Teen runaways difficult to track

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Runaways come from all social classes.

Fortunately, most return home once they realize how hard life is on their own, according to Jim White, a community services officer with the Edmonton city police department.

He says runaways mostly fall between the 13 to 17 age group.

"Roughly 45 per cent of them run from their own home, with 42 per cent running from institutions; 56 cases or 11.4 per cent (ran away) from foster homes."

A child runs away from home for a wide variety of reasons in the home environment - stringent rules, high parental expectations, or are escaping physical or sexual abuse.

City police conduct searches when they are notified of a runaway by a parent, foster parent or institution. A report containing the runaway's description and if they are repeat or first time runners. Chronic runaways have file numbers, White says.

"We've had children who have ran away 15 times," he adds. "You bring them home and by the time you get to your car they are out the back door."

Police do not purposely search for repeat runaways because there is not enough manpower. Usually repeats are found during everyday police patrols.

First time runaways are searched for and get high police priority - the younger they are the higher priority they get.

When runaways are found, police question them about why they ran away.

Police also paint a positive picture of family life, White says. If a runaway is 17 years old or younger and reveals an abusive home life then police may refer them to child welfare, a crisis center, social services, welfare authorities, or other family

members.

"Those are ways of dealing with it rather than running because running does not answer anything, it doesn't cure all," he adds. "All it does is puts the problem aside for a while and usually develops other problems as well."

White indicates kids will turn to drugs, prostitution and theft for income. Some are exploited by adults who provide them a place to stay, eat and sleep in return for sex, or to traffic drugs or to steal. Only a minority of kids are driven to that life, he

adds.

Others will hang out with friends or people who will support them. They constantly survey their surroundings, looking for police or social workers following them. They peddle for money and may stay at shelters.

"There are some safe homes that we are aware of," White states, but he does not want to reveal locations in case runaways avoid them.

Then there are escapees from detention centers and treatment facilities who felt the rules were too stringent. They want the freedom of the streets and to be with friends. But they don't help themselves, White adds.

"If you run from there it just makes it harder on you," he said.

Another class of runaways are kids who run away from foster homes. They are usually lonely for their families and confused, White said.

It usually is their first experience away from home and can be intimidating, even if they left an abusive home. Home means parents and a family, a family they love, he added.

"It must be very scary to have your kids out there. You don't know where there at, you don't know whether their hurt, whether they're being used and abused," White says, speaking as a parent.

"It must be very frightening for the parents as well as the kids."