Legal Definitions - runaway

A runaway refers to a person, most commonly a minor, who has left the care and custody of their legal guardians or home without permission and has not returned within a reasonable period. This term typically applies to an unemancipated minor who has departed from their residence, often with the intention of not coming back.

• Example 1: Fifteen-year-old Emily, after a disagreement with her parents about her curfew, packs a backpack and leaves her family home without telling anyone where she is going. She stays with an acquaintance for several days, ignoring calls and texts from her worried parents.

  Explanation: Emily is a minor who has left the custody of her legal guardians (her parents) without their permission and has not returned within a reasonable timeframe, which makes her a runaway.

• Example 2: Mark, a 14-year-old who is a ward of the state and living in a group home, becomes unhappy with the rules and supervision. One evening, he climbs out of a window and attempts to travel to a different city to find a relative, without informing any staff members or his social worker.

  Explanation: Mark is a minor under the legal custody of the state (with the group home staff acting as his immediate guardians). His unauthorized departure from the group home and failure to return or make contact with his legal guardians classifies him as a runaway.

• Example 3: Seventeen-year-old Alex, who is still legally a minor and not emancipated, decides he wants to live independently before turning 18. He moves out of his parents' house without their consent, rents a room with friends, and stops attending school, intending not to return home.

  Explanation: Although close to adulthood, Alex is still an unemancipated minor. His action of leaving his parents' home without their permission and establishing a new residence with no intention of returning fits the legal definition of a runaway.