an organization that helps report child abuse with youth. We can help you report any type of abuse if necessary as well. Another option you have is to report what is going on to your caseworker. When you are adopted a caseworker is assigned to you and you can contact them to ask about how they can help as well.
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]

In nearing 18 and I dont want to runaway without letting my parents kmow . I just want to runaway with their knowledge about it . It may sound weird but I really want to . I jut want to get rid of this house! At any cost . Do you think there might be a place which can accomodate me????

[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 seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. We can definitely look up some shelters and see what is in the area for you.
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 forum 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 14 I would like to tun away to an orphanage in roseburg Oregon is that legal here or is there a specific place to go to?

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We're sorry to hear you want to run away. To answer your question very directly: if you ran away from your parents or guardians without permission they could file a runaway report on you. If you tried to stay at an orphanage (or shelter) they would have to contact your guardians or your state's Child Protective Services to investigate.

We'd like to help further -- even if it's just talking about what you are going through -- but need a bit more information from you to see how we can help. The best way to do that would be for you to call our confidential 24 hour hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us via the chat feature found at the top of our website: www.1800runaway.org. When you contact us we can help you figure out what all your options are and what your next best step is. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 13 and feel like running away my parents say the love me but won't accept that I'm bisexual and my brother's pick on me for it I had my mom's old phone and would read stories from wattpad. Com I have stuff packed I can steal 40-50 dollars from my dad but I don't know where to go can you help I'm in [...] new Mexico

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to us. We are sorry to hear your parents aren't accepting your sexual identity and that your brother is picking on you. That must be difficult and you don't deserve that. Of course, people do change and it's very possible one day your parents will in fact accept you for who you are. As so many people who have been in a similar position to you have said, "it gets better." But for now, we definitely recognize you're in a tough spot. We get that.

As for running away: just keep in mind that if you leave home without permission your parents most likely would file a runaway report and you would probably be found and returned home by police. There really isn't anywhere you can go that is safe (like shelters) that would allow you to stay there without notifying your parents. And if you were to stay with someone else your parents could press charges against them for harboring a runaway. We don't mention all of this to try to persuade you not to runaway, but just to let you know what probably would happen. Your safety is our utmost concern.

Perhaps there are options besides running away. For instance, perhaps you can find support with other youth that are in your type of situation and can relate to what you are sharing. Just being able to talk about your feelings and what you are going through is often very healing and empowering. A couple resources that might help in this regard are the LGBT National Hotline found at www.glbthotline.org (1-888-843-4564) and the LGBT National Youth Talkline (1-800-246-7743).

If you'd like to discuss more options we are here for you any time at our 24 hour confidential hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY) or via the chat feature found on our website: www.1800hotline.org. We hope to hear from you soon!

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I'm 13 and want to runaway I have everything ready but i don't know where to go any help i live in Hobbs New Mexico

[ccsmod3]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We recognize that it takes a lot of courage to reach out. It sounds like you’ve been having a difficult time at home, and we are here to listen and help.

Running away is a big decision, and it may be helpful to know some general runaway laws while you consider leaving home. 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.

If you are interested in running away to a shelter or youth home, we would be happy to provide referrals for you if you call our 24/7 number at 1-800-786-2929. You can also chat live with us online at www.1800runaway.org (Click the CHAT button).

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. 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]

I have been on here before but I don't feel like my parents will change the said liking the same sexuality is wrong and against the bible so i still feel like running away I need somewhere to go I'm in new mexico

[Guest]

hi im 13 and i want to run away to foster care or even adoption

[ccsmod3]

Hey there. Thanks for reaching out to us here at NRS. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step.

You must be going through a pretty challenging time since you're thinking about running away, and we're sorry to hear that. Unfortunately it's not very simple to go into foster care or be adopted, particularly if Child Protective Services (CPS) isn't involved with your family and hasn't made the decision to remove you from your home. They are the authorities who can make those decisions, but it's not something they take lightly nor implement just because a young person asks. Generally speaking, in order to be placed into foster care, there has to be abuse and/or neglect going on. And even then, removing young folks from their homes isn't their primary goal. They'll actually try to work with the youth and the family to make sure whatever is going on is resolved, putting other measures in place if/when needed.

It might help to talk through your situation so that we can learn more and really know how to help. If you're open to talking, you can reach out to us directly by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY, or by chatting with us live at 1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS

[Guest]

HI i am a 14 year old boy named [...] and want to run away to an orphanage i am using my dads computer to send this so is thier anyone you could send his son(me) to an orphanage I hate this family so much and just want to go. so please help get to an orphanage

[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.

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