Teen Runaways
One of the most horrific experiences for parents is to find that their troubled teen has run away from home. While scary enough for a defiant young man to be on the run is the thought of someone's daughter living on the streets. Many times teens will be able to find refuge in the friend of another troubled teen. While this is not optimal it is better than a teen being forced to try to survive by living on the streets. Teens that have enough friends with parents willing to look the other way can survive a week or two away from home. It won't be long however until an empathetic parent will notify the runaway teen's parents to let them know where their child is. Usually the teen will wear his or her welcome out after a few weeks away from home forcing them to either move to the streets or return home.
The danger of at risk youth living on the streets has been portrayed on the television through documentaries showing teens being recruited for pornography and the sex slave market. This can only lead to problems in later life. Many children caught in either of these webs will have a difficult time leaving them. In some cases teens caught are embarrassed to return to their homes and families if they could leave. The troubled teen feels trapped and doesn't have the ability to logically think through the options they have.
It is critical that parents look for signs of a child that may be contemplating running away from home. The obvious signs would be missing clothes, stashes of clothes, a hidden packed bag. Signs may not even be that obvious and it may require probing a little bit when possible with teen's friends. A parent really needs to be proactive in assuring that they know who their teens' friends are. It will be much easier to track your child down if you know all of the possible options they will have if the leave. It is a good idea to ask your child's teacher's at Parent Teacher Conferences who they are hanging around with. A school teacher sees your child everyday as they interact with their peers. They may be a good source of information about your child. It is not even necessary to wait until Parent Teachers conference some parents will call the teacher and ask questions about their child's behavior and if they believe their child may be contemplating running away.
If your teen is beginning to have confrontations with the law, it is time to become more involved in the decisions they are making. Sometimes the stories that explain how they actually got in trouble with the law are only partially truthful. It is very important to be as involved in your child's life. A troubled teen facing any type of legal charge is obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time but the problems may be deeper than they initially appear. One thing is for certain, and that is if a troubled teen has began to have even minor legal problems there is need for a change in his or her life.
Some teens will be frightened enough by the first encounter with the law to make changes necessary to correct the course they are on. It may be necessary for parents to intercede and remove the child from the destructive course they are on. There are boarding schools for troubled teens that can keep an at risk youth from ruining their life before it has really begun. If you are in need of direction call the number on this site and speak with someone who specializes in dealing with troubled teens.