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I've looked it up and the laws on emancipation. Basically, if you are 16 or under, they can call the police and force you to come back and live with them. They can have you admited to any hospital including mental and rehabilitative with or without cause (sucks, huh?). They can have any means necessary utilized to find you and they can have anyone you know questioned about your whereabouts. Back on topic now, if you are 16 or under, but you can prove you are not safe in your house, you will be put in emergency care or foster care, depending on the situation under a permenant solution can be found. If you are 17, you do not have to return provided you can prove you are able to suficiently care for yourself, i.e. a job,funds, schooling, food, clothing, shelter. This requires emancipation though. To do that, you have to prove these things and prove your reason why you do not want to live with them and actually have a good solid supportable cause of your leaving, and be able to present this in front a juvenile justice. And basically, under law, unless harm is caused, parents and legal gaurdians can do whatever they want to you. My dad once threatened to send my to school in Utah once, and another time to admit me to a mental hospital and see how grateful I am for what I have here. Don't do anything stupid or irrational, it only makes the whole situation worse. My sister ran away once and he just let her go, knew she would come back crawling. She did, but it was worse for her after. BTDT bro. Stick it out till you are seventeen, or if it is too bad, call the cops. Also, depending on your state, the emancipation laws are different. What I mentioned was under south carolina law, because we have no law on emancipation, we just have the proof in court deal, for most other states it is proof in court and the court will issue a legal document saying you are allowed to live on your own and your parents have to give up their parental rights. Good Luck!