Prevention manual: Running away from home
It is said that each head is a world, you could also say that each family is a galaxy, with its virtues, problems and particularities, so when we inquire about family problems, it cannot be generalized, there are many explanations and possible causes. With this in mind, let's try to answer: who runs away from home?
The highest rate of those who escape from home are children and adolescents, therefore, it is the parents and adults who must be attentive to the signs and the reasons that may lead the minor child to commit this action.
Family abandonment of adults also happens, and it is not less serious but legally a person of legal age can live where and how he or she wants while he or she does not violate the laws of a government. In the case of minors, the laws establish that they must live together with their parents or a representative, so when a child or adolescent gets away, the police or investigative agencies of the state intervene.
Common reasons to run away from home:
Statistics indicate that the most common reasons to run away from home are:
- Domestic violence
- Abuse or sexual harassment within the family
- Bad partnerships
If a child or adolescent escapes from home, does not mean that automatically fits into the statistics, remember that each individual is unique and each family is particular.
In some cases, "fleeing home" is not something that young people "plan"; those decisions are consequences of poor communication with their parents or representatives.
Certainly "obedience" is a quality that children should develop, that includes "request permission" to perform some secular or fun activity, when it is not clear why they should obey, the young people can make decisions that disturb the peace of the family.
How to prevent children and adolescents from fleeing home?
The key is: EDUCATION
- Education with examples, parents and representatives should be models of values and qualities.
- Education with love, the child and the adolescent should feel loved and with a sense of belonging to the home, that is achieved when the parents or representatives are affectionate with them and show them how valuable they are, even in the moments of discipline, this is performs respecting the physical and psychological integrity of the child or adolescent.
- Continuous communication.
- Integration in the life of the child or adolescent, knowing their tastes, hobbies and friends.
What to do in case a relative escapes from home?
Regardless of the age of the person who flees, the severity is the same so you can do the following:
- Contact the last person who has seen him/her or with whom he/she have been.
- Walk or visit the places she/he frequents.
- Contact other friends or family.
- Consult in emergencies of clinics or hospitals.
- Notify the nearest security agencies.
- Be attentive to phone calls.
- Check if he/she have left a note or message about why he/she have fled, perhaps it reveals some sign of your whereabouts or location.
Relationship between family violence and fleeing home.
It is one of the main reasons why children, adolescents and adults leave a house.
Nobody likes to live or feel comfortable in a home where physical or psychological attacks are daily, so many children and young people are forced to flee their home.
Knowing this reality should motivate parents or representatives to question the way they are leading or handling family issues, as they can obviously influence negatively on children, causing situations that can put the child's life at risk.
We invite all parents and representatives, to self-evaluate, determine and recognize if they have anger problems, or if they are bein violent with some member of the family component, recognizing it can seek psychological and spiritual help, which will help to regain harmony at home.
Dangers associated with escaping from home.
- Falling into the world of drug use
- Being a victim of easy kidnapping or trafficking of minors
- Being a victim of crime
- Being part of criminal gangs
- Prostitution
Project Milkbox wants all parents and representatives to strive to have more communication with their children, respect their dignity and educate them properly, for two reasons, first of all, because it is their responsibility and duty, no one can replace them, and on the other hand, to avoid unnecessary problems that can put at risk the life of the represented.
Contributions from our authors:
| User | Contribution/ Comment |
|---|---|
| @alcidescadiz | Poema: SE FUE |
| @anaparedes | Poema: ¡Huye!, ¡huye!, escucho sin parar |