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Why They Run
For many youth today, life is a continual state of being in flux. For some, to be in flux can mean going from one temporary shelter to another. For others, it means staying in the streets, trying to survive with the help of strangers. With the economy continuing to struggle, the runaway problem has intensified.
A sense of home is as important as having a physical home, and for youth who have left home, often the case is that their physical home doesn't feel welcoming or peaceful as a home should be.
A recent study conducted by the National Runaway Switchboard illuminates the issues facing youth who leave home, exploring not only why they left but how they survive and look for help. This article will discuss of what was learned from that study.
Running away does not occur at random and is often a symptom of underlying issues that are found in a youth's home environment. Often a youth who has run away from home does so out of a need to find a better situation than is offered in their homes, or at least one that is easier to deal and cope with.
Many run away because their physical home offers no sense of an emotional balance that is found in a healthy home environment. For these youth, home is riddled with conflicts that cause them to feel uncomfortable or distressed. Conflicts that go on in families, particularly during a divorce or a disagreement between youth and those with whom they live, can intensify these feelings of not feeling at home and incite a young person to leave.
At times it is the family members who pressure youth to leave home, sometimes because the youth is GLBTQ. When youth are kicked of their homes by their families, it is considered neglect by the parents. To forcibly evict a child from the home is to make them subject to the dangers that are involved in living on the streets.
Youth can call into the National Runaway Switchboard's crisis hotline if they are seriously considering leaving home. The volunteers working on the hotline can help them talk their way through their situation and guide them through their options. They can help them think about what they may decide to do, and also talk about their reasons for leaving home. The volunteers cannot urge callers to either run or stay home; their job is to guide them through what is happening and what options they have.
Though some youth find friends and relatives who can provide them a place to go to when they run from home or are kicked out of their home, others find shelters. Shelters, however, are temporary and often have limits to how long a person can stay. When a youth encounters this situation, they have no choice but to resort to the streets, which is often dangerous.
Youth who must live on the streets have to rely upon the help of strangers. They resort to panhandling and may engage in other activities such as prostitution to get money, shelter, and other resources. Since they have to live on the streets, they are more susceptible to being assaulted, to be taken advantage of by criminals, and to be contracting illnesses related to living outdoors. Looking for a place to sleep can involve seeking a sort of shelter underneath bridges in cities, abandoned buildings, and other places.
The life of a youth who has run away from home or who has been kicked out of their homes is fraught with these dangers. More youth under the age of 12 are running away, and for these young people, the dangers are even more pronounced than they are for adolescents who have run away or been thrown away.
The National Runaway Switchboard's hotline can connect youth to various resources that may help ease difficulties when youth have been away from home. The volunteers on the hotline can help youth to find shelters to stay in, places that will provide them food, legal help if necessary, and other resources so that the dangers of living on the streets are lessened. They can also connect youth to their parents/guardians if they want to talk to them. Confidentiality is a priority on the hotline, and they respect the privacy of the youth who call our hotline. Calls are never recorded, and youth are not reported to police or any other authorities.
A sense of home is as important as having a physical home, and for youth who have left home, often the case is that their physical home doesn't feel welcoming or peaceful as a home should be.
A recent study conducted by the National Runaway Switchboard illuminates the issues facing youth who leave home, exploring not only why they left but how they survive and look for help. This article will discuss of what was learned from that study.
Causes of running away
Running away does not occur at random and is often a symptom of underlying issues that are found in a youth's home environment. Often a youth who has run away from home does so out of a need to find a better situation than is offered in their homes, or at least one that is easier to deal and cope with.
Many run away because their physical home offers no sense of an emotional balance that is found in a healthy home environment. For these youth, home is riddled with conflicts that cause them to feel uncomfortable or distressed. Conflicts that go on in families, particularly during a divorce or a disagreement between youth and those with whom they live, can intensify these feelings of not feeling at home and incite a young person to leave.
At times it is the family members who pressure youth to leave home, sometimes because the youth is GLBTQ. When youth are kicked of their homes by their families, it is considered neglect by the parents. To forcibly evict a child from the home is to make them subject to the dangers that are involved in living on the streets.
Youth can call into the National Runaway Switchboard's crisis hotline if they are seriously considering leaving home. The volunteers working on the hotline can help them talk their way through their situation and guide them through their options. They can help them think about what they may decide to do, and also talk about their reasons for leaving home. The volunteers cannot urge callers to either run or stay home; their job is to guide them through what is happening and what options they have.
Life away from home and on the streets
Though some youth find friends and relatives who can provide them a place to go to when they run from home or are kicked out of their home, others find shelters. Shelters, however, are temporary and often have limits to how long a person can stay. When a youth encounters this situation, they have no choice but to resort to the streets, which is often dangerous.
Youth who must live on the streets have to rely upon the help of strangers. They resort to panhandling and may engage in other activities such as prostitution to get money, shelter, and other resources. Since they have to live on the streets, they are more susceptible to being assaulted, to be taken advantage of by criminals, and to be contracting illnesses related to living outdoors. Looking for a place to sleep can involve seeking a sort of shelter underneath bridges in cities, abandoned buildings, and other places.
The life of a youth who has run away from home or who has been kicked out of their homes is fraught with these dangers. More youth under the age of 12 are running away, and for these young people, the dangers are even more pronounced than they are for adolescents who have run away or been thrown away.
The National Runaway Switchboard's hotline can connect youth to various resources that may help ease difficulties when youth have been away from home. The volunteers on the hotline can help youth to find shelters to stay in, places that will provide them food, legal help if necessary, and other resources so that the dangers of living on the streets are lessened. They can also connect youth to their parents/guardians if they want to talk to them. Confidentiality is a priority on the hotline, and they respect the privacy of the youth who call our hotline. Calls are never recorded, and youth are not reported to police or any other authorities.
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