Why young people go missing
Every year, as many as 100,000 children and young people go missing or run away from home. There are lots of reasons why this might happen, like challenges at home or at school, or criminals targeting teenagers online. Once they have gone missing, teenagers are in real danger. Isolated and scared, they don’t know what to do or who to trust. We take a look at why young people go missing, and how we can prevent it.
Trouble at home
Trouble at home
Home is meant to feel like a haven. For teenagers, home can be an escape from the stresses and anxieties of school. But for some young people, their house doesn’t always feel like a safe place.
If someone in their family is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it can cause stress, violence or neglect. This behaviour can make teenagers feel confused and alone. They can end up running away to escape violent and abusive treatment.
Bullying
Bullying wears down a teenager’s self-esteem and can make going about their daily life harder and harder. Whether it’s on the walk to school, in a changing room, or in a classroom, a young person who feels repeatedly put down can end up wanting to escape the situation.
Today, bullying has taken on a new avatar in the form of cyberbullying. Young people can’t escape that treatment when they get home from school. Instead, mean comments, anonymous messages, and even being excluded from group chats can make a teenager feel hurt and alone. They might feel hopeless or like they have no options left. They could feel that running away and wiping the slate clean is their only way out.
Grooming and exploitation
“These people are extremely manipulative and will use any means of coercion available.” Matt, project worker
Criminal exploitation
Grooming and exploitation
Sometimes, criminals target teenagers online. They prey on the needs, fears, and wants of young people to manipulate them – forcing them into sexual or criminal activity and even to run away from home.
Once they have gone missing, teenagers are in real danger. Isolated and scared, they don’t know what to do or who to trust. Returning home can feel impossible. They may be afraid that their parents will be angry, scared to disobey their abuser, or have been turned against their family by the person who groomed them. Teenagers are children too, and they need our help.
The challenges facing today's teenagers
Too many young people face abuse, exploitation, and isolation, and help is only offered once things have got out of hand. We can't forget, teenagers are children too, and they need our help.
Building support
When a young person goes missing, it’s up to the adults in their lives – their parents, carers, and support networks – to make sure that they feel safe and that they get the support they need. We work closely with the police and local authorities to provide one-to-one support to young people who have gone missing. We’re there to listen without judgement, working to understand what caused the young person to run away and how we can address those challenges together.
“It’s our job to build trust, to help them to see that they are a human being worthy of care and connection that is healthy.” Emily, project worker
Our help means that they no longer have to struggle alone. Instead, they can process what’s happened, build strong relationships, and move forward.
