NCJ Number
93245
Date Published
1980
Length
30 pages
Annotation
Every year thousands of youngsters pass through transportation centers while running away from home. Their use of transportation system represents an opportunity to provide runaways with alternatives that protect them from exploitation and injury.
Abstract
This guide provides information to transportation centers on coping with the problem of runaway youth. The first four sections discuss types of runaways and illuminate the problems presented by youngsters using buses and trains to run away from their homes. The fifth and sixth sections highlight the critical elements of successful programs and describe four separate programs that address the problems of runaways in and around bus stations. The final section lists organizations and programs concerned with runaways in and around transportation centers are contained in the final section. Materials for the booklet derive from extensive surveys and studies of youth, interviews with youth service experts, and on-site visits to the programs. Program assessment suggests that successful programs are effective largely because of elements which insure that proper assistance is delivered in a timely, organized, and efficient manner. The first critical element is identification of the problem so that the community can select the most effective type of intervention. Ongoing resource development and maintenance are also crucial to effective outreach programs. Finally, tight organization and administration are characteristic of all successful programs. (Author summary modified)