Q: Can a 14 year old girl runaway from home and not get in trouble?
I’m 14 years old That lives in Indiana and I don’t want to live with parents anymore. They mentally abuse me. They control my life and don’t let me express myself. They always shut me down and always threaten me that they will hit me. I’m tired of waking up everyday and hearing they yell at me for no reason. I have depression and when I try to talk to them like I said they tear me down by always bringing me down. I have one friend that her mom wants to adopt me but my parents won’t allow it. All I want to say is can I runaway without getting into big trouble.
A:
The short answer is “No”. You cannot run away from home without running the risk that you will find yourself in juvenile court for a juvenile delinquency matter. You could be placed on juvenile probation and have many consequences imposed by the judge.
However, you really should reach out to your school counselor, a teacher, pastor or some other adult to express your concerns for your safety and wellbeing. If you are being subjected to abuse or neglect by anyone, the Department of Child Services can conduct an investigation and can take action to protect you. 1-800-800-5556 is the hotline number to report abuse or neglect. Every person in the State of Indiana has a legal obligation to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child.
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