I am 17-years old and have been living with my grandparents for the past 4 years who do not have legal custody of me. They have become mean and treat me like I'm nothing and are trying to force me to be around my abusive and drug-addicted father. He has custody of me and yet has nothing to do with me. He has no job, no car, and is living in a house my grandparents are paying for. He has harmed me before and I want my mother to have custody of me and my brother has volunteered to take custody of me. I don't have money to spend on a lawyer. What should I do?

Your best bet is to call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Serving the United States, its territories, and Canada, the Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors. All calls are anonymous and confidential.

What to expect when calling the Hotline

When calling 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453), a qualified crisis counselor will answer and assist you, if you:

- Need help and want to talk to a counselor.
- Are in physical or emotional crisis and need support and encouragement
- Connect you to the best possible resources in your area.

http://www.childhelp.org/pages/hotline-home

Run away from home.