16 and want to leave

[Unregistered]

I am 16 and I can legally move out on my own without permission and I am definitely considering it. I have been dating this girl for 5 months now and my family has told me that I have to cut her off 100% no contact or else they will keep me at home, send me to another school etc. I have had a job since I was 13 and have had my license since October. My parents are very strict and will not even let me drive myself to work. They won't let me drive my friends around, have a girlfriend, stay the night out etc, their reason is due to their faith. They have basically told me to follow these ruels or leave. I don't know what to do because I do not want to hurt my parents yet I do not want to live this way, I've already tried talking about a compromise and they refuse. Any suggestions would be great. I have a friends place to stay as well.

[ccsmod1]

RE: 16 and want to leave

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are really struggling with your parents’ rules and you are thinking about running away. It sounds like you are very responsible since you have a job that you have kept for three years. It is understandable that you are feeling frustrated. You wrote that you can legally move out without permission at 16. We are not legal experts, but we can say that in general it is not legal for you to move out without permission until you turn 18. If you are under the age of 18 and you leave home without permission, you could be considered a runaway. This means that your parent or legal guardian could call the police, who might force you to return home. Running away is not a crime, however anyone who allows you to stay with them could risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway, so your friend could risk getting into trouble for allowing you to stay.
We are not legal experts. Laws are different from state to state, county to county, city to city. In some areas, police might not take a runaway report for youth who are close to turning 18, or they might take a report but not force a youth to return home. How a local police department responds to the situation can vary drastically. A good way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are. If the police decide they can’t force you to return home, that is still not the same as it being legal for you to move out, and you could still face challenges. It is helpful to consider how you would survive, where you would stay and how you would meet your basic needs like food or accessing healthcare, or how you would continue your education. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. You can also call us any time if you need to talk or you have questions. We can talk through all your options and help you make a plan to stay safe and off the streets. We are looking forward to hearing from you, and wish you the best of luck.

[Unregistered]

Reply

I am living in Alberta, Canada. In this province a 16 year old can legally move out of the house without parental permission

[ccsmod3]

Re: 16 and want to leave

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States. Our knowledge of helpful community based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis related laws is limited to the US. Canada has Kids Help Phone, http://org.kidshelpphone.ca/, who may be more knowledgeable on the laws in Canada.
We hope that by reaching out Kids Help Phone, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.