NCJ Number
79644
Date Published
1978
Length
212 pages
Annotation
This research study examines the interaction between runaways and the self-help runaway program network. The study's focus is on the experiences of subjects from the time they decide to run away from home to the time they interact with the self-help runaway program network.
Abstract
The two field settings were located in Boston, Mass.: Project Place (Place) and Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Bridge). Both of these programs provide services to young people on a 24-hour basis. Each has strong outreach programs. A total of 50 extensive interviews were conducted with young people contacted at Bridge and Place. The study revealed that runaway children who interact with the self-help network most frequently left home because of serious and critical problems within the family. For many adolescents, evidence suggests that running away may represent a positive reaction to serious problems or a natural reaction to certain predictable societal forces. The study recommends that in order to develop the full potential of programs within the self-help network, the Federal Government should provide 3-year block grants. Footnotes and over 100 references are given.