Quarter of runaways exposed to danger

One in four child runaways has found themselves in a dangerous or harmful situation, research from The Children’s Society has revealed.

The charity’s study on runaways – which sampled 7,349 young people aged 14 to 16 from across England – also showed that, of those who had run away, one in five has begged, stolen or done “other things” to survive.

Meanwhile, one in nine (11 per cent) was hurt or harmed on the last occasion they ran away and around one in five (18 per cent) children said they had slept rough or stayed with someone they had just met.

The report found that, despite the dangers, teachers, social workers, police and other professionals are not stepping in and supporting the vast majority of young runaways.

The research also identifies a link between family relationships and running away, finding that children who have experienced family change and conflict over the past year are three times as likely to run away as those that have not.

Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of The Children’s Society, has called on government and other professionals to put the issue at the “top of their priority lists”.

The charity has called on government to create a national “safety net” for child runaways.

“We are deeply concerned that tens of thousands of children are still running from home or care,” Reitemeier said. “Huge numbers are putting themselves in very dangerous situations.

“One child in this situation is one child too many. Some children are so desperate that they steal, turn to drugs or alcohol, or are abused by adults who groom them.

“Too often they are alone and desperate for help. We have shown that arguments and other family conflict play a massive part in a child’s decision to run.

“Poor-quality family relationships and neglectful parenting are making children and young people feel helpless. Everybody has a part to play in making runaways safe.”