My boyfriend is 15 and wants to run away

[Guest]

My boyfriend is 15 (we're in michigan) and is abused by his mom, with physical verbal and mental abuse. hes run away once already, but he went back because he didnt want to get people in trouble and he was considered missing and the police were looking for him. his mom has cut his contact with everybody by taking all of his devices. during school is the only time he can talk because of remote learning he has a chromebook and he emails me with what is happening and such but otherwise his mom wont let him even go outside or use any devices during the day. is there a way he can leave and stay with me with permission from police or some other person? he has no family on this side and nobody knows where his dad or his dads family is other than that theyre out of the country, and he doesnt want anybody to get in trouble by harboring a runaway. he cant handle the abuse anymore and its gotten so bad that hes afraid to even hear his moms voice and seeing her or hearing her name gives him both an extreme amount of anger and fear. so im just wondering if there is a way legally that he can run away and stay with me without my parents getting in legal trouble just so hes not stuck in the abusive household.

[ccsmod1]

Hello there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We can tell that you are an extremely compassionate and caring person who wants to support your boyfriend in any way you can. We are here to help, and you are both not alone.

It sounds like your boyfriend is undergoing a lot of trouble at home, and has been for a while. Nobody deserves to feel mistreated and unwanted in their own house. You seem to already know this, but as a reminder, the general rule is that youth under 18 cannot live anywhere outside of their parent/legal guardian’s home without that person’s permission - or else, that parent/guardian has the right to call the police and have the youth returned home.

You mentioned a couple of times that your boyfriend is in an abusive home. If you believe that this abuse has been physical, please know that he does have the right to report it. This can be done at www.childhelp.org, or he can always feel free to reach out to us and we can walk through reporting with him. His safety is our first priority.

Another thing that may be helpful is to encourage your boyfriend to practice self-care as much as possible during this difficult time. This could be taking walks, writing in a journal, playing sports, listening to music, or whatever makes him feel most relaxed. These activities can help him relieve any stress and frustration that he may have at home.

We would be happy to talk to you or your boyfriend more about this situation. You can always reach us at 1(800) 786-2929, or chat with us live at www.1800runaway.org.

Thank you again so much for reaching out. We wish you both the best of luck.

Stay safe out there,

NRS