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Conference moira::parenting

Title:	Parenting
Notice:	Previous PARENTING version at MOIRA::PARENTING_V3
Moderator:	GEMEVN::FAIMANY

Created:	Thu Apr 09 1992
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1292
Total number of notes:	34837

671.0. "Runaway Children" by CSC32::DUBOIS (Discrimination encourages violence) Mon Jan 10 1994 11:54

This topic is reserved for questions, resources, and issues around runaway
children.

      Carol duBois, PARENTING co-moderator

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
671.1		CSC32::DUBOIS	Discrimination encourages violence	`Mon Jan 10 1994 12:01`	32
	This note is being entered for a member of our community who wishes to remain anonymous at this time. Any information which you might wish to be emailed to the author may be sent to me, and I will forward your mail to the author. Carol duBois, PARENTING co-moderator ******************************************************** My 14 year old niece left home with a "friend" last Wednesday, January 5th. My brother immediately contacted the police. My brother also talked with the other girl's family. It seems their child has a history of running away by herself at least once a month. I talked with my brother or rather let him talk for as long as he needed. My sense is that the only source of assistance he's getting is from the police. I'm too many states away to offer close assistance but am choosing not to sit idly. I need your help: The family lives in New Baltimore, Michigan. I'm looking for all available resources for the family. I will have him contact the youth Division. What other agencies are there? Are there safe houses for runaways? And prayers most graciously accepted. Signed Hoping for help
671.2		DELNI::DISMUKE		`Mon Jan 10 1994 13:16`	13
	From experience I can say that if this is the first time, the police are your best bet. Other agencies do not usually get involved unless this is a chronic problem or if the child ran away because of abuses at home. I have a close friend who's 17 year old daughter left (and is still gone - but in touch), and my niece who is 14 (habitual runner, but not a problem child according to the authorities). A suggestion would be to get psychological help as soon as possible. Find out why the kid left - if she went with a friend, it was probably peer pressure. My niece tells me "all her friends do it", so it sounds like this is the way these kids "think" they solve their problems. -sandy
671.3		WWDST1::MGILBERT	Education Reform starts at home....	`Wed Jan 12 1994 10:33`	15
	"hoping for help" doesn't indicate whether the child has returned or not. If the child is still out there then your brother needs to get professional help in dealing with and understanding what's going on. If the child has returned then both need that professional help. I would have your brother contact the local school department and ask them for a referral. This type of thing is far more common than most of us imagine. The other child's "habitual" running away also means that either she isn't very good at hiding or she simply returns pretty quickly anyway. That's a good sign. Prayers are definitely with you.