Can I leave my home at 16 without my parents' consent?

[ccsmod3]

Hi thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you and your brother are taking care of the home while your parents are not working. You are correct, this is not right and they should be providing for you. It sounds like they are neglecting you which can be reported to Child Protective Services if that is something you are interested in. It also sounds like since you are the one already supporting a household that you that you might be able to get emancipated. We can look for legal aid resources in your area that might be able to help with that. If you would like to talk more about this or get some resources that might be able to help, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

I currently live with my parents at 16 while both of them are jobless. I have 3 bothers and 2 sisters and I pay for the home we stay in as well as insurance on the vehicle we drive. My older brother also pays for my parents expenses. This isn't right so what should I do? I've wanted to move out however I'm not to sure on how that would work.

[ccsmod15]

Thanks for reaching out to the Runaway Safeline. This sounds like a stressful situation and it’s not fair that you have to deal with it. You deserve to feel safe and loved at home.

Regarding your questions, you are right, if you leave home without your guardian’s permission, they could file a runaway report and have you returned home. Also, any adult you stay with could get into trouble for what is known as harboring a runaway. Sometimes, your guardian will give you permission to stay with another family member or a trusted friend. This is the easiest way to leave home. Sometimes even getting out for a short period of time can help you feel better.

The next option is to file an abuse report with Child Protective Services (CPS), since your grandfather is abusive towards you. This is something you can do on your own, or we can help you file the report if you call in or chat with us online. They may come out and investigate your situation, and then decide what solution makes sense—perhaps removing you from the home or finding a different guardian, though we can’t say definitively what would happen.

Emancipation, while an option, can be a long, drawn out, and complicated process requiring you to be able to show that you can provide for yourself. You can start by contacting your local court house and asking for aid in starting the process, if you wanted to explore that route.

If you would like more support, please feel free to call us or chat with us online at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929)/ 1800runaway.org any time in order to talk in more detail. Good luck!

NRS Crisis Team

I'm 16 I live in Texas with my grandparents I'm emotionally and verbally abused by my alcoholic grandfather he has physically abused me in the past my grandmother sees it and does nothing to stop it I turn 17 in October but I'm not working because my grandmother won't let me I want to be emancipated but I'm scared of what my grandfather will do as well as my grandmother if I say I want to be I've been thinking about running away but I know they will have the right to bring me home and i have someone to live with but i don't have a job as of right now and i don't know what to do

[ccsmod3]

Hi, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like both you and your boyfriend are tired of how your families are treating you and are wanting to leave. If you leave without parental consent, your parents could file runaway reports with the police and if you are found, you would likely be brought back home. Running away is a status offense, meaning it is only illegal because you are under 18, but you should not get into any legal trouble, unless another crime is committed while you are on the run. If you would like to talk more about what you both are experiencing or some possible options to help, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

Can I runaway with my boyfriend if we are 16 in the state of Virginia without being arrested and without consent because we are both tired of how are family treats us

[ccsmod3]

Hi, thank you for reaching out. That is not okay that your step brother has been sexually harassing you and that your parents have done nothing about it. You also are never the one to blame as you did nothing wrong. It also sounds like your step mom has been treating you and your brother poorly and taking things out on you. That is frustrating that CPS has done nothing, you do not deserve to be treated this way. If you were to run away, their parents could get in trouble for what’s called harboring a runaway, though the punishments for that can vary. Also, if your parents were to make a runaway report with police, you could be brought back home. One option we suggest to find out more specifically what might happen, is to contact non-emergency police as they would be the ones responding. If you would like to talk more about this or some other options, please either call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

im a 16 year old girl in Louisiana, my step brother has sexually harassed me from 2020-2021 and when my parents found out they did nothing. he still lives with us, and my stepmom blames me for her son touching me. shes always yelling at me and my little brother, threatening us, getting in our faces,telling us we only ever mess things up,etc. she will insult us infront of everyone and gets mad at us when we have a attitude after she does it. im tired of living here i am thinking about going leave with a friend or my boyfriend. my friends mom said i can go stay whenever i am ready. i have filed reports with the police and CPS numerous times and nothing has happened. if i leave and go stay with my friend or my boyfriend will their parents get in trouble?

[ccsmod11]

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.   You mentioned some things that raise concern for your safety and well-being. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. We are not experts on the issue, but generally once it's been reported, social services will either decide whether or not to take the case and further investigate. If they do take the case, they will send out someone from child protective services to do an investigation (interviewing people in the household) and from there they will decide the level of danger within the household. It generally ranges from no danger (the youth stays in the home, some services are given, and the case is closed), moderate danger (they will provide family services with possible temporary displacement) and high danger (they will remove the youth from the home and offer certain services).  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.  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

Hey, so I'm 16 and I don't start taking driving lessons till May but I want to leave my house for a couple of days. My household has gotten toxic since my sister was shipped to my grandma. All the focus has been on me since. I am worried that my friend's parents and grandparents will get arrested for letting me stay at their home without my parents' consent. I have been mentally and physically abused by my parents since I was young and have been told to get someone to call DCFS but I can't let my parents go through that. And they already hate me.

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,
Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are glad that you are reaching out for help—that takes a lot of bravery. It sounds like you deeply care for your grandson and want to help him in every way possible. We are here to support you during this difficult time.

We are unsure from your post if you have already filed an abuse report or not, but you can call us here at NRS or reach out to a school guidance counselor to file an abuse report at Child Protective Services (CPS). Although we are not legal experts, given that there is physical abuse, this may support your grandson’s case further.

Something else to consider is that if you do not have full custody of your grandson and he stays with you without your grandson’s father’s permission, your grandson’s father could potentially file against you with something called “harboring a runaway.” This is a legal term for kidnapping. Might sound extreme, we understand. He could also potentially file a missing child report to the local police department. Law enforcement will collect basic information about you that will go into a national database, and they can then return your grandson home in the event he is found.

That being said, we can offer temporary youth shelters for you in your local area for your grandson. Some shelters require parental permission for teenagers at a certain age, but since he is 16 years old, he may be able to find a shelter that will take him in and offer a safe place. If you call us (1-800-RUNAWAY) or reach out via chat at 1800runaway.org, we’d be happy to provide those resources for you.

Another option to consider is something called “Emancipation.” Emancipation makes a minor youth a legal adult before they reach the legal adult age (this varies from state to state). While we are not legal experts here at NRS, it is important that we inform you that emancipation can be a costly and lengthy process. In addition, to become emancipated in most states (not all states offer emancipation), a youth must be able to prove in court that s/he can take care of her/ himself financially, s/he have a place to live and are mature enough to care for her/himself. In any case, if you would like to be provided with more options or would like more information do not hesitate to reach out to us at the NRS chat at 1800runaway.org or the NRS phone number at 1-800-786-2929.

For more legal, definitive advice, perhaps find a local family lawyer that will provide more solid advice on temporary custody questions that you may have. You may try dialing 211 to United Way, where they may be able to locate legal aid in your local area that can offer a free consultation for you.

We are here as support to help 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). 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

hello My Grandson, is being physically! abuse and verbally emotionally by his father he is a good kid always honest. he moved in with me cause his father abused him thinking my grandson was lying to his father whipped him till he bled. he asked my grandson if he was outside, he said no father heard noise in the background and thinking he was lying when it was the tv noise and beat him he no longer wants to live with his dad if he is 1 min late to class the teachers call his dad and he gets beat bad ...his father has a violent history.in file of abuse how can i get temporary custody my grandson is 16

[ccsmod10]

Hi, we're thankful you reached out to us. It sounds like you have very good reason to want to run away/move out. The treatment you've described from your dad sounds emotionally abusive, excessively controlling, and like it exclusively benefits him. You don't deserve to be treated like this.

It sounds like he has made it really difficult for you to take any sort of action that might get you more freedom. This is a common tactic used by emotional abusers to maintain control over others, and reaching out to us is a very helpful first step in breaking that cycle.

Emancipation is an option. In Florida it is available to young people between 16 and 18 who are able to fully support themselves. You can view this link for more information (it includes referrals to potential legal aid resources where you could talk to an attorney about the process): https://www.15thcircuit.com/sites/de...fact-sheet.pdf

Additionally, we are here to support in whatever way we can. You deserve someone on your side to talk to about what's been going on. Please reach out to us again by text chat (1800runaway.org) or phone (1-800-786-2929) t o discuss your options and ways we can make things better.

Im 16, live in Broward County, FL. My dad is very emotinally abusive towards me (even from a young age) and manipulative. He uses me for free labor at his company, and has bouts of anger that usually end in destruction of items around the house, and me losing everything. He made me quit my paying job for no good reason, restricts access to my friends, and is also very controlling. I am in dual enrollment at Broward college, have savings, and plan on getting another paying job. As of right now, he has taken my car, phone, permission to see friends, and reduced to becoming his do-boy. My mom has discussed with me maybe getting a divorce from him, as she also gets these things i have listed, but i was looking into the option of emancipation, as a final resort.

[ccsmod10]

In the state of New York, emancipation can occur as a result of child support or custody case in a court of law. In order to be emancipated, you must live separately from your parent and must not receive any money or other support from them.

It sounds like that might not be possible before you move. Additionally, it is not realistic that you would be removed from the home by CPS even if you did contact them, and even then you wouldn't be able to go live with your friends.

You could run away from home; if you did so you would run the risk of your mother reporting you as a run away and law enforcement trying to return you home to her.

There is not a 100% safe or legal option for you to leave and live on your own unfortunately; if you'd like to speak further about your situation and explore other options like shelters or programs to improve your circumstances at home, you can live chat someone on our team at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY.