A Place Along the Way

DEFINITIONS AND DIMENSIONS

A related term used for runaways is "throwaway youth". Normally a throwaway youth or child is someone who has been "locked out" or forced to leave home by his/her parents or caregivers. However, the distinction between runaways and throwaways is not clear as in many cases it depends on who provides the information. When the parents are asked they say the youth ran away, while the youth would say he or she was forced to leave, either directly or by circumstances. In most cases, youth run away because the situation at home is seen as unbearable and not because they are looking for excitement or fun.

In North America, runaway children or youth are a chronic and serious social problem. It is estimated that each year there are between 1.3 and 1.5 million runaway and homeless youth in the United States (Coco & Courtney, 1998; Cauce et al., 1994). This problem also exists in the United Kingdom, with runaway youths often congregating in London. Current studies suggest that the primary cause of youth homelessness is family dysfunction in the form of parental neglect, physical or sexual abuse, family substance abuse, and family violence (Smollar, 1999; Robertson & Toro, 1998). Family conflict can also be caused by sudden and or drastic changes in the family composition (i.e. a divorce, re-marriage, death of a parent), parental substance abuse, youth's substance abuse, and youth's sexual activity.