01/13/2014 (press release: picassosweb) // Dallas, Texas, USA // Andy Harris McElroy
Every parent’s worst nightmare is to realize that his or her child has run away. Sadly, however, this unfortunate even occurs rather frequently throughout homes across the globe, and studies show that 44 percent of children contemplate or engage in the act of running away between the ages of five and seventeen.
There are a billion reasons why children and teens choose to run away from home, resulting in their sad faces on the nightly news channel, and police investigations searching for missing kids. Obvious reasons children might run away include abuse, neglect, or other similar issues. However, parents are frequently at a loss about why their child has run away. Consider some of these other motivators:
• Divorce
• Fear (the child may have done something and is afraid of punishment)
• Fight with a sibling
• Birth of a sibling
• Dropping out of school
• Peer pressure
• Busted for drugs and/or alcohol abuse
• Owing many dollars from gambling trouble
• Death in the family
• Shame (maybe the child has done something he/she is ashamed of)
• Feelings of failure and disappointment
No matter what instigates a child to run away from home, open communication and acceptance from his or her parent(s) is key to preventing the action from occurring or repeating in the future. Parents need to speak with their children and teach them problem solving skills so they can learn to deal with their problems rather than running away from them. It is also important to provide a calm, loving, environment so that children feel safe to discuss their thoughts and feelings with their parents.
Additionally, parents should stay actively involved in their children’s lives. It is important to know who your children’s friends are and where they are spending their free time after school. Children and teens need to feel cared about and loved, and parents must show an interest in their children in order to achieve this feeling and help reduce the risk of their child running away.
Need more resources regarding run away children and teens? Contact Andy Harris McElroy in Dallas today.
