help me! im 17 and i want to run away

[ccsmod13]

RE:

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We think that it is really great that you care so much and taking the time to respond to our bulletin posters. Unfortunately, we are not legal experts, and therefore cannot say what would be done. We can speak in general terms about the situation.

In response to the original post. To start off with, running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. This means that you cannot leave your house without parental permission because you are still a minor (generally under the age of 1. If you did decide to leave then your parents would have the option of filing a runaway report with the police. If you are found, then you would most likely be brought back home. Whoever you are found with, such as your aunt, could be charged with harboring a runaway by your parents or the police. However, you mentioned that you are 17 and that is considered a gray area in some states. It really depends on your local police department on how they would handle a 17 year old in your situation. An option you have is to contact your local police department and generally ask them how they would handle someone in your situation.

We hoped this helped and if you would like to discuss your situation in greater detail you can always all us on our hotline or chat with us during our chat hours. We wish you the best of luck.

NRS

I'm 17 I want to know if it was illegal to leave my house without my parents permission to go live with my aunt. But I don't want to get her introuble with the law. I hate my house. I'm depressed and I receive a lot of medical treament for it( therapy and group sessions). I want to be somewhere were I can be free. I'm trapped in my house all day and my parents tookme out of school. Ill be receiving better treatment from my aunt than I have with my parent. Please if there's a way out. Please respond as soon as possible.

As to the concern of whether it is legal or not, in most cases it is illegal to leave your house without their permisson. However, the question is whether the police will enforce it and whether they can. If they cannot find you, they cannot enforce it. If you know what your cops in your city are like you can determine whether they would track you down. If crime is very controlled in your city and there's a large police budget, chances are they will enforce the law upon you.

[ccsmod14]

Re: Running away...

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and posting on our bulletin board here at National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you can relate to some of the other individuals situations, as I am sure many others can as well. It is always helpful to know that you are not alone in the way that you may be feeling.

We’re not legal experts here, but generally speaking it is not illegal to run away, it’s a status offense which means if a youth leaves without permission, and the police find them, they bring them back home. One option we let youth know about is calling the local police department, and asking questions hypothetically, because the way that runaway reports are handled/taken vary state by state, and even sometimes county by county. If this is something that a youth is not entirely comfortable with, youth are welcome to call our hotline at 1800runaway and we can either make a call out to their local police department with them or on their behalf.

It sounds like you are curious about this person’s situation, and we appreciate your interest. We are non-judgmental here and non-directive. We respect everyone’s different views, we are not going to tell anyone what they should or should not do. Each person’s situation is different, sometimes individuals want to leave forever and sometimes individuals just need a break.

We’re here to listen and help the best that we can. Our hotline is 24/7, and we’re anonymous and confidential at 1800runaway. Please do not hesitate to reach out and we again thank you for your interest in our bulletin board and your thoughts.

Good luck and stay safe,
NRS

Running away...

They say running away is a bad decision and its illegal no matter how bad the situation is. I assume they suggested for you to talk to the police or more counseling. If I may.... Do you really want to runaway and leave forever? Or do you want to just be away from your parents for a little while?

[ccsmod5]

help me! i'm 17 and i want run away

Hi there,
Thanks for contacting us. We're so sorry to hear that you are dealing with depression. It sounds like you don't feel comfortable or well cared for in your parent's home. It is understandable that you would want to stay with your aunt since it sounds like she treats you better than your parents do.

At 17, you are generally considered a minor. If you go to live with your aunt and your parents decide to contact the police, they may be able to file a runaway report. 17 years old can be something of a grey area: At 17, some police precincts may not agree to look for you, since you are so close to being an adult. However, if they do, you could be returned home to your parents. It is also possible that your aunt could face charges for harboring a runaway, however this will depend on your local laws, and how they are enforced as well. You may try calling your local non-emergency police number to ask them about laws fro harboring a 17 year old runaway.

Please also feel free to give us a call anytime. If there are alternatives to running away, such as visiting your aunt to get a break from your parents, finding something that would improve the situation at home, or even telling your parents that you want to leave, we can discuss those with you. However we are here to support you in coming to whatever decision works best for you.

All the best,
NRS

I'm 17 I want to know if it was illegal to leave my house without my parents permission to go live with my aunt. But I don't want to get her introuble with the law. I hate my house. I'm depressed and I receive a lot of medical treament for it( therapy and group sessions). I want to be somewhere were I can be free. I'm trapped in my house all day and my parents tookme out of school. Ill be receiving better treatment from my aunt than I have with my parent. Please if there's a way out. Please respond as soon as possible.