So why do young people run away?

The feedback Childline gets from young people who contact them about running away is varied.  Below I’ve outlined some of the main reasons you might consider running away, so you know you are not alone.

Problems within the family or where you are living: Some young people at risk of running away or becoming homeless are experiencing violence or instability at home.  If you have to put up with lots of yelling and arguments or if you get hit or threatened by anyone in your family, don’t be ashamed, you may be surprised to find out there are a lot of other young people who suffer these things too.  You can do something about it. 

Physical and sexual abuse: Childline say around 37% of boys and 63% of girls call them about being abused physically and/or sexually.  It can be hard to talk to adults at the best of times, so I can imagine anyone my age would find it really difficult to confide in someone they trust about being abused.  If you don’t feel you can talk to anyone you know, such as a friend or teacher, you can ring Childline, who will keep what you say confidential.

Problems at school:
Maybe you are being bullied or teased by other students at school. It’s important to remember school is only a small part of your life even though right now it may feel like all of your life.  As the saying goes…a problem shared is a problem halved…in other words, find someone to talk, be them a teacher, a friend or someone who is suffering the same problem.

What help is there for young people who are thinking of running away?

There are of course lots of other complicated reasons young people leave home and talking your problems through with someone trained to help is a step to feeling better about the situation and realising how much it might be affecting you.

Alex explained how phoning Childline can help young people like me and you. “Talking to friends and family, or Childline can help young people deal with problems before they become overwhelming.  Childline can also put young people in touch with other services that might be able to help them.  We take young people’s problems’ seriously and give them a chance to talk in confidence about their concerns, however large or small.  The service is free and available any time day or night”

Life on the streets ain’t all glamour
The American website for adolescent services (www.focusas.com) says that young people believe they are often better off on the streets than in the situation they were before, but it warns of the risks.  “What many of these teens learn is that they are no safer on the streets. From the mid-1970 to the present time, life on the streets has become more dangerous owing to increasing sexual exploitation and drug use”

So what should you do if you know someone who is thinking of running away?

The advice Alex gave to Cube is “Friends can provide crucial support to young people who are experiencing problems. Simply listening without judgement and offering a friend the opportunity to talk about his or her feelings in confidence can make an enormous difference.  If you are worried about a friend, you can call Childline; you can also encourage your friend to do so.”

Running away is not the answer to problems you or a friend may be thinking it is.  Take Childline’s advice and you will see you are not alone.

Thank you to Childline for support in writing this article
Feature by Heidi Johnson

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