Runaway Prevention, Missing Children And Location


Statistics

  • Between 1 and 1.5 million children run away from home each year.

  • Somewhere between 20 and 40% (depending on where you live) will become involved in high risk behavior including drug use, prostitution, pornography, or starvation on the streets. 

  • Approximately 50% of all runaway children do not believe social service agencies are helpful.

  • According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) there were 840,279 missing-person entries (adults and juveniles) in the year 2001.  A review of NCIC data shows that that approximately 85– 90 percent of those entries were juveniles. Thus, in approximately 725,000 cases (or on average 2,000 per day) the disappearance of a child was serious enough that a parent called law enforcement and the law-enforcement agency took a report and entered it into NCIC.  It should be noted, however, that the vast majority of these cases are resolved within hours.

Articles And Handouts

Web Sites


Professional consultation is always appropriate if you have concerns regarding mental, emotional or behavioral problems.  These handouts should not be used to diagnose medical, psychiatric or mental health disorders.  No handout or questionnaire can replace or substitute for professional consultation or face-to-face evaluation.  These handouts are designed to help you clarify your concerns and help you discuss issues with a counselor or mental health professional.