Is running away a too easy option

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

I have been reading the Children’s Society report “Make Runaways Safe” on the Childrens and Young Peoples web site, http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1079987/runaways-must-seen-risk/ and within the article is a link to the report at http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/make_runaways_safe_report.pdf

A very interesting read, of which there seems to be no surprises in their findings from my experiences from working within the Childrens residential sector and also being a long term foster career for my own local authority.  I have looked after some challenging children who themselves have run away at times.

The Children’s Society, who have produced the third in a series of reports, have been working with numerous agencies who are involved with runaways up and down the county over the last 25 years.  It comes as no shock that they have seen a significant rise in numbers in those years

The report breaks the 100,000 runaways each year into five groups, with the “Children in Care” group being three times more likely to run away, but only making up two percent of the total.  A third of records showed that they faced “Difficulties at School” and/or “Children involved in Drugs / Alcohol or in trouble with the police”, those “who’s parents’ relationships have broken down” and then those “who have or are considered to have a disability or learning disability”.

I can only comment with experience on those within the care system.  In my opinion the national systems that children’s homes are required to run to are in some ways set up to leave the children, in their minds, with no choice but to run away.  I have looked into the reasons why and usually end up coming back to one answer.  In the child’s mind it is the only option that is guaranteed to allow them to do what they wish to and we all know how focused a teenager can be.  It’s part of their make up at that age.

Let me explain – all too often there are too many hoops, regulations and “Company / House Rules” to struggle through or negotiate round to allow the child to lead the same life as his/her peers that are not in care or are like our own children at home.  This can be from coming back later than agreed after being out with friends, going in to town, staying out at friend’s a party that they probably should not be at etc etc…. It is all real life and all part of growing up.

However when our own children behave like that, they get grounded, pocket money stopped, Xbox’s taken off them for a week or so  etc etc… but they know that we still love them unconditionally, and we are only protecting them and doing what’s best as parents to help them grow up.