My question involves juvenile law in the State of: Massachusetts
My question is out of curiosity of a friends situation. My friend, like tons of teens before her, no longer wants to live with her mom. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her mother in Massachusetts and stays with her dad every other weekend in Connecticut.
She states that she no longer wants to live in her parents care due to emotional and verbal abuse but is afraid to be a runaway because if she is forced to go back the consequences would leave her worse off. She, in no way, has any chance of being emancipated but does have a place to go. She also does NOT want to call CPS for any reason. Another friend spoke with their parents and they have said they would be willing to care for her if she needed a place to go.
That being said I will finally get to my questions: If she does run away to live under someone's care could the state law force her to return home? She believes one parent, the mother who she lives with, may consent to her living under their care but the father will not. Since he has his legal rights as well would that cause a problem with her electing to her friends parents having guardianship even with the mothers consent? And also, if she doesn't get consent and just runs away will anyone be charged with harboring a runaway?
Thank you very much for your help with this.