‘No‐One Runs Away For No Reason’: Understanding Safeguarding Issues When Children and Young People Go Missing From Home

Abstract

An estimated one in nine children will run away from home or substitute care before their 16th birthday in the UK. This paper explores the safeguarding concerns and responses for children and young people who run away or go missing from home. The majority of children and young people run away from home due to family relationship problems. Running away or being physically absent from home may be due to abuse and neglect. One in 11 children reported being hurt or harmed whilst running away. For some young people, ‘running to’ a person or situation can present many risks and can be part of a coercive and exploitative relationship. Despite these multiple indicators of risk, there has been little focus on safeguarding policies and practice for children and young people who run away from home. Drawing on a case example of a third‐sector service using Return Interview Assessments, this paper argues that professionals must ensure that all children and young people who run away or go missing from home are given meaningful opportunities to be listened to, and taken seriously, in order to ensure that a wide range of safeguarding concerns can be addressed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: When a child runs away from home, something may be wrong in that child's life. Some children run away or are absent from home due to abuse or neglect. Some children are ‘running to’ a place or person, which can place them at even more risk of harm. All children who run away need to have an opportunity to talk about what is happening in their life without feeling judged.

Youth homelessness and its relationship with family conflict: Models for policy and practice

“…Another study confirms that experiences of homelessness for young people are often combined with family conflict, together with high levels of physical, emotional, and mental health issues (Altena, Brilleslijper-Kater and Wolf, 2010). High rates of trauma and abuse occur for children and young people both prior to and after experiences of homelessness (Edidin, et al, 2012), and high-risk activities, such as substance abuse, risky sexual behaviour and crime and also contribute to the complexities of experiences of homelessness for young people (Altena, Brilleslijper-Kater and Wolf, 2010;Hill, et al, 2016).…”

“…Research has clearly established that family conflict directly influences experiences of youth homelessness. Safer, et al (2005) identifies that high levels of family conflict and poor family cohesion are frequently found among homeless youth, while research by Hill, et al (2016) found that the majority of children and young people who run away from home cite family relationship problems as a key factor. Further, Rees, et al (2011) found that family environment was a significant factor in patterns of running away for 14-16 year olds, and almost a quarter (23%) of children living in lowwarmth, high conflict family environments had run away overnight in the last 12 months prior to the study.…”

“…These findings suggest that services will be more successful if they provide opportunities to develop and maintain youth-staff relationships which can strengthen contacts with youth and their families. Further, in service contexts, young people need to be given meaningful opportunities to be listened to and taken seriously (Hill, et al, 2016).…”

Effectiveness of Descriptions in Missing Children Appeals: Exploration of Length, Type of Content and Confidence on Recall Accuracy

“…Of these reports, 60% relate to missing children. Although, this could remain a significant under representation of the true scale of missing children reports (Hayden and Shalev-Greene 2016;Hill et al 2016;Kiepal et al 2012;NCA 2017;Shalev-Greene et al 2009;Smeaton and Rees 2004). Whilst the majority of missing children are located within 48 hours, a small minority will remain missing for a greater duration (NCA 2017).…”

Continuity and Change in Child Protection: Challenges in Research and Practice

“…Drawing on their experience with the NSPCC in the UK, Louise Hill and colleagues () explore their understanding of the vulnerability and risks faced by children and young people who run away or go missing from home. The authors report on a case study of a service for children who had run away, been forced to leave home or gone missing without their parent or carer's knowledge of their whereabouts.…”