How far would police go to find me?

[Guest]

Running away.

Hello, I really hate living with my mother, I’m 14 years old I don’t get to go anywhere and I have depression I harm my self a lot when me and my mother get into arguing, I went to my girlfriends house ONE time for one night & I came back & she hit me because I came home “too late” and it was only 10 my mom hits me a lot and yells a lot, I want to go stay with my girlfriend and her mom said it would be okay but will they get in serious trouble if I go and do this ?? Help please!

[ccsmod10]

Thank you for telling us your story and reaching out. It can be difficult telling others what has happened to you. We want you to know that no one deserves to be abused, and you should not have to go through that. If you haven’t already, you could consider reporting the abuse you’ve been experiencing. If you want more information about abuse reporting or if you want to file a report, you could call Child Help at 1-800-422-4453.

We’re not legal experts here at NRS. Generally it’s not illegal to leave home, but your parents could file a runaway report, the police could get involved, and they could bring you home. The people you’re staying with could potentially get in trouble for having you stay there without your mom’s permission. You could consider calling your local nonemergency police department to ask about their policies. We also have legal aid resources here if you have specific questions about the laws in your state.

If you don’t feel safe and feel like you need to get away Nationalsafeplace.org provides a safe location for you to meet a staff member who can take you to a designated place where you can discuss all options about how to stay safe. You can text 44357 the word “safe,” and your location to find a safe location in your area. Once you arrive let someone who works there know you need help connecting with a staff member.

You mentioned depression and self-harm. If you’re not currently getting mental health resources, it can be really helpful to get treatment. As your mental health suffers, you have -limited ability to handle the other stressors in your life. You can contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to connect you to mental health resources at 1-800-950-6264 or NAMI.org. Another resource to consider is To Write Love on Her Arms TWLOHA.com. TWLOHA provides support and services that could be helpful for you. You may also want to talk to your school because they should have a counselor for you.

One service we can offer is to conference call with your mom. This way you could have a conversation with your mom but you would not be alone. For example, it may be hard for you to explain to your mom how you are feeling and that you would like to see things change. Sometimes those conversations go better in a conference call because we can advocate for you. If you want to reach us, you can chat with us anytime at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We’re here 24/7, and we are ready to listen and help however we can.


Wish you the best

-NRS.