Why children become runaways
What makes children run?
According to The Children's Society, 80% of children who go missing run away to escape problems at home, which can include physical violence or the threat of violence, emotional abuse and neglect; 35% try to flee personal difficulties; 23% want to escape school and 13% run away for miscellaneous reasons.
By far the biggest trigger to propel a small son or daughter from their home into the street is tension with parents. The Children's Society lists several triggers that make a child most vulnerable to running away. All revolve around marital separation, divorce, remarriage and new families:
'The statistics are very sad,' says a spokesperson for The Children's Society. 'We know that children as young as six, seven or eight run away for a variety of reasons if their family is going through transition or restructure.'
Fleeing conflict
Marital break-up plays a huge role in making children want to flee. Unable to bear the constant arguments between separating parents, or the divided loyalties that often result, children mistakenly believe that running away will end their chaos.
According to the experts, a small child is unable to grasp the nature of the world outside his or her front door with all its inherent dangers. In their minds, running from the problem is its own solution. The questions 'Where am I running to?' or 'Who will take care of me?' never enter their minds.
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