Teen Runaways

Most teen runaways, return within 48 hours to two weeks and generally move from one friend's house to another. There are those, however, who go further and stay longer. If they take to the streets, the longer they stay, the more dangerous the situation becomes. In a 1997 study by The National Institute of Drug Abuse, a survey of 600 street youths showed that 50% of those who had attempted suicide blamed drug abuse for that attempt. Surveys of 432 street youths in Los Angeles showed that 71% had either a drug or alcohol abuse disorder or both.

Children living on the streets sometimes resort to prostitution, pornography or robbery in order to obtain money for food and/or drugs. On the Runaway Lives web site at http://www.lv.psu.edu/jkl1/runawaylives/... there are, thus far, two personal accounts of such runaway situations to read. Teen runaways are prime targets for all types of predators and often meet tragic consequences. We must, therefore, make our best attempt to reach them.

Below is a list of links to sites regarding what to do if your teen runs away.

The National Runaway Switchboard at http://www.nrscrisisline.org/

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at http://www.missingkids.com/

US Department of Justice resource page of help agencies at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/fedresou...

Tips for Parents at http://users.southeast.net/~ycc/tip.htm

The National Children's Coalition at http://www.child.net/

Focus Adolescent Services Runaways and Missing Children page at http://www.focusas.com/Runaways.html

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