If you want people to stop looking for you, then you will need to talk to the police to let them know you are safe and well.

This may not feel like an easy thing to do, but Runaway Helpline can help you to get in touch with them. We can connect you to the police on a call where we stay on the line with you and they can’t trace your call. The police will usually want to see you. Some people decide to go to a police station themselves. Other times you can arrange with police to meet them somewhere, like in a café or at a station, so you can talk to them there. You may be worried about what will happen next. It’s important to know that you won’t get into trouble with the police just because you ran away. Usually they are just happy to find you and see that you are ok!

If you’re over 18 and you don’t want to go home, you can explain this to them. If you’re safe where you are, they won’t make you go home. They won’t even tell anyone where you are if you don’t want them to. They’ll stop the search and leave you alone. They will tell your family that you are ok, but they won’t tell them where you are or how to find you.

If you’re under 18 and you don’t want to go back to where you normally live, you will need to explain why. If they think it’s safe for you to go back, then they will want to take you back there. This may not be what you want to do. If you’re unhappy at home and you’re thinking of running away, you can contact Runaway Helpline, for free, day or night, on 116 000 to talk about things and how we can help while you’re still at home.

If you are away from home and you don’t want to go back, you can get in touch and we can talk through your options.