Why They Run?

Perspectives from America’s  Youth in Shelters and on the Street

“One in five youth run away before reaching age 18, and half run away two or more times.”

Pergamit, Michael R. “On the Lifetime Prevalence of Running Away from Home,” Urban Institute Research Brief

This is a staggering statistic. Imagine your son or daughter, niece or nephew in a classroom full of children. Is the child you love among the 20 percent who will someday run? If not yours, then whose?

Understanding what leads youth to the decision to run is critical to understanding how to provide the necessary services – services that ultimately curtail multiple episodes and prevent at-risk youth from running in the first place.

To get to that point requires a clearer understanding of who is running and why. Of the youth interviewed in Chicago and Los Angeles, both in shelters and on the street, this is what was discovered:

Runaway or throwaway?

 Thirty percent of the youth explicitly described what happened as running away.

 Nearly half (48 percent) said they were thrown out of their homes.

 Twenty-two percent described the situation as both, some combination of running away and

being thrown out. 

Sourse:

Picture 1: theguardian. (2012). Theguardian. recovered may 11, 2015. A charter to protect children who run away from home: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2012/jul/11/charter-protect-children-run-away

written by:

María José Gomez