"Why do children and young people run away, or become homeless?
For most young people, running away is not something they have planned.
Deciding to run is a decision made on the spur of the moment, and the young person is often not prepared, with no money, no warm clothes, no phone numbers, nor any idea about where they might seek help."
Why Kids Run Away
"Remember how you felt the last time you got in a big fight with your parents or one of your brothers orsisters? That kind of anger and hurt can be what pushes someone to run away from home. In fact, most kids run away due to problems with their families. Some kids run away because of one terrible argument. Some kids even decide to leave without ever having a fight. They might have done something they're ashamed of, and they're afraid to tell their parents.
These are problems faced by lots of kids and teens - and there are ways to deal with all of these problems besides running away. Kids who think about running away might not know how to solve tough problems or don't have adults to help them. Sometimes a really big problem can make it seem like running away is the only choice.
Unfortunately, the problems kids hope to escape by running away are replaced by other - sometimes even bigger - problems of life on the streets.
The Reality of Running Away
When you think about running away, you probably imagine that there will be no more rules, no parent to tell you what to do, no more fights. Sounds great and exciting, right? Iin reality, running away is anything but fun. Kids and teens who run away face new problems like not having any money, food to eat, a safe place to sleep, or anyone to look out for them.
People with no home and no money become desperate, doing anything just to meet their basic needs. Because of this, they often find themselves in risky situations that would be frightening, even for adults. Runaway kids get involved in dangerous crimes much more often than kids who live at home.
Kids who live on the streets often have to steal to meet basic needs. Many take drugs or alcohol to get through the day because they become so depressed and feel that no one cares about them. Some are forced to do things they wouldn't normally do to make money. The number of kids with HIV or AIDS and other diseases is higher on streets, too, because these kids might use IV drugs or have unprotected sex (often for money)."
Missing Children: Incidences and Characteristics of Runaway Children and Resources Available to Them1
Hotlines
Some national 24-hour crisis hotlines are aimed solely at helping children in crisis. These include, but are not limited to:
These toll-free numbers can provide the caller with immediate counseling, answer legal questions, give needed information, and act as a referral service. The Web sites provide additional resources for teenagers in distress, teachers, advocates, and the community.
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.
Home Free Program
Greyhound Lines, Inc. offers a program for runaways called "Home Free." It provides young adults ages twelve to twenty with a free bus ticket home. Participants can use this service twice before being charged for the ticket. This program has helped nearly 10,000 children get back home. More information is available at their Web site: http://www.greyhound.com/company/contributions.shtml
Speaking against abuse in the system and promoting adoption
"Hope to share a chapter with you soon re my brother running away; had I not been a coward, I would have joined him.
Happens he had somewhere to go. . .or God only knows. . .
A year or so earlier, he was abused by a sexual predator. Only realized what happened in hindsight.
God, but life is hard."
From a friend of mine
Just in Case...Runaway NCMEC
Informative as all this is with it's statistics and numbers, it would be a much better read if there were ideas on how to fix the system rather than bog us down with numbers.
I'm working on that situation
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"There were orphanages, plus there were detention homes and juvenile centers, I know, as I lived 3 months in a detention home in Az after running away. Well, actually, spent one week there because when I ran away I crossed the state line, then they sent me back to my Mothers, a week later I told her to take me back to the home and that is where I stayed for 3 months. Until my real Dad came and got me.
The detention home was divided in 2 parts, juniors (where I was) for runaways and seniors where they kept ones who were in there for crimes etc.
One little 9 yr old would stay there for awhile , get sent home, run, and be back with us for awhile , and this just went on and on. She wanted to stay there but it was supposed to be a temporary home until they could find permanent ones."
anonymous
"However, in my case, and many other orphan cases, it was because of bullying at school, and being mocked by classmates because we did not have new clothing or have parents."
"The “Kids off the Grid"™, a term coined by Libba Phillips, defines a population of at risk adults and youth who may be unreported as missing and/or are lost among the homeless. The ‘kids off the grid’ who are most vulnerable are the population of children born to or with lost teens and adults. Often, these children are an unknown or unaccounted for ‘hidden cost’ as a result of our society ignoring an adult or runaway teen who may be missing with mental illness and/or have substance abuse problem. Consider the unknown consequences of a woman or teen with mental illness and/or substance abuse problems who is lost on the streets and not listed as missing with any law enforcement agency. If she is not listed as missing… who will consider the possibility of the existence of an unborn or unknown child who may be lost with her?
These ‘kids off the grid’ are at the highest risk of exploitation and harm and have the lowest chance of being acknowledged by the general public. Consider the following:*
23% of homeless teens are pregnant teenage girls
93% are using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis
65% battle clinical depression and/or mental health issues
14 years of age is the average age homeless youth enter prostitution"
