Im 15 and im having problems with my family and want to move out

[Guest]

So im 15 from ohio and im having family problems with my mom mostly. Shes abusive only towards me and i wanna call the cops but my sister and brother need her and i dont wanna do that to them so i was just gonna find a way to leave. my mom cant find out im leaving or she will freak out and shes hit me before and been verbally abusive but im worried if i tell her im leaving she will take it to far. So i was gonna move in with my boyfriend who is 17 but his mom is afraid my mom will press charges. Is that even possible? and i found a friend whos mom does not mind giving me a place to say for a few weeks but im worried about if she could get in trouble. And after i find a place to stay for a few weeks what is my next move..?

[ccsmod7]

HI there, thanks for reaching out today. Sounds like you are in a situation where you have experienced abuse by your mom and you are feeling like you have to leave. No one deserves to be harmed and it is understandable you are feeling that way. Here at NRS, we truly want to be a support for you during this difficult time.

Since you seem focused on leaving, we want to let you know how that could look generally. We are not legal experts, but we can give you a general sense of runaway laws. It is true that your mom can file you as a runaway if you leave home without permission. If you are found by local police they could return you home. The legal adult found housing you could be at risk of being charged with harboring a runaway by your mom; which is a misdemeanor offense.

It's smart of you to be thinking about your long term goals since it is possible that you could be on the run for a long time. You generally would be in the police database as a runaway until you are 18, unless you are found. You might continue to make backup plans in case you need to leave the house you go to first. We can always look for runaway and homeless youth shelters in your area if you need to get somewhere safe. Please call or chat us for those resources: 1-800-RUNAWAY; www.1800runaway.org.

Please know we are always here via our live chat and hotline if you would like to reach out and talk more.

Good luck,

NRS