my "friend"...

[Guest]

Hi I have a "friend..." who lives in Springfield, Missouri. She's been raised by her grandparents and her grandpa is so mean, angry, bitter, rude, and negative about EVERYTHING to her. Everyday is a living hell. It's like rubbing a cheese shredder against her forehead. There is no peace in the house, just yelling and fighting. Yes, she has tried talking to her grandpa millions of times. She's asked him what the problem is, she's tried to make things work, she's been the bigger person but its NEVER enough. Anyways she wants to runaway but, she doesn't know how or where she would go.
She's said she would like to go to St. Louis but she doesn't know how to get there and she's afraid of what will happen if she gets caught. She plans to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night...and then she doesn't know where to go from there. I know that the NRS isn't here to give advice or make suggestions or to tell us what to do but based on what I've told you, what information could you give to help "her." Anything would help.

-Her "friend"

[ccsmod3]

Re: my "friend"...

Thank you for sharing with us your friend’s situation. We are sorry to hear about everything she has gone through with her grandpa. It sounds like it must have taken a lot of courage to try talking to him so many times and we imagine that even everyday interaction is dfficult. We are not legal experts, but we can provide some basic information when it comes to running away. Running away is normally just a status offense meaning you can’t do so until you reach the age of majority. Many states have laws against harboring a runaway or contributing to the delinquency of a minor. It sounds like your friend has thought about where she will go – St. Louis, but isn’t sure what her plan will be if she gets there.

Oftentimes, larger cities have runaway and homeless youth shelters. Shelters are generally temporary and will have to contact/notify a parent/guardian anywhere from immediately to 72 hours. Most offer some sort of counseling, intervention, mediation, etc. They usually try and work with youth to figure out a realistic plan whether that is returning home or some agreed upon alternative. Do you think your friend might consider going to a shelter? If so, there are youth shelters available in both Springfield and St. Louis. Here are the names and phone numbers:

Springfield
Regional Girls’ Shelter
(417) 862-9634

Rare Breed Youth Services (Outreach/Drop In Center that says they take youth to off-site emergency shelters)
(417) 865-6400

Saint Louis
YES Emergency Services (Epworth)
(314) 727-6294

You mention that your friend is also worried about getting caught. Even if her grandparents file a runaway or missing report, unless she has committed another crime, the police usually just send youth back home. Some exceptions are if the youth has a previously legal history or if they have traveled too far away from home for that to be a viable option once they are picked up. If your friend has any additional questions or would like to discuss more options, she is welcome to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are anonymous, confidential, and available 24/7. We wish her the best of luck.

-NRS