I'm 15 and want to move out

[ccsmod13]

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 being at home is very overwhelming and see you’re wanting to move away. You also mentioned being harmed. 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.

We are not legal experts but typically if you are under 18 and decide to runaway, your parents can file a runaway report. You will not be arrested but if a report is made, the police may try to bring you home. 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,

I don’t feel safe I’m 15 I want to move out my parents physically abuse me and it hurts my feelings whenever I do homework I don’t have time they tell me go do this and that and I’m getting bad grades and they say it’s your fault but it’s my parents I don’t really have time to study. I do chores but my mom says no one helps me with anything in this house. She throws shoes at me kicks my thighs and my dad hits me please tell me tips

[ccsmod15]

First of all, thank you so much for reaching out to us today. We know it can take a lot of courage to do so. We are sorry to hear that you are in such a difficult situation. You do not deserve to have religious pushed on you and it sounds frustrating that your dad doesn’t understand things like mental health.
You mention you have considered committing suicide and request not to center on this. However, all we want to say is that your safety is our top priority here at NRS. A good resource to reach out to is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are ever having suicidal thoughts or just want someone to talk to about this, they are available 24/7 at 800-273-8255.
In terms of everything else you mentioned, running away is not illegal. However, if you do decide to leave home and get an apartment, that technically would be considered running away if you do not consult you dad. There is a chance that your dad files a runaway report to the police. If he does this, the police will most likely go looking for you and if they find you, bring you back home. If you do believe leaving home is the best option, you know your situation best and should do what you feel is best. Your therapist would most likely not be able to assist you with this, but they would be more than welcome to discuss the situation with you in more depth most likely. If you are interested in emancipation, one thing to note is that it is a long process that requires parental approval. However, if you are interested in pursuing that, you can look into legal aid in your area or reach out to us and we can provide you with other resources to legal away.
We are sorry to hear that your dad hit you when you were younger and your mom’s boyfriend touched you in inappropriate ways. You do not deserve that kind of treatment. If you are interested in reporting any of this abuse, you can look on childhelp.org and find your state to reach out to CPS. If you want help doing this, you can reach out to us through live-chat at 1800runaway.org or by calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929). If you do not want to report any of this, that is also completely okay. You can reach out to us anytime to talk through the situation in more depth or gather more resources. We are here for you.
Best of luck and stay strong,
NRS

I'm going to be 15 in a month, and I want to move out. I live in U.S. Georgia with my dad, but the environment is not the best. While he does provide basic necessities and sometimes an allowance, he's forcing his religion on me. He's told me I'll go to hell and that bad things will start happening to me if I don't start believing again and ask for forgiveness. I had to lie and say I do believe just so he wouldn't lecture me about it like all the other times and so I'd feel safe. He's implied that he'd send me back to my mom if I don't believe in god, too. He's also a bit homophobic, and does not seem to understand sexualities.


I can't go back to my mom. She was toxic, manipulative, and a narcissist. She made my mental health worse, and I almost killed myself because of her. Her boyfriend touched me in an inappropriate way as well. So while I'm out of her care for now, I'm only with my dad from her permission. I think she could take me back, and I don't want that. I don't want to stay with my dad either. He's tried to manipulate me into lying to my therapist that I'll kill myself if I go back with my mom, and he's also made light of that.


Saying he knew I'd kill myself if I went back to her, and that's it's basically a good thing. He doesn't seem to understand mental health, is obsessed with how his "image" looks to other people, he only likes things to go his way and either yells, argues passively aggressively or throws a "tantrum" when they don't. He's verbally abusive to his wife. I think he only got me from my mom for the benefits, such as money and being able to show me off to his family. I don't feel safe in his care, and I've already considered committing suicide once and almost did it. In my childhood he was also abusive, he'd hit me and my siblings and yell at us over the littlest things, he turned us against each other in a way. He isolated us from society then. He is also very childish.


I have two other siblings who could possibly take me in. But one, my brother is kind of similar to my dad. He's pushed my sister because 'she wasn't listening' when he's never have before, and if he can do that why wouldn't he do it to me? We don't really see eye to eye. And my other brother is in a stressful situation, he's in a place where he doesn't have a house yet. Though, he might be getting one soon.

I don't want to runaway. I want to be able to get an apartment or house and live by myself while still going to school. Is there anyway I can legally? Can my therapist help with any of these arrangements at all? Please don't center a response around the suicidal things I said, I genuinely want to know what I can do to get out of here. I'm doing my best to look after my mental health, and want to know if my therapist could possibly help me be legally emancipated. Or if there is anything I can do on my own to leave. Is it possible I could use my mom to help me get out of here as well, since she has most say over where I live? As in, help me go to one of my brothers even if it's not the best thing?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing a little bit about what’s been going on, we know that it takes a lot of courage. You deserve to be safe and secure at home and your mom's behavior is not acceptable. If you are currently at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 if that's something you feel comfortable doing, or seek emergency assistance immediately. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

You mentioned that your mom makes you feel like killing yourself. We care a lot about your safety, and we can help you find resources that can help you cope with these feelings. You do not have to face this alone, and there is so much help out there for you. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline could be a good resource for you. You can check them out at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or you can call 1-800-273-8255 for help and support any time. If you’d like some additional support, an organization that may be helpful is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). You can contact them by calling 1-800-950-NAMI or you can text them by sending NAMI to 741741.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

We'd love to hear from you about your experience using our crisis forum. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us improve our services to support youth and families. Please click the link below to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/we_care_what_you_think

I am a 15 year ols girl i live with an abusive mom one day we got into a fight and she slapped me and started pulling my hair and when i told her she was the readon i wanted to kill myself she dragged me on the ground and started beating me after she finished i was left bleeding i ran away and called the police but they put me back in the home and its still the same she emotionally abuses me and physically abuses me and i want to go live with another family member but she wont let me

[ccsmod9]

Thank you for contacting NRS,
We appreciate you choosing to trust us with where you're at. We are sorry that there seems to be alot of tension in your home environments. It can be very hard to go through something like that alone. Some things that might be able to help is maybe ask your mom and see if she might let you live with a friend who can support you better or another family member who you trust. That way you feel as though there might be opportunities to help your situation. Another option that might be good to consider is finding groups where you can find support. Online or in person that way you can feel as though even if your homelife is hard you still have support from people who care.

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

Im 15 and want to move out. Yea ik everyone is saying this ********. and im right now living with my mom. i ********ing hate her, she treats me like im 10 or she treats me like my ********ing freeloader of a brother. I wake up mad everyday bc of her. I was living with my dad but when i did i was depressed. i just want to be happy without them.

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
It sounds like you are thinking about harming yourself or ending your life. It takes a lot of strength to reach out for help, and we are so glad that you did. Your life has worth and our top priority is your safety. If you feel this is an emergency you could consider calling 911 for emergency assistance. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can, and we can help you find resources that can help you cope with these feelings. You do not have to face this alone, and there is so much help out there for you. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, the National Suicide Hotline could be a good resource for you. You can check them out at www.youmatter.suicidepreventionlifeline.org, or you can call 1-800-273-8255 for help and support any time. You can also call us 24/7 at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you need to talk.
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.
You mentioned experiencing emotional abuse which may be reportable against your parents. Please keep in mind you by no means deserve any type of abuse, emotional or otherwise. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often harder to provide evidence for compared to physical abuse which is often what CPS relies on when conducting an abuse investigation. That said, we can’t be 100% sure what the outcome will be if your local CPS decides to open a case based on what you share. Sometimes CPS decides to remove minors from the home and other times they offer services such as family counseling or mediation instead. The only way to know the outcome might be to reach out to them directly and if you’re ready to do that we are here to help you through that process. Reaching out to Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 or www.childhelp.org may help to get a better understanding of what may happen before and after a report is made.
18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.
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

HI

I am 15 and i desperately want to move out. My parents are extremely verbally and mentally abusive, they neglect my emotions and my mental health a lot. I’ve tried asking them for help multiple times but they say i’m dumb and that i don’t need help. It’s gotten to the point where i want to commit suicide because of them and because of just being here in a horrible environment, i’m mentally exhausted and i don’t know how much longer i can keep up with this. please 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. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA (1-800-422-4453 or 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 us right away 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.

We encourage you to reach out if you want to talk further about your emotional abuse at home. We may able to brainstorm ideas together. Regardless, we hope that you find peace from this soon.

Be safe,
NRS

im 15 an dealing with emoshinly abuse can u help me

[ccsmod1]

Hi,

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 are having a really hard time with pressure from your parents expectations and all of your commitments with school. We are so sorry you are going through all of this. It also sounds like you are dealing with suicidal thoughts.

First and foremost, your health and safety are our number one priority. If you ever feel like you may hurt yourself or attempt to end your life, please contact 911 or emergency services immediately. We care about you and your life, and do not want to see something happen to you. When you are feeling suicidal or just feeling down in general, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a great resource available 24/7 that can route you to local crisis centers in your area for immediate counseling or local mental health referrals. The phone number to contact them is 1-800-2732-8255 and their website is www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org . Another great resource is NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) which is another 24/7 information service for individuals facing mental and emotional distress. They can provide referrals for local treatment facilities, support groups, community based organizations, and free publications. NAMI's phone number is 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or you can text NAMI to 741741. Their website is www.nami.org .

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

I'm 15, and my parents are perfectly okay. I do sports, get an education, have a perfect life. But there has been so much pressure. Since I was a child. At first I just did everything I was told but now it's come to the point where I have so much schoolwork that I don't have any friends. The worst part is, all the things I do don't give me time for my actual school, so I'm failing all my classes. The schoolwork I get comes from my dad and it's all "for the better". "I put so much effort into you and your education, and you're anything but thankful." "You're a disappointment." "You're stupid." "Fine, I give up, it's no use with you." I can't stand it anymore. The suicidal thoughts are overwhelming. The constant feeling of helplessness and hopelessness are so exhausting. Over the course of the past 3 months I've lost everything: interest in things I loved most, my best friend of 14 years, and any will to live. I just gave up, and stopped trying. With me stopping, everything else came to a stop. So now my life is sleepless nights with me crying into my pillow, long days of pretending to try to complete assignments, my parents arguing, me trying to hold on to the fact that there is 1024 days left until I'm 18 and can move out. The hope fades more with every day, and I just can't hold on anymore.

[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. It sounds like things have been pretty challenging at home for you, and we're sorry to hear that. Feeling like you're constantly in trouble and not supported can definitely be an isolating feeling. If these are feelings that you'd like to address, it might be a good idea to connect with a safe person that you can talk to, like a social worker or a therapist. A good starting point in this process is to reach out to your school social worker or counselor for support--they might be able to have regular sessions with you, but if not, they can point you in the right direction of someone who can. You're also welcome to reach out to us here at NRS and we can make some local counseling referrals for you as well.

We're glad that you have a boyfriend who you think is an amazing guy and seem to feel supported by. And while we can't tell you whether you can move in with him or not, as that decision is ultimately yours, it's definitely helpful to be aware of some of the legalities around leaving home. One thing worth considering is the age difference that we're assuming you have with your boyfriend. You mentioned that you're 15 and that he has asked you to be his wife, also noting that he is finically stable and wants you to live with him. It sounds like he may be a bit older, which raises some red flags for us. As you're thinking over your options, it's important to think about the relationship you're in, if it would be considered legal in your state, and what legal ramifications might come should you decide to move in with your boyfriend. It's also good to know that if you leave home without your parent's consent and they know where you are, your boyfriend could get into further trouble for harboring a runaway. Your parents might also file a runaway or missing persons report.

We know that this is a ton of information and we're here to talk it over with you if you'd like. Please feel free to reach out to us by calling directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS