At some point in our lives, most of us have thought about running
away from home or have known someone who has runaway. In most cases, this
'runaway period' is just for a few hours, or maybe as much as a day. Quite
often, we feel the need to get away from a person or a particular situation
that we believe we can no longer deal with. Although most children do return
home, there is an estimated 2,000,000 youths per year (an average
of over 10,000 children each night) who are homeless because they ran away.
A 1994 National Network for Youth study determined that
homeless youth are those individuals under the age of 18 years old who lack
parental, foster, or institutional care. In 1995, a study commissioned by
mayors of various cities found that children under the age of 18 account for 25% of the
total homeless population. A few years earlier, the General Accounting
Office determined that 90% of all homeless youths are between the ages of 12
and 17.
There are several reasons why youths leave their homes. A few of
the major reasons for children running away from home are physical and/or
sexual abuse, strains in relationships with the parents or other family
members, substance abuse in the family, or just plain neglect. In the twin
cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 50% of the homeless youths are
recovering victims of physical or sexual abuse which they experienced while
living at home. In some instances, children have been thrown out of their
homes because their families faced a major financial crisis, such as lack of
housing or insufficient welfare benefits.
Occasionally, runaway youths are given a chance to get back on the
right track and obtain a roof over their heads. According to a study done in
1991 by Pires, 60% of the youths on the streets have lived in one or more child
placement centers, the most common being foster care. Unfortunately, if a
child has been through too many foster homes, there appears to be a
tendency for the individual to become homeless.
Contrary to popular thought, it is not easy to place a child in a foster
home. A recent national study found that agency policy or state law
prevented 3 out of 4 local welfare agencies from putting children in foster
care because they were homeless. If being homeless isn't the right reason
to get a home, then what is?
While on the street, homeless youths suffer through many problems
such as depression, anxiety, poor health and nutrition, and a low self
esteem. Needless to say, most homeless runaways are not attending school.
The reasons for this are simple; they have no permanent address, no
parental consent, and no access to proper records. Consequently, this
creates a secondary problem for these children. Without proper education
these youths will not be able to obtain well-paying productive employment,
which would break the cycle of homelessness.
To avoid the financial hardships of the street, many runaways turn
to prostitution. Homeless youths learn that sex can get them food, clothing,
and shelter. Since sex is 'the way to survive', these youths have multiple
partners and have a great risk of contracting a sexually transmitted diseases
such as the HIV virus. In a 1993 study condeucted by Cwayna, 80% of the homeless youths in the
Los Angeles area have been reportedly involved in prostitution. Out of
that number, it is estimated that 15% to 20% of the children are HIV positive.
1. Cwayna, 1993
2. Wilder Research Foundation, 1991
3. Roman and Wolfe, 1995
4. American Welfare Association, 1995
5. Cwayna, 1993
