Q: She is 17 years old. They go into her room when she is at school and go through everything just to see if they can find something. The step dad is the worse about doing it. She has no privacy whatsoever. Can she get a restraining order or PFA?

A: In PA, she is a child until she reaches the age of majority at age 18. Even if she is 18, and living in her parent’s home, she has no privacy rights unless she is paying rent pursuant to a lease, assuming she does not own the property. She would not qualify for a Protection from Abuse Order if there is no violence. She can petition the court to become emancipated, which sounds attractive to kids, but is normally unrealistic as she would need to prove that she can sustain herself independently of her parents (rent, food, health insurance, etc.) I think she needs to play by the rules at home. If she is not hiding drugs or having on-line contact with sexual predators, she should have no problem.