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Running away from home is considered a crime in some jurisdictions, but it is usually an offense punishable with probation or not at all. [16] Giving aid or support to a runaway rather than turning them over to the police is a more serious crime called “harboring a runaway,” which is usually an offence. [17] [18] The law may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; In the United States, each state has a different law. A 2003 FBI study showed that there were 123,581 arrests for runaway youth in the United States. [19] In the United States, an aberrant person is a minor who leaves his home without permission and stays away from home overnight (14 years and under or older and mentally incapable) or two nights (15 years or older) and decides not to go home when expected to return. [12] An outlier is different from abandoning a “disposable” child or youth. Runaway teens are evenly split between men and women, although girls are more likely to seek help through shelters and helplines. [13] In the United States, runaway children or adolescents are widely considered a chronic and serious social problem. It is estimated that there are between 1.3 and 1.5 million runaway and homeless youth in the United States each year.

[14] [15] An estimated 47 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets of India. [10] Studies have shown a higher prevalence of runaways among adolescents than among adolescent girls. Outliers have an increased risk of destructive behaviour. About fifty percent of outliers have difficulties with schooling; including termination, exclusion or suspension. [6] Running away can increase the risk of delinquency for youth and put them at risk of victimization. [7] There are numerous studies in several countries on “street children” – adolescents who have run away and are currently homeless – showing that they are at high risk of illicit drug use, developing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unwanted pregnancies, depression, suicide attempts and sexual exploitation. [8] A greater proportion of runaway adolescents suffer from clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder than normative adolescents. Trauma usually begins with the experiences of runaway teens within the family and is amplified by ongoing traumatic events. [4] The likelihood of depression among runaways is related to family conflict and communication.

Depression in male runaways is usually associated with a father`s drinking disorder and poor family relationships. Negative interactions in relationships within the family seem to strongly influence depressive symptoms for both sexes. [9] The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services` Family and Youth Services Bureau funds grant programs to help runaway and homeless youth. The organization also funds the National Runaway Standardboard, a national helpline for runaway teens, teens considering fleeing or in crisis, parents and other concerned adults. [20] [21] If caught, young women who run away from home are returned to their male relatives. The refusal to return home led to her being escorted to Nari Sanrakshan Gruh, the women`s protection centre, or women`s shelter for short, in a nearby town. Families are also likely to refuse to talk to the child, deny it or physically harm the young woman or her romantic partners (rural areas only). Respect for family is important in India. Much of India`s runaway population describes themselves as young people who do everything right at home, but have been treated harshly by their family members all their lives.

[10] Maltreatment includes everything from one child`s preference over another to extreme maltreatment. In Hong Kong, 51.1% of at-risk youth identified by social workers aged 11 to 18 were outliers. [7] Recent studies suggest that the leading cause of adolescent homelessness is family dysfunction in the form of parental neglect, physical or sexual abuse, substance abuse-related family disorders, and family violence. [2] [3] Almost half of runaway teens reported that at least one parent was struggling with alcohol dependence, and at least one-third reported that a parent was struggling with drug dependence. [4] Social control theory describes the out-of-control situation in China.