Teen Runaway Hotline

If you’re the friend of a teenager who has confided in you a plan to run away, that puts you in an uncomfortable position. Although you don’t want your friend to leave and never be heard from again you don’t want to break the confidence that your friend shared with you either.

There are two main problems: one is that many teenagers run away from home in hopes of more freedom and a better life elsewhere but find instead, a life on the streets, usually funded by prostitution or worse. You certainly don’t want that for your friend. The other problem is that, as a friend, you don’t want to tattle on your pal and get her in trouble or have her hate you because you did..

Thousands of kids run away from home every year, for various reasons. Some are abused kids looking to escape the constant battle and others are running from something they’ve done. Still more kids leave home because they simply don’t want to be told what to do anymore.

Even if your friend has a plan, money, and a car that doesn’t mean he or she will make it okay. What seems like a lot of money to a teen is usually not enough to find a place to stay, food, gas and other necessities. In no time the teen can be broke with no where to go. Afraid to go home, the teen often wanders the streets in search of something to do for money. Things often go down hill from there.

Although hundreds of runaway teens manage to find their way in the world, and others return home, thousands more end up drug-addicted, committing crimes for money, or found dead. And many of these kids would go home, if they thought they could, but simply don’t have the money to get there and aren’t sure they’d be accepted back.

It’s a hard decision you have to make when someone confides in you that they will be running away. The best thing to do is to tell someone that you trust, like a teacher or priest, in hopes that they may be able to persuade them otherwise. Although this is a breech of their confidence you could be saving your friend’s life.

The National Runaway Switchboard has a toll-free number that is available 24/7 for runaways in need. Whether the runaway needs help getting back home or simply needs a friendly voice they are there. If you are the friend of someone thinking of running away, and simply can’t tell someone, at least make sure they have this number: 1-800-621-4000 before they leave.