The Life of a Teenage Runaway
The Life of a Teenage Runaway
Along with being a teenager comes many hardships that vary from person to person. Different people choose to deal with their issues in different ways; unfortunately, some teens choose to leave their homes in hopes that the situation will get better. It has been shown that each year, nearly 1.7 million children and teenagers run away from home or are forced out by their parents (Maccio). “Substantial research shows that runaway and homeless youth are running away from a family situation characterized by poor parenting practices, violence, neglect, and sexual abuse” (Slesnick and Pretopnik). Adolescents may experience various scenarios that will cause him or her to run away. Some may run away to try and free themselves of their day-to-day lives or torments that they may face. Some may want to escape the struggles and hardships of life. Some may even leave because they feel neglected or unwanted by the ones they care about the most. Although these experiences may happen during adolescence, there are preventive measures that can be taken to keep kids from leaving home. Many adolescents run away from home for several different reasons. One of the more prevalent reasons is child and family abuse. There is evidence that shows that many teens leave home to escape an abusive family situation (Wan-Ning). Child abuse comes in many different forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional. Physical abuse is portrayed as being a hands-on approach to harming the child; it ranges from punching and beating to biting and burning. According to the American Humane Association, physical abuse sometimes comes from extreme physical discipline in which the parent is not aware of how intense his or her force is to the child. Often, physical abuse can result from parental immaturity, lack of parenting skills, or even drug or alcohol problems (American Humane Association). Teens that see their parents engaging in this type of physical behavior will
Along with being a teenager comes many hardships that vary from person to person. Different people choose to deal with their issues in different ways; unfortunately, some teens choose to leave their homes in hopes that the situation will get better. It has been shown that each year, nearly 1.7 million children and teenagers run away from home or are forced out by their parents (Maccio). “Substantial research shows that runaway and homeless youth are running away from a family situation characterized by poor parenting practices, violence, neglect, and sexual abuse” (Slesnick and Pretopnik). Adolescents may experience various scenarios that will cause him or her to run away. Some may run away to try and free themselves of their day-to-day lives or torments that they may face. Some may want to escape the struggles and hardships of life. Some may even leave because they feel neglected or unwanted by the ones they care about the most. Although these experiences may happen during adolescence, there are preventive measures that can be taken to keep kids from leaving home. Many adolescents run away from home for several different reasons. One of the more prevalent reasons is child and family abuse. There is evidence that shows that many teens leave home to escape an abusive family situation (Wan-Ning). Child abuse comes in many different forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional. Physical abuse is portrayed as being a hands-on approach to harming the child; it ranges from punching and beating to biting and burning. According to the American Humane Association, physical abuse sometimes comes from extreme physical discipline in which the parent is not aware of how intense his or her force is to the child. Often, physical abuse can result from parental immaturity, lack of parenting skills, or even drug or alcohol problems (American Humane Association). Teens that see their parents engaging in this type of physical behavior will
Cited: Eighner, Lars. Travels with Lizbeth. New York: St. Martin 's Press, 1993. Print. Fothergill, Kate E., et al. "A Prospective Study of Childhood and Adolescent Antecedents of Homelessness among a Community Population of African Americans." Journal of Urban Health 89.3 (2012): 432-46. ProQuest Social Science Journals. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. “Runaway Situations.”Building Brighter Tomorrows. 1736 Family Crisis Center, 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. “Running Away.” Safe Place