moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

[Guest]

im living with my parents right now and i cant stand being here anymore, i come home everyday get yelled and hit by my mom for w/e reason she feels like, calls me a failure at life and i will never amount to anything. ive thought about ending my life many time, i have cut marks all over my body that ive done to myself. i want to move in with my boyfriend he is 20 and im 17 i turn 18 in 4months. i dont think ill make it til then. i cant even study anymore or think at school. im failing my classes and when report cards come out, ill get the beating of my life. i wanted to know if there was anything they could do to stop me from leaving and moving in with him. ive heard they cant claim me as a run away if everyone knows where i am and that im safe and countinue to go to school. and that the police wont force me back home. but i dont want to go and have them be able to take me back and send him to jail. they would beat me to death if they took me back. ive been with my boyfriend for 2year 7months. they dont approve of him which makes things harder. i would like to know what i can do, dont want to go to cps. i just want to be happy with someone who cares for me and always has. i need help to find out what i can do to leave this hell

[ccsmod0]

Re: moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

Thanks for contacting us here at the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like there is a whole lot going on at home for you and that it is extremely difficult for you. We are very sorry to hear about this and will do our best to help you.

First off, if you are ever scared what may happen at your house you can always call 911. You do not deserve to feel this way or to ever be beaten. It sounds like you are exhausted by everything that is going on and it is effecting your life in many different ways. Is there anyone at school you can talk to about what has been going on and seeing if there are other ways to get yourself back on track with your grades?

If you are thinking about commiting suicide you can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. Have you thought about how final suicide is?. You will be 18 soon and things can change for you. There are people to talk to about how you are feeling and coping with all of your stress. We can also help you find a counselor to talk to about everything that has been going on and how you are dealing. Sometimes this can be beneficial to figure out how to make yourself feel better in those times that are extra hard.

It sounds like you have a boyfriend who cares a lot about you so this is great for extra support. Legally we cannot tell you what would happen if you moved in with him before you turn 18. But we can tell you that if your parents do report you as a runaway that anyone you stay with runs the risk of harboring a runaway, which is illegal. A lot of times the police will bring you back home. There are legal aid resources we can provide you with to talk to someone about what your options in your area are and also what the consequences would be if you do decide to leave. There are also shelters we can provide you with if that is an option you would like to think about.

Since we don’t know what city you are in the only resource that is coming up right now for legal aid is called Aids to Victims of Domestic Abuse. They provide counseling services and legal services and you can reach them at (713) 224-9911. Hopefully they can provide you with some helpful information about how to resolve your current situation.

Most importantly we want you to stay safe. So again if you are in fear of being hurt you can always call 911. We can go further into your options and how you feel about them if you call us here at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are here 24/7 and are completely confidential and anonymous. Though we are mandated reporters so if you decide to talk about the abuse occuring and you give specific information to you we will have to report it. Don’t be scared to call because of this, you do not have to give any information you don’t want to give. Please give us a call so we can try to help you figure out what your best option is.

We look forward to hearing from you, take care of yourself and stay safe.
NRS

[Guest]

Re: moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

thank you for your quick reply, my dad is a houston police officer, they wont listen to me, feel they will take his side. then i would be in trouble when they leave, they called the cops on my boyfriend before, the cop sided with everything my parents said, they would not listen to a word i said, he told the cop what my parents did to me and that if they looked they would see marks on me, they didnt believe him and told my parents what he said and they told the cop, he was a liar and that they never hurt me. the cop left and my mother went off on me, dragged me by the hair and hit me and threw stuff at me. they took my door off my room and made me sleep in the livingroom. told me if i called the cops that they would hurt me again once they left. i dont want to go to a home or anyone because they will take their side. i want to leave and live with my boyfriend who had been with me threw everything and kept me fighting to stay alive. 4 months seems like 4years to me. i want to leave now and be with someone who cares for me.

[ccsmod8]

Re: moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

Hello,

We appreciate you reaching out again so soon. It shows how important this issue is to you. We are always here for you. What you described happening is not fair and it seems a lot to go up against. It sounds like there is perhaps so much you can do to have the police directly influence your dad but they are still allowed to carry out their duties but often at their own discretion. However, it does not excuse the actions of your parents. You deserve to feel safe at home. How do you cope? Are there ways to get out the house more so that you do not have to relive this every day. It may seem like a stretch but it sounds like you can use some positive reinforcements. What about joining a local club to release some stress?

As explained, we are mandated reporters. We can file a report on your behalf if you became interested in exploring that option. We also provide other services to you. We are not in the position to tell you what to do but we can advocate for your well being so that you at least know your options. We are confidential and anonymous but we can also take it one step further if you need. We are 24 hours and would like to hear from you directly. We can be reached at 1800RUNAWAY. It must be tough to not have people believe you but we do and want to help. Please let us know what we can do to offer our support. Good luck.

-NRS

[Guest]

Re: moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

im already in clubs at school, my parents forced me to join them. i have a question, i think i might be pregnant now and dont wish harm to it, i want to move out more so now. i dont know if i could marry my boyfriend without my parents approving. wondering if the court would allow it if i tell them i am. i need to get away from them before they find out. i fear the life of my child and mine if they do. dont want to be put in a home or anything. just want to go with him. we thought of marriage but not this early. we both want to keep the child and he already saving up since i told him i might be. i want to call the court and ask but im scared and call this hotline, but they might see it on the phone bill, they check all the numbers i call every month. i dont want to get my parents in touble either, they still my parents and wish to come to a understanding one day. i know it wont be now but maybe a couple years from now. i do have brothers younger then me, dont want them losing my parents, im the only girl, they are boys and get treated very well. its only me who they have a problem with. i want a way i can go and not get in trouble by the law and not cost my brothers to lose everything.

[ccsmod0]

Re: moving out at 17 without approval in harris county tx

Hi,

Again, we are sorry to here about all that is going on. If you are nervous about a phone bill having our number on it you can always call toll-free from any pay phone. Also if you would like to talk to someone about the possible pregnancy you can contact Planned Parenthood at 1-800-230-7526 this will also be toll free so you can call from anywhere. They also have a website at www.PlannedParenthood.org where you can look into info in your area and possibly look into making an appointment. Good luck. Hope to hear from you soon.

NRS

[Guest]

IF you are being abused can you live on your own without parents consent in Harris county if you are 17?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. We aren’t legal experts here at NRS but generally speaking, the age of adulthood in Texas is 18 so you wouldn’t be able to legally live on your own until then.

You mentioned some things that raise concern for your safety and well-being. Absolutely no one deserves to be abused. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering. It may also be a good idea to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,