The biggest fear for runaway kids

THE biggest fear for youngsters who run away is actually returning home – that’s according to the latest figures released by The Relationship Centre in Warrington.
Half of the youngsters who took part in the centre’s latest online survey said they feared returning home once they had run away, because of the repercussions they might face from parents.
Alison McCausland, project manager for the centre’s Talk…Don’t Walk Campaign, a programme that aims to reduce the number of young runaways and support their families, said: “We are aware that in the majority of cases, it can be issues and conflict within either the home or school that can cause a young person to run away from home in the first place
“The survey re-iterates that running away is not an answer to a problem or situation and can often make a young person feel even more isolated and vulnerable which is demonstrated by more than 30 per cent of the respondents being fearful of sexual assault.
“One of the fundamental differences that Talk…Don’t Walk offers that many other projects around the country do not, is that we work with the entire family. It is important to address the reasons and issues of why a young person wants to or has run away in the first place.
“It is important that young people know about the consequences of running away and more importantly, what alternatives there are to running. We have developed a curriculum-based pack that addresses that very topic which can be delivered by teachers within schools.”
Anyone requiring more information about the Talk…Don’t Walk Campaign can contact The Relationship Centre on 0800 085 2136.
Approximately 350 youngsters took part in the survey, which ran from March 1 to March 31.