“How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home, like a rolling stone?” -Bob Lois Stavsky quotes, “It can’t feel good. Especially when you’re only a teenager, barelypast the years where life should be a comforting cocoon, and just before the age when you areready to take on the world.” (Stavsky xiii)In most states, a runaway is a young person under 18 who leaves home or a place ofresidence without permission of parent or legal guardian (Connors 18). All different kinds ofchildren run away; there is no one “type.” Runaways can be younger, but the average age isaround 15 or 16, which is 47%. Most of these are girls, 57% (18). These kids come from all kindsof life backgrounds.What causes a teenager to runaway? There are many reasons for this question. Brokenhomes, broken bodies, and broken spirits have driven many of these kids to the streets. Some kidsleave home because they feel that they have to. Some feel that they have no choice but to runaway. Many leave home because of family problems. Some examples are divorce or separation,new marriage, new baby, death, financial problems, or even as little as minor disputes at home.Another reason for teenage runaway is peer pressure, such as sex, drugs, and friends. Many teensare even kicked out of their own homes by parents and/or legal guardians. Teenagers leave home in order to get away from child abuse, also. There are three maintypes of child abuse, physically, sexually, and emotionally (“Runaways and Throwaways,general”). Child abuse also includes neglect, molestation, and even non-accidental injury.Sometimes this can get so severe that the risk of running blindly into the unknown seems lessthreatening than facing another day at home. All too often, these kids are wrong. Where do runaways run to? It has been studied that more than half of runaways (52%)travel less than 10 miles from home (Connors 18). The problem is,...
