Parents don't want me to run away

[Guest]

My parents are very religious, they go to church and believe in God. I do too, but because my parents are so religious, they're not at all open minded and they're very homophobic. Kind of a problem for me since I'm pansexual and I'm in a relationship with another girl right now. My parents don't know that though and they think I'm 100% straight. I'm scared of what they would do if they find out, I have no doubt they would physically hurt me. I've also been missing a lot of work in school because I'm so stressed out and I keep losing track of what I have and haven't turned in. My dad keeps threatening me to get it done, saying if he gets one more email about missing work I'm gonna be in big trouble. I can't be 100% certain for what that means, but there's a big chance it involves hurting me in some way. My parents also verbally abuse me every day without even knowing it. I'm not sure how much longer I can take this and I really wanna get out, but I'm only 13 and I'm not sure anyone would take me in. I could get resources from home, but if I don't have a place to go, I'm good as dead. I'm also kind of scared for my parents. I've tried talking to them about it but they just don't understand. I wish I didn't have to run away, but I've tried confronting them and they just deny ever saying the things they've said. I don't wanna hurt my parents, but I have to leave, even if it's just for a few days.

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Thanks for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. You made a great first step to finding the help that you may need. It sounds like you are going through a lot and the people around you are not being supportive. You deserve to be treated with respect, to experience acceptance and to feel safe.

We want you to know that you are strong for having gone through so much already. It is perfectly okay to deviate from what others or the common population believe to be “normal”. You’re bravery and resilience is so admirable. You are so strong for having gone through so much without having the acceptance that you do deserve for just being you. Remember that you are not alone. If you ever want to talk more about what you are experiencing or get additional support we are here 24/7 at 1800-RUNAWAY or our live chat service. The LGBT National Hotline at 1888-843-4564 is another option to gain great support from those that are familiar with the issues and experiences of those that are also a part of the LGBTQ community. You can access their website link bellow to utilize all the other possibly useful resources they have to offer: http://www.glbthotline.org/

You mentioned that you were considering the options that may be best for you. By all means, if you do fear for your safety either now or in the future, do not hesitate to take the necessary steps to regain your safety. This may mean calling the authorities or possibly reporting the things you may be experiencing. Other options to think about may be other family members, friends, or a trusted adults that would be able to provide you with support or a safe place to stay. It is great that you thinking ahead. Should you feel like leaving home is best, it may be a good idea to think about how you will provide necessities for yourself such as food, clothing, showers, healthcare and other basic needs. You may want to also consider how your parent’s will react to you leaving without permission. We are not legal experts here, but typically as a minor (under the age of 1 you need permission from your parents to leave home. It is not illegal to runaway, but it would mean that your parents could file a runaway report with the police. This is usually done in an effort to try to return you home as the police are required to do so.

If you can give us a call at 1-800-RUNAWAY or reach out through Live Chat we can try to find some youth shelters that may be near your city and state by utilizing our database of resources. We can also try to call out to shelters with you or on your behalf to advocate for you.

Stay Strong,
NRS