im 15 and wanting to run away

[ccsmod5]

re: I want to runaway but am afraid of the repercussions it will have on my future

Hey there,

Thank you for being able to reach out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It seems like you are going through a pretty tough time at this point in your life and we want you to know that we are here to listen and to help you in the best way that we can. From what you shared, it seems like home is a pretty tough place for you and seem ready to leave.

We want to start off by letting you know that we are not legal experts here, but we are able to speak in general terms. In most states, in order to be enrolled in school, the student must have parental consent, unless the youth is homeless. If a student is homeless, then they must go through the McKinney Vento Act, which allows homeless students to attend school. Some school do count runaway youth as a homeless youth, but majority of the time will require parental consent. The best way to find out more about this act, you are able to reach out to your local school district and ask some more general questions.

You mentioned that you feel like your parents would file a runaway report, have you thought about the consequences of that? As we mentioned, we are not legal experts here, but in most states if your parents were to file a runaway report, if you were found, typically you would be forced to return home. Running away is not necessarily illegal, but it is considered a status offense meaning that you are not able to do it because of your age. If you wanted some more legal advice, we would encourage you to reach out to your local police department.

We hope that we were able to help you think a little more about your options and brainstorm some more with you, if you feel like you would still need some more support or go through some more options, please feel free to reach out to us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we are here 24/7. We also have a live chat service which is available from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM CST. We wish you the best of luck in whatever it is you decide to do and hope to hear from you soon.

Stay strong,

NRS

[Unregistered]

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi. I'm 15, in 11th grade and I am strongly considering running away from home. I do not have an abusive family or anything like that. My family loves me and I know they do. I just can't stay. My grades are all down. I feel depressed and constantly sick. My parents are starting to see that I'm the bad seed in the family. I have a place to go and hide out and start over but it's in a state decently far away from my own. I know my parents will search for me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ccsmod15]

RE: Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello there –

Thanks for reaching out to us on this difficult decision you are in the process of making. You sound like you are weighing some challenging options and hopefully we can support you though this process. From what you are described you are fortunate to have family who loves you but are not feeling supported or understood by them. Running away is one option you came up with on your own. It is good that you have found a safe place to hide. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on and thinking about what would happen if you did run away.

If you did leave you home what typically happens in each state is that since you are below the legal age of majority (18 in most states except Alabama and Nebraska [19 or upon marriage], and Mississippi [21]), your parents would be able to make a runaway report in the event that you do run away. Since it’s only considered a statues offense and not a crime to run away, the only thing that would happen is that the police will pick you up and bring you back home. This is of course if you had any interaction with the police directly or if they stopped you to ask you a few questions. Now crossing the state lines can be a little bit trickier in which since you are a minor from a different state, the police from that state might detain you in their detention center until arrangements are made to take you back home. So being sure about your plan to go to a different state is something that you want to keep in mind.

You’ve stated that you’ve been feeling depressed. That’s something pretty serious. Have you considered other options that may help you feel less depressed or better understood by your family? If you can’t think of anything right now, have you tried talking about what you have been feeling lately with anyone else (i.e close friends, other family members [aunts, uncle, cousin], school counselor, or local youth oriented resources, etc)? It might be helpful to have someone that you really trust to know what is going on with your feelings, they can always provide you with direct support in person if you needed it.

We have a database of with over 14000 resources that might be able to provide you with some additional options if you want to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). All calls are totally confidential. The Safeline is available every day 24 hours a day and one of our staff can give you focused support on your specific issues.

Again, we really glad that you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good to see. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re her to listen, here to help.

[Kiara.81265]

Im 15 and want to live with my dad but my mom wont let me.

Hello, im 15 in the 10th grade. And i dont want to live with my mom anymore. I feel more depressed than i already am. Im a dissapointment to my family at my moms.. but she wont let me move in with my dad because his an ex drug addict which i dont get because so is her fiancee. Im thinking of running away to his house, but can my mom call the cops and have me taken home? What can happen? How can i move in with my dad? I know that my mom wont agree with me moving in with my father so that conversation is completely useless. I mean im mature enough to make my own decisions.. i go to school, i have a job and i take care of myself.. although my grades aint perfect. But im just tired of feeling worthless. Please pmease help me.

[ccsmod15]

Re: Im 15 and want to live with my dad but my mom wont let me.

Hello, thank you so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like you are having a very rough time at home dealing with your mom and trying to explore your options while taking care of yourself.
We cannot give legal advice, but we can go over some general information to answer your questions. Since you are under the age of 18, you are considered a minor. If you were to run away, your mom may choose to file a runaway report and reach out to the police as she is in primary custody of you. If the police knew where you were, they could try to bring you home. Your dad would have to go through a legal process in order to gain primary custody of you. At the National Runaway Safeline, we can explore some other options and help you to reach out to your parents if you choose to call us.
You also mentioned feeling depressed and worthless. It can be very stressful to be in an environment that isn’t healthy for you. Some informal ways to deal with these feelings may be engaging in a hobby or club at school (to limit time spent at home), or talking to someone you trust. You can also let a counselor or teacher at school know how you’ve been feeling. Taking care of your mental well-being is very important, and it is very brave of you to share how you’ve been feeling. Another resource for you is the National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-TALK). Even if you are not feeling suicidal right now, they can help you talk about your other thoughts and feelings.
Again, it was very brave of you to reach out to us and ask for help. If you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We are here to listen to you and help.

[Unregistered]

Running Away

Hello I'm a 15 yr old girl and my mom hits me a lot and I am running away
I have had practice taking care of myself and I just need to get out off here

[ccsmod1]

RE: Running away

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. We are so sorry to hear that your mom hits you a lot. You do not deserve to be hit. Physical abuse is never ok, and it is understandable that you want to run away. You have a right to make an abuse report if you want to. If you are unsure about this option, we can help talk you through the process, but we respect if you do not want to make one. We are here to listen and help in any way that we can. Since you are under the age of 18, if you leave home 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. We can help you come up with a plan and provide resources to stay safe. You may want to consider how you will get shelter, basic needs like food, and how you will finish school if you run away. It sounds like you are pretty self-reliant and you have been taking care of yourself for a while. It was really smart for you to reach out to us. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call any time 24/7. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guilford]

I'm 15 and I just can't do this anymore

So I'm a 15 year old guy and I can't live at home anymore, over the years I've been beaten but it has stopped but I have certain medical problems from it ( a broken rib that still gives me problems). My parents really just keep me around for the money because my "mom" and my "dad" are split up so my mom gets child support from him. It's a odd case of my parents do drugs so they don't really like giving money away sort of speak. And I've kinda somehow fallen in love with someone who is 25 years older than me so I'm in a very odd situation. I've really always been a mature guy for my age like me and my 17 year old brother raised ourselves for almost 2 straight years and then probably another year in split up time. 6 months ago I was living with a friend lived with them for about 4-5 months and they took care of me very well ( feeding me, making sure I had clean clothes, making sure I could take showers, and really took care of me better than my parents have). So I just really want know what I can do cuz I have a rally messed up situation and I need help extremely bad.

[ccsmod16]

Re: im 15 and wanting to run away

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. It sounds like you’re going through a really tough situation with your parents being split up and not providing for you properly. You’re having to make a lot of difficult life decisions and we understand that could be very overwhelming. We’re glad you reached out and hope to provide you with some potential options for what your next steps might be. No one deserves to be mistreated and if you ever feel like you want to file an abuse/neglect report, we are here to help you through the process. Child Help USA might be a good place for you to check out (childhelp.org or call 1800-422-4453). They specialize in the prevention and treatment of child abuse. It sounds like you’ve been doing a great job within your current situation. You mentioned having feelings for someone older than you and that you’ve been staying with a friend. We want to let you know that if you are staying with them without the permission of your legal guardians, those individuals might get charged with harboring a runaway. If you provide us with your city and state we’d be happy to look further into more specific resources for you, such as support groups, legal help, and/or seeing what available alternative living options are available if that is a choice you end up considering.

We would love to talk further with you about your situation and any options you might be thinking about. Always feel free to contact us directly at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) 24/7. Lastly, please note that we offer a live chat via our website at www.1800runaway.org every day from 4:30p to 11:30p CST. We look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Im 15 and i want to leave home

Im 15 and i dont know why i just want to move out, not forever just a short time like a week, i think there is a few thoughts which are making me want to move out. Firstly my mother is very strict, by strict i mean she wants to know everywhere i go , who im going with, what im wearing, i have to be home by 5-6 pm,who i might meet, wwhat im doing has to he 'constructive' and she instists on driving me everywhere and picking me up. Yes i understand that a mither ahould want the beat for her chils but this is at a crazy level i have run away before when we got into a massive fight about her going through my snapchat chats instagram dms and text messages. I went mental and just left the police found me unfortunatly. I know somewhere i could go if i left. She is 17 and her mums in india for 8 months and she lives 40 minutes by bus from my house. Secondly i want to leave as im slightly curious about what its like. I am very independent as it is. This is a little off topic but i dont feel like i can open up to my mum like when she asks me about things i will give a short answer with as little detail as possible and i snap at my mum really quickly because she just interrogates me constantly and it annoys the **** out of me (excuse my language) and i dont know what im suppost to do she never believes me on anything as it is and when i atay at someones house she has to ring the parents and everything . Its not like if she didnt ring i would be lying about where i am but i just want that trust to be there? I sound like a soppy git right now but i just cant deal with anything right now. I mean we fall out at least twice a day every day without fail. When i ran away last time she was crying and rang the police but i just want to go clear my head just for a week or even a few days. She always says we need to compromise on things except a compromise is doing everything she sa mys and me agreeing to it or i dont get what i wanted like if i said i want to go to town she would say i will drive you text me every 10 minutes who are you with what are you going to be doing and it drives me ******* insane i just feel like every day theres more air added into this ballon inside me and i think the ballon is almost full because ive ******* had it now im done i just want freedom she says i have so much fredom but i dont at all and she starts a fight everytime i try and talk about things in my life so i just give up and shut my mouth- what do you think i should do? If i left i wouldnt die cos i have safe and familar house to go to

[ccsmod7]

Re: Im 15 and i want to leave home

Hello there,

Thank you for posting to our online forum. It sounds like things at home are really tough right now and you really want to be more independent than your mom is allowing you to be right now. It seems like you’re feeling as if your mom invaded your space by looking through your phone and that you really want her to trust you when you are with friends or not at home.

That’s great that you have a friend that you trust who is willing to let you stay with her. There’s a lot to think about when leaving home. Do you think your mom will call the police again? Is there anything that might be able to make things better at home? Maybe there’s someone who could talk to your mom on your behalf or be there to help you communicate with your mom about how her actions are making you feel.

You mentioned that you just want to leave home for a short time, for about a week or so. Is there any way that you feel like you can express to your mom that you need some space? Maybe she would give you permission to stay with a friend. Is there anyone that your mom might feel more comfortable with you staying for a longer period of time, like a relative or a family friend?

We’re glad that you’re looking for safe options and that you feel like you have a safe and supportive place to go if you were to leave home. We hope this information helpful and that you contact us through phone or chat to discuss your situation in more detail.

Stay strong,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Help

Hi, I'm a 15 year old girl. Before you think I am gonna say I have an awful life, it's not that, it's just what's happened and been happening is driving me insane and I need help before I do something drastic.
Basically, I don't feel safe at my home. I live with my mom and dad and brother, my brother is fine and not involved even though he tries to help both sides (he is 17 ) he just can't. I have been on and off fighting with my parents for a while now, I've lost track, but also have been dealing with harassing girls at school, and such related. I do have friends, but none I could go to for help say to live with, they are either of the opposite sex (which at my age I don't think is nessecerily inappropriate but maybe not the best decision) or lives to far from my school. My grades have dropped, I'm failing a class, and I'm scared to sit at lunch. But most people wouldn't think this cause I always try to remain calm and act as if I am fine but oh gosh trust me I am far from fine. I have too many thoughts about suicide and honestly my thoughts are all over the place if you can't already tell from reading this. Bottom line my parents think the following: my apologies have meant nothing (say I talked back or yelled like a regular teen) , I need help mentally thinking I am a bad person, I can't be trusted, etc etc and I have been told to my face I am a disgrace, bipolar, and the problem. Now, what my parents don't understand is that the way I feel they have treated me is not my fault and they honestly are blaming me for the whole situation and it's not that I didn't have a part in it because it takes both sides but they have come to the conclusion it is all my fault and they have done everything good to me and care about me. They turned off my cellphone so I can't contact anybody, but I found my iPad and connected in order to look for help. I want to move out but I just don't know how, because I have no job, so no money, no family members I can trust to help me, no friends I can trust/ be able to help me, and I don't know what to do. I feel as if I am better off dead they may not admit it but they clearly don't love me and I can't love them when I feel this way. I will admit thiugh because they are so one side minded, I have reacted inappropriatly I'm return but throwing a bottle just because I was so frustrated. I understand that was wrong but what else is supposed to get their attention? Listen bottom line, me and my parents have both done our wrongs in this situation, the problem is, they only see my wrong and I'm done trying to fix my relationship with either of them. I need help. As soon as possible. I don't know what to do, and this wasn't even the half of it.

[ccsmod8]

RE: Help

Hello there –

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to get into contact with us here at the National Runaway Safeline, we are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It your post to us on our public forum, you talked about some situations that sound like you have are going through a very hard time right now and seem to be very overwhelmed with everything that is going on. It must be incredibly frustrating to feel like there is nothing that you can do and that you’re kind of stuck in your situation. No one deserves to be treated unfairly or feel that way to the point where you are thinking about suicide.

Do you have this feeling often to the point where you want to do more harm to yourself and are thinking about acting on these thoughts? If you do feel like this isn’t something that you can control, please reach out to someone that can help you through those times. You shouldn't be afraid to tell other people what you are thinking about doing especially if you are thinking about hurting yourself. You are certainly not alone in this and there are many many people that are here to help you.

A good resource might be to call the ‘National Suicide Hotline’ for someone to talk about what thoughts you might be thinking at the time. Their number is 800.273.TALK. They also have an online chat service that might be of help to you especially if you don’t feel like calling in. Another thing that you can do if you’re having those thoughts and you’re already planning on taking those thoughts one step further is to call the local police department; if you are thinking about hurting yourself. They can come up and check up on things for you and make sure everyone is okay and offer some services to can step in and help you more. Someone is always willing to help you get through some of those thoughts.

The main think that we are getting from your email is that your parents are putting a ton of pressure on you and making you feel bad about yourself. You might also do some self-care activities that you can practice on your own whenever you’re feeling a little down. Some things that you can think about doing is, setting small goals and celebrating them when they are achieved, maybe make a list of positive traits that you like about yourself (personal or public traits), trying your very best to refrain from comparing yourself to others at school or home, maybe establishing a hobby that makes you feel good about yourself, even try challenging your negative thoughts by asking their validity or by rethinking them in a positive manner (i.e. turn "I am a slow worker" into "I am a worker who takes time to do well at a task"). Starting a journal could also help you with these task. Does this sound like something that you can do?

If you give us a call on our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) we would love to talk to you about what has been going on recently. We want to make sure that you will be safe. We also have an online chat service available every day that you can talk to us on as well.

[Matthew]

I'm 15 and wanna runaway

I'm 15 and live in Washington. My mom passed away a few months ago and now my dad who I haven't seen in three years took custody of me and took me away from the family I wanted to be with and took me away from my brother. Since I live here with my dad I've been miserable and his wife is constantly wanting me to do things that I Dont want to do and she's always looking over my shoulder and trying to get in my business. Now if I ran away I already have a safe place to stay but I also just want to leave for like two days all I need is a break from this place so I do plan on returning. What should I do?

[ccsmod6]

RE: I'm 15 and wanna runaway

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us here at NRS through our online forum. We are sorry to hear about your recent loss of your mother. The loss of a parent is quite devastating. And it seems like the past few months have been a difficult adjustment for you as you may not have had the space to just cope the way you would like. You mentioned being taken away from the family you want to be with which also sounds devastating. It seems you are looking for some time and space away from things. It may be helpful to talk with your father about getting that space for a couple of days. If you needed help brainstorming ways to ask your father for permission, we would be happy to do that with you if you called in or chatted with us. We could also explain some general information about running away.

We look forward to your call or chat soon.

Whatever your decision is we hope it prioritizes your safety and well-being.

Take care,

NRS