It's not easy being a kid today. The decisions and concerns
confronting kids today are tougher than ever: peer pressure, drug/alcohol
abuse, divorce/remarriage/blended families. Some face pregnancy or
AIDS. Many more are experiencing violence in the streets, at home,
and in the classroom.
These dilemmas may be especially difficult when faced alone with no
one to talk to. For the estimated 1.3 million kids living on the street,
there is all too often, no one to talk to. These youth thought they
could escape their problems by running away, only to encounter even
more, potentially dangerous problems.
Statistics show that:
1 in 7 kids between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away.
Some will return within a few days, others remain on the streets
never to return.
1.3 million youth are on the streets each day.
The National Runaway Switchboard handles more than 100,000 phone
calls each year.
For the specific statistics about who calls
us, why they feel the need to run, what are their circumstances,
check out the National Runaway Switchboard Statistics
page.
To request information by mail about the populations we serve or
the programs we provide, e-mail us.
