i need to get out of here!

[Guest]

hi. im 13 and feel like i need to get out of ut. i am sooo sick of living here. it's not that i live in a bad home, but i just am sick of my step-dad, and my dad's been on parole for 4 years and can't even see us kids, and I just feel like i need to leave. i have around $100, so i was thinking of leaving sometime during winter break. But, im having second thoughts, like : where can i go, will this go on my record, will i be in legal trouble, that sort of stuff. I am ready, just wating for the right time. HELP? INPUT???

[ccsmod8]

Re: i need to get out of here!

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us at the National Runaway Switchboard. We truly appreciate your time and your efforts for making sure that you are covering all the right tracks before you make a move. It really shows that you care about your own situation when you seek input from others. We care for you safety and wish the best for you. Therefore, we focus on options and making sure your plan is a safe one. We are not in the position to tell you what do to do but we hope that you continue to reach out for more insights.

It sounds like you are having second thoughts but really want to leave. We imagine not having a whole lot to do can be very hard. Have you thought about joining events or organization to get out there more to be social? It is good to know that you do not have a bad home. However, that doesn't mean that you are still without your own issues that you struggle with. We appreciate your honesty and fair treatment of the situation.

You said that you did not have anywhere to go and that you but you are waiting for the right time. What exactly is the right time you speak of? How long do you intend to survive on $100 dollars? It sounds like you really wish that you can open the communication door with dad. If you had a way to change things with your father, what are the chances of that? Do you think it might have an effect and make you stay home? We hope you do not take on the burden of feeling that you are at fault for that issue.

We are here for you and want you to know that you are not alone. We wish for you to contact us for some support in person over the phone. We can be reached at 1800RUNAWAY 24 hours a day. We are confidential, anonymous and nonjudgmental. Sometimes it helps to have someone to talk to and we care about your safety as well. Good luck.

-NRS

[Guest]

Re: i need to get out of here!

i was thinking. I read some of the other things on here, so i will elaborate more. i was thinking to go to denver and live in a shelter for the rest of the school year, then go home. i really just need time to think, and this will help. i play violin, so i could be a street musician. i could call my parents once i got to denver to talk to them, and then, hopefully, stay at some shelter awile and finish 8th grade there. it might help if i could have contact w/my dad, even just a phone call. i am a very involved person, however. im in the school orchestra, on student council, and i am a member of a community volenteer group with lots of friends. i almost feel like leaving to let my parents re-think about how they treat me. they aren't mean, but im the oldest kid in a big family, so its hard.
i have everything planned out. second thoughts are also caused by the fact that, since i live in UT and have no clue what runnaway laws are. more input?

[ccsmod8]

Re: i need to get out of here!

Hello,

It is nice to see your reply as you try to make sense of your own situation at home. It is good to hear that you read some of our previous post from other folks. It helps to get a sense of where we can help and ways we cannot. We appreciate you using our services with the intention of understanding your options. Are you still able to give us a call directly? We are here 24 hours a day at 1800RUNAWAY. We are confidential and toll free from any pay phone if you are not too keen about calling from home.

You sound like you are very talented and have a lot going for you at home. It is nice to see that you are so involved in a lot of extra activities and have music as a tool to cope. We imagine it helps to have time to think and calling is one way to put your thoughts into perspective when things are not all that clear for you. If you go to a shelter, you are not going to be able to stay for long. Shelters can be a way to cope away from home and to cool off from your parents but you need parental consent to stay in one of them. Are there other alternatives to running away?

We hear how important talking to dad would be and truly empathize with the hard time you are having. We want you to know that you are not alone. We care and want to provide a listening ear.

Please understand although you have the right to an education that you are still going to need to involve your parents with the decision to go to another school. They are your guardians and it is still their right. When it comes to running away it is not illegal in most states but your parents reserve the right to file a runaway report also. We are not aware of all specifics of laws in every state. Are you able to call the police in UT to find out more about your situation? We wish you the best and good luck.

-NRS