please, i neeeed major help.

[carli3]

okay, so i know that this has nothing to do with what this website is for but i am in dire need of help.

okay, so my boyfriend is 17 and his parents are  the cause of his major depression. he wants to move out but we don't think he can until he's 18.

important factor we live in south carolina.

what i would like to know is; can he move out of his home at the age of 17 without being brought back as a runaway if he clearly states where he is and that he is safe?

i have been searching for hours without  much luck. i have to help him i am so terribly worried about him and i want him out of his home so bad, as does he.

i don't know where to turn.

[Kelley Jo]

Without researching the issue, I can say that, generally speaking, laws against minors don't kick in until 18 years of age. I don't know about SC but I'm guessing a "runaway" law would not apply to someone who is 17 as they are too close to the age of majority (adult).

The real question is: why are they running away? Is there an issue of abuse? Saying his parents are the cause of his depression just won't cut it. You need to clearly establish that there is some abuse.

Aside from that I'd say he's old enough to go out and do what he wants...legally. Is that the best thing? I don't know. Are you two kids capable of deciding that in this situation? I doubt it.

You need some outside input. You are just kids and it's a big, wide dangerous world out there. Here is a good place to get advice.

[Janet_Girl]

I don't know the laws in your state, but he probable can't until he is 18.  And you have to be the same age as well.  And if you two are intimate, he can be charged with statutory rape if your parents push it.  Tread very lightly.  Also check in to begin emancipated with your state court.

But my personal advise is to wait.  It may be hard, but it solves all kinds of trouble down the road.  At 18, you can do almost anything you want with in limits.  You have to be 21, to total be free of parental involvement.

Good Luck Hon.  And I know that there are some of the others that will argue with me, but I've been there before.  I speak my mind.

[Nero]

legal or not i highly doubt any action will be taken. runaways are not a high priority in any jurisdiction.

[Kelley Jo]

Janet, I think we need to research the South Carolina penal code to give her the answer she's looking for. I'm feeling kinda lazy tonight and I'm pretty sure they don't prosecute 17 year olds for running away down there. I'd say they have no worries about the law...the predators on the street might be another problem but oh well, that's how I learned.

[lady amarant]

I don't know if this will help, but what about him becoming an "Emancipated Minor"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_of_minors

There was this one character on Roswell, Michael, who became an emancipated minor at 16, if I remember correcty.

Yeah, I watched the alien show. 

~Simone.

[carli3]

thank you for your help, but i live with my parents and they want him to live with us too.


so they wouldn't push for any rape.

but i could go on about what they do to him to cause his depression, i'm just going to say it's bad.

he just needs to get away.
he refuses to wait.

we would just get him emancipated, but i've resarched that and usually it takes about six months
to a year, and he graduates in about 5months, so i would say it would be pointless to do so.

but thankyou for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

[lisagurl]

It is very obvious that he and his family need counseling. There are places to go for child abuse so authorities can sort things out.

[carli3]

i know that.


they do go to a psychologist, but his parents think that she doesn't know what
she's talking about.

we're trying to get those places involved in it, but they seem to have more serious issues to deal with.
so it's like his case is being put in the back burner.

[Janet_Girl]

If your folks are willing to take him, why not just do that.  Your folks can keep is at bay.

[almost,angie]

 I used to run away constantly and never found a legal way to get out without emancipation. ( my parents refused) When does he turn 18??  If he really can`t wait and his parrents are causing so much depression why does he even want to do this legaly? Nobody really cares about runaways. It`s kind of sad.

[carli3]

yeah that's what we're trying to do,


but they have kicked him out before and we let him come with us.

they called police and lied saying he ran away.
his mother called my mom and said that she would be prosecuted for harboring a minor.

we don't want that to happen again.
so, we're trying take away all their amo so they can't say things like that, and lie to police officers.

because police are always going to believe 2 adult parents before they believe a 17 year old.

Posted on: November 16, 2008, 01:55:27 pmwell i know they don't.

but they do care about people that harbor minors and that's what my parents
would be if he was considered a runaway.

i just don't want to get my parents in trouble.

he turns 18 in about 5months.

[lisagurl]

they do go to a psychologist, but his parents think that she doesn't know what
she's talking about

Then he should camp out on the psychologist,s doorstep. The psychologist is not aware of the scope of the problem.