I Have to Get Out, I Need to Be Able to Support Myself

[CalebChristopher]

I am a male of the age of 16 I turn 17 in June. I wish to know what the laws on emancipation are in Tn. I have friends whom have told me one can legally move out at the age of 17. Does anybody know if there is any truth to this? I let two of my friends whom are very much so into drugs in my house. Without my knowledge they stole all of our pills and now my parents think I’m trafficking drugs. Last night my dad cut my hair himself and disowned me as his child. He said that he must protect himself and his wife from me. He refused to address me as his son or even by my name but instead by things like cretin and other sick discriminative names. My Father came within an inch of hitting me and stopped I was absolutely stunned. So thus I couldn’t move. So he grabbed an old pair of scissors pulled all of my hair up and cut all of my hair off in order to get me to speak. He told me in 14 months I am out on my own. No money or support from them. They will not allow me to have a job or find any way to get money to support myself when that time comes. I cannot live in this environment. I just can’t do it. I believe it is time I get out on my own two feet and see the world for myself. Learn the lessons I need to on my own. I am currently at school so I cannot type everything I want to. But The One Thing I Want Know Is How I Can get out.

[LawResearcherMissy]

I have friends whom have told me one can legally move out at the age of 17.

Your friends are wrong.

Additionally, Tennessee has no statutory provisions for emancipation.

If you're being abused, call CPS.

[CalebChristopher]

Okay, I don’t know if the state will take the correct steps in order to get me into a different environment. I have no idea if I am being abused. I don’t see it as abuse but rather just a punishment. I am a teenager. I do make mistakes. Maybe I Weaved My Own Web? I truthfully don’t know what to do. If I do go to the proper authorities on abuse and they find I haven’t been abused in their opinions. I would not want to be back into that household. It’s A Big house. It’s just the people inside of it. They have a great public face and are great at playing the victim or the good guy. I would inevitably end back up in that household once again. Why put myself through the agony of that in 6 months? What do I do?

[LawResearcherMissy]

Asking again doesn't change the answer.

If you're being abused, you call CPS. They are legally obligated to investigate.

If it is determined that you're not being abused, you stay where you are until you're 18, then you move out.

[divemedic]

Another piece of advice: The problem here is not your parents, it is your druggie friends who stole from your house. "Friends" who steal from you are not your friends. Don't blame your parents, blame the thieving friends you brought into your family's home. Perhaps if you went to your dad, told him what happened and you showed him that you have seen the error of your ways, things will be easier.

[CalebChristopher]

I know they aren't my friends. I didn't know until last night. Now that i am home i can explain what happened last night further. Okay, my best friend killed herself on the third of April. One of my friends was outside of the church smoking i was caught at a moment of weakness and gave in. I smoked it and it actually did help. I don't smoke publicly but rather by myself in my room. Yesterday night i was smoking before i went to bed. I had the window open and the ash's fell. I didn't know this. So my mom or dad went in my room to close my window before they left for work and they saw the mess. They automatically assumed it was marijuana. They got an at home drug test. I took it. The results were as expected. It said i had not been on any drugs. But nonetheless i still confessed that i began smoking to deal with the stress of loosing my closest friend. They started to explore options of how to help me. This is was happy with. I need to stop. I know i do. But then one of my stupid friends tested me asking if i wanted to buy some type of pill. I told them i only smoke. They still ask me shit like that. Then my parents thought i was doing pills as well. So they went to the medication cabinet and well.. There were absolutely no pills left. My old friend stole all of them. My mom then grabbed me by my hair took me to the table and sat me there. I was stunned. I Couldn't think of what to say. I was absolutely in shock that who i thought was my friend would do that to me. My dad and mom were talking to me. Calling me things. Making me feel so bad about myself. I Just couldn't respond. Then My Dad Gets Up off the chair. Grabs a full grasp of my hair and yanks me out of the chair. He pulls me with full force as high as i could go. Then pulls me by my hair about 4 feet to the right, then pulls me strait to the ground with the top of my head between the floor and his hand. He was pulling out a good amount of hair. I was screaming because it hurt so bad. Then he jerked me up with allot of force and then right back to the ground. Then he threw me in the chair. Said: okay now do you want to tell us what your doing ****ing us over like this? Then he walks off. Comes back all pissed and almost hits me in the face. I truly was scared. He threw his entire body into it and stopped himself less than an inch from my face. my hair was all in my eyes. i couldn't speak or move at all. I was suddenly scared beyond words. He then began cutting all my hair off while pulling it with the free hand. It hurt so much. I began crying. After that he sat back down and then started cussing me out. Then he counted the months until i become 18 and said he does not recognize me as his son any longer but rather a person living here whom he must protect from his wife. Then they threaten to turn me in and continuously demeaned me and called me things like a drug addict, the drug dealer of the city, a waist of life. Stupid, careless, futureless. I cant live here any longer.. They went through all my texts. Now know I'm bi. Think I'm trafficking drugs. Don't recognize me as a member of their family. And they do truly hate me. I've never been talked to the way they did. And five spent over half my life being hated by every single person i came in contact with. I've never been called the things they called me. I've never been hurt the way they did me. And five never been talked to in the tone they do. If i live here any longer.. I'm just scared....

[cbg]

You've been given the legal answer twice now. It doesn't matter how many details you add, the law is still the same.

I'm sorry about your friend. That's really hard. I know it hurts.

[CalebChristopher]

Okay i guess. I already knew what they had to say. I was just hoping that maybe there was another way..