Going missing
- Staying out all night?
- Bunking off school?
- Thinking of running away?
Young people run away or go missing from home and school for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's just for a few hours or overnight, and sometimes it can be for longer.
You may feel the need to escape from trouble, hassle or something you are worried about. You may feel bored and want to fit in and hang out with friends. Or you might feel that no one cares that no one would be bothered if you went missing.
Whatever the reason, the tragic fact is that children and young people who go missing or absent are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation, violent crime, gang exploitation, and drug and alcohol misuse.
Children who go missing often head to town centres and parks where they mix with other young people to hang out and in some cases experiment with, drugs and 'legal highs'. Child abusers and other criminals deliberately target such places to take advantage of these vulnerable young people.
YouTube: Missing People - A Lifeline When Someone Disappears - 116 000 Phone Call (opens new window)