Teen Runaways

Millions of parents are terrified each year to discover that their teen has runaway from home. The uncertainty of where the teen is and how they will survive is a legitimate concern. A teen on their own can get into trouble in a very short time. The fact that the teen has runaway from home is proof that they lack the ability to make wise decisions. The poor decision making process will not improve because they are away from home. They will be required to make decisions quickly and may be acting out of desperation. There are several standard places teens go when they leave home. When teen’s leave home many times they will go to a friend’s house, a relative’s house, or the worst option, the streets.

Teen Runaway to Friend’s House

Most teens have a friend with a sympathetic heart that will let them crash on their couch for a few days. In some cases the friend’s parents may not even know the runaway is there. There are parents that will allow a runaway to stay in their home even if they know he or she is gone without parental permission. The parents may even go a step further and help hide the runaway teen. The runaway teen has been able to manipulate the parents of the home where they are hiding. The convincing teen may have the harboring parents believe that he or she was being abused, the reason they had to run. This can be a difficult situation for the harboring parents. If the teen really was being abused, they are responsible to report it to the state. If the teen is lying and they have not been abused, but they just don’t want to follow house rules, the harboring parents may be in trouble. Some harboring parents will be smart enough to call the runaway’s parents on the sly and work out a plan with them to get the teen home. This call will at least put the teen’s parents at ease about the safety of their child.

Teen Runaway to a Relatives House

Sometimes the runaway teen will go to the house of a trusted relative. The relative may not have a good relationship with the teen’s parents which may lead them to hide the teen. The relative faces the same problems mentioned above regarding abuse issues surrounding the teen. It would seem logical that the relative would be more willing to contact the parents to at least assure them their child is safe. This is not always the case, and anyone harboring a teen or hiding a runaway teen may subject to legal charges.

Teen Runaway on the Streets

The worst place a runaway teen can end up when they leave home is on the streets. The teen may find a place to sleep somewhere in an alley. They may hook up with some friends that will take them in and teach them how to survive on their own. The tragedy of many teens comes when they are picked up by a pimp and introduced into the world of pornography or prostitution. The teen will be treated kindly at first, and then beaten into submission if they express a desire to leave. There have been many documentaries on television portraying the life of teens on the run. In conclusion, the quicker a runaway teen can be found the better off they will be. There are private investigation companies that will assist in locating a runaway teen. We have some companies that we can refer, if you are a parent trying to find a runaway teen. If you are a teen contemplating running away, please consider all of the facts. Life on the streets is not easy; in fact it is very dangerous. Communication is an important factor in the prevention of a teen running away from home. Parents take the time necessary to develop a good line of communication with your children.