What to do if your child runs away from home

Teenagers who run away are not bad, they just made a bad decision. They may have been involved in too much pressure and feel the need to escape from the nucleus that causes them discomfort, in this case, home. Instead of facing the problem and solving it, they have preferred to run away from it.

It is important that adolescents learn from a young age to cope with problems, even if the problem is the parents. When they have the right tools to fix things that happen in their lives, the pressure they feel lessens and there is no need for them to escape.

Every teenager has ever thought about running away from home or running away from what bothers them. This is a real problem, but many do not. It is important to know what to do to prevent this from happening even if it occurs to you to do so.

YOU CAN’T LOCK THEM UP

As much as you want to build a wall around your kids, you just can’t. As a parent you can be a safety net, a toolbox, an emotional punching bag … But what you can never be are chains.

As a parent you will never want them to leave, but there is nothing you can do to prevent it if they want to.

IF YOUR CHILDREN ESCAPE, YOU ARE NOT A BAD FATHER

You may feel like you are a bad parent if your child runs away from home. In reality, children or adolescents who are abused or have conflictive situations often do not escape the situation because of the helplessness they learned. Only 16% of teens who escape do to get out of a situation of abuse physical, emotional or sexual.

IF YOUR CHILD RUNS AWAY …

The first thing you will have to do is call the police. Don’t wait 24 hours, do it immediately. If your child is under 18, you don’t have to wait for your child’s details to be entered into the missing persons file. Ask for the name and identification of the official you have spoken with and call often.

Also call all of your child’s friends you know and ask for their help. Search everywhere, keep the phone close. Search your teen’s bedroom for anything that might give you a clue as to where he may have gone. It’s also a good idea to check your phone bill for any calls you’ve made recently.

WHEN YOUR TEENAGER COMES HOME …

If your teen regrets leaving and comes home, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t make the situation worse.

• • Have a break. Don’t start talking right away, her emotions are at a very high point. You need to separate emotionally a bit.

• • Ask and listen. Once you are more relaxed, ask him why he left. You will have to assess the situation but do not say any consequences as you speak.

• • Keep talking. Tell him how you have felt in his absence, about what he has done. Let him know that he has hurt the dealer and that there is not a problem in the world that cannot be solved if you are together. If you ever feel that running away is better than solving something, the best thing to do first is talk to you. You can always offer them other options so they can make a better decision.

• Get help. If this is not the first time your child has tried to run away from home or if you are having trouble communicating with him, now is the time to ask for help. You can ask for help from a person your child respects such as an uncle or a grandparent. If necessary, you can also seek professional help from a psychologist who specializes in treating adolescents.