Many professionals not stepping in to help young runaways

Today sees the launch of the first comprehensive picture of running away for under 16s in six years.

The third in a series of The Children’s Society’s Still Running research reveals that a quarter of child runaways have been the victim of a harmful or dangerous experience.

Keeping child runaways safe is, quite simply, everybody’s responsibility and an issue that cannot be ignored.

We know that, overall in the UK, 100,000 children under the age of 16 run away overnight on at least one occasion. In England alone, this figure is 84,000.

Yet, worryingly, many professionals are not stepping in and supporting the vast majority of young runaways.

Around two-thirds of children who run away are not “visible” to professionals. Seven in ten runaways were not reported missing to police the last time they ran away.

The research also exposes, for the first time, that there is a very strong link between family relationships and running away. 

One child in this situation is one child too many. The Children’s Society is calling on central Government to create a national safety net for child runaways, including creating a national action plan for runaways.

For more information please visit www.makerunawayssafe.org.uk <http://www.makerunawayssafe.org.uk>.