The truth about runaway kids
Two Ross County 12-year-olds are safe after running away and sparking a frantic search. But millions more kids are still in danger. You may have seen photos of Alexus Martin and Harmony Simmons popping up all over social media last weekend.
The good news is that these two kids were located in Illinois within a day of their disappearance. The bad news is that millions of more kids are still in danger. According to the Polly Klaas Foundation, close to 3 million kids run away from home every year in the U.S. And while people tend to get whipped up and spring into action when a child is abducted by a stranger (which accounts for less than 1% of missing kids), sometimes they think runaways should just be left to return home on their own.
I know from personal experience in the media that many outlets hesitate to report on runaway kids because they feel ‘they’re going to come home on their own and the then the story is over.’
But according to law enforcement stats, runaways are in real danger and should be found as soon as possible. Human traffickers generally don’t grab kids off the streets. They target runaway teens with promises of friendship and shelter.
According to statistics from the National Runaway Safeline, 14% of youth on the street had traded sex for money, food, shelter, or drugs and 32% of runaway kids have attempted suicide at some point in their lives.
If your child goes missing, contact the police. The Polly Klaas center offers additional help to parents whose kids have left home. Not only do they have thousands of volunteers waiting to spring into action, but they also work with the police, assist you in making a missing poster, and share your child’s story online nationally. Call 800-587-4357.