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> An estimated 6% to 7% of U.S. youth run away from home each year, or more than 1.5 million children and adolescents annually, according to the National Cleari

> An estimated 6% to 7% of U.S. youth run away from home each year, or more than 1.5 million children and adolescents annually, according to the National Clearinghouse on Homeless Youths and Families. WTF!? If true, this should be a far bigger issue than most things talked about. A little clicking turned up the following links: 1. Facts and Figures About Runaway and Homeless Youth -- https://rhyclearinghouse.acf.hhs.gov/news/2019/03/facts-and-figures-about-runaway-and-homeless-youth https://rhyclearinghouse.acf.hhs.gov/news/2019/03/facts-and-... 2. Why they run: An in-depth look at America's runaway youth -- https://www.1800runaway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Why-They-Run-Report.pdf https://www.1800runaway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Why-T...

opportune 7y ago
Running away is similar to child kidnapping (mostly done by parents and family members without active custody) in that we assume the worst when in reality there are certain circumstances that count but are much less bad than the conclusions you would immediately jump to: Going to stay at a different relatives house or a friend’s. Foster kids doing the same. Going to live with a parent who does not have full custody.
pjc50 7y ago
Domestic violence is the "epidemic" that nobody wants to admit exists.
- ensignavenger 7y ago
  Domestic violence is indeed a big problem, but it would be more correct to say it is endemic, not epidemic.
ryanmarsh 7y ago
What percentage of runaways are confirmed runaways, as opposed to being trafficked?
kick 7y ago
Why do you see it as bad? It's really not. I know multiple people who did as youths (though they could be thought as the more successful end of the spectrum, they're all doing well now and were doing well then). Not all "runaways" are homeless, though, nor are they even necessarily in a worse spot after doing so. The idea that a person should stay with their guardians until 18 is a recent societal invention, and is probably more harmful than not. It's harder than ever to die in America, though it's also gotten progressively harder for youth to get an independent start. "Running away" (it's more aptly described as "leaving," running implies cowardice) in itself isn't an issue, it's just a symptom of a greater problem: guardians are frequently bad, and the infantilization of society has rapidly progressed to a ridiculous point. This is a controversial opinion, but one that's shared by almost every close friend of mine: labor laws for adolescents (I hesitate to call them "child labor laws," because infantilizing adolescents is the thing that caused the problem to begin with) have had a disastrous effect on society. Even in the modern day, a guardian can still rob an adolescent of their earnings in America, codified by law. By any other measure, a person who can force another to work and can take their earnings is a slavemaster.
- dondawest 7y ago
  >This is a controversial opinion, but one that's shared by almost every close friend of mine: labor laws for adolescents (I hesitate to call them "child labor laws," because infantilizing adolescents is the thing that caused the problem to begin with) have had a disastrous effect on society. I am in full agreement with this opinion. At 14, I was ready to WORK! After school AND during summer! Yet "Child Labor laws" and related bullshit prevented me from contributing to society at a time when I was fully able and willing to.
  - samcal 7y ago
    There are plenty of ways for you to contribute to your society (even labor), you just can't get paid for them: volunteer, clean up, contribute to open-source codebases, etc. I think there's a reasonable argument that the best thing you can do for your society is learn and grow, and we need to support children that wish to do so.

opportune 7y ago

Running away is similar to child kidnapping (mostly done by parents and family members without active custody) in that we assume the worst when in reality there are certain circumstances that count but are much less bad than the conclusions you would immediately jump to: Going to stay at a different relatives house or a friend’s. Foster kids doing the same. Going to live with a parent who does not have full custody.

pjc50 7y ago

Domestic violence is the "epidemic" that nobody wants to admit exists.

ensignavenger 7y ago
Domestic violence is indeed a big problem, but it would be more correct to say it is endemic, not epidemic.

ryanmarsh 7y ago

What percentage of runaways are confirmed runaways, as opposed to being trafficked?

kick 7y ago

Why do you see it as bad? It's really not. I know multiple people who did as youths (though they could be thought as the more successful end of the spectrum, they're all doing well now and were doing well then). Not all "runaways" are homeless, though, nor are they even necessarily in a worse spot after doing so. The idea that a person should stay with their guardians until 18 is a recent societal invention, and is probably more harmful than not. It's harder than ever to die in America, though it's also gotten progressively harder for youth to get an independent start. "Running away" (it's more aptly described as "leaving," running implies cowardice) in itself isn't an issue, it's just a symptom of a greater problem: guardians are frequently bad, and the infantilization of society has rapidly progressed to a ridiculous point. This is a controversial opinion, but one that's shared by almost every close friend of mine: labor laws for adolescents (I hesitate to call them "child labor laws," because infantilizing adolescents is the thing that caused the problem to begin with) have had a disastrous effect on society. Even in the modern day, a guardian can still rob an adolescent of their earnings in America, codified by law. By any other measure, a person who can force another to work and can take their earnings is a slavemaster.

dondawest 7y ago
>This is a controversial opinion, but one that's shared by almost every close friend of mine: labor laws for adolescents (I hesitate to call them "child labor laws," because infantilizing adolescents is the thing that caused the problem to begin with) have had a disastrous effect on society. I am in full agreement with this opinion. At 14, I was ready to WORK! After school AND during summer! Yet "Child Labor laws" and related bullshit prevented me from contributing to society at a time when I was fully able and willing to.
- samcal 7y ago
  There are plenty of ways for you to contribute to your society (even labor), you just can't get paid for them: volunteer, clean up, contribute to open-source codebases, etc. I think there's a reasonable argument that the best thing you can do for your society is learn and grow, and we need to support children that wish to do so.