Teen Runaways in the News

So, last week, The New York Times starting running a series (or a mini series, or a couple) of articles on teenage runaways and the traps that await them as they try to survive on the streets alone.

The first article, “Recession Drives Surge in Youth Runaways,” is about how the recession is increasing the number of teens who run away from home. According to the article, “Over the past two years, government officials and experts have seen an increasing number of children leave home for life on the streets, including many under 13. Foreclosures, layoffs, rising food and fuel prices and inadequate supplies of low-cost housing have stretched families to the extreme, and those pressures have trickled down to teenagers and preteens.” That sucks. There’s also a video you might want to check out-

The second article, “For Runaways, Sex Buys Survival,” focuses on what runaways have to endure in order to survive on the streets, the difficult choices they must make, the predators that target them when they are at their most vulnerable, and those in law enforcement trying to help. As you may or many not know, Port Authority is a hub for both runaways who come to the city looking for a better/different/another life, as well as pimps, perverts and other garbage who prey on them. There’s also a video.

If you are a teen in need of help, or know (of) one, please try to get help:

National Runaway Switchboard– 1-800-RUNWAY (1-800-786-2929); available 24 hours a day.

Here are additional resources from the National Runaway Switchboard website:

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline:

Serving abused children and their families, Childhelp is devoted to providing services that allow for each and every child to know “a life filled with love”. Some of the programs and services they provide are: Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, Child Advocacy Centers, and Therapeutic Group Homes. Childhelp has regional offices and facilities in the following states: AZ, CA, TN, MI, and VA.Childhelp’s hotline is: 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

Children of the Night:

Children of the Night is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 to assist children between the ages of 11-17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for feed and shelter. Through their outreach, shelter home, and 24-hour crisis hotline, Children of the Night are able to rescue youth who have been raped, beaten, overdosed on drugs, and are trying to escape the streets. Children who call the hotline are counseled over the telephone while they wait for transportation to the Children of the Night Shelter or until they can be placed in a shelter in their local area. The Children of the Night hotline is: 1-800-551-1300.

Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS):

Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) was founded in 1999 designed to serve girls and young women ages 12-21 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS has helped hundreds of young girls and women exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential by providing them with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change. Their services include prevention and outreach, intervention, and youth development programs.