What's life like on the streets?
You think, "It has to be better than life at home." Have you thought about running away? Do you want to run so you can:
- Get away from emotional or physical abuse?
- Gain freedom and a sense of your own identity?
- Find people who can give you the love and support that are
missing at home?
- Find a better life?
- Get out before you are pushed out.
These are some of the reasons why teens run away. But before you run away, ask yourself these questions:
- Can I talk to a teacher, school counselor, minister or a
trusted friend? (Keep in touch with that person so you don't just
disappear.)
- Can I talk to my parent(s) to work things out?
- Can I live with another family member or friend?
- Where else can
I live?
- Why do I want to run away?
- Will running away solve my problems?
- Can I find what I am looking for on the streets?
- Do I have other choices?
- Where can I get help?
- What will happen to my friends?
- What will happen to my family?
- What will happen to my future if I run now?
- How will I go to school? How will I learn what I need to learn
to survive in the world?
When you run away, you become homeless.
When a person is homeless, it's hard to:
- Get a job - What address will you put on the job application?
If you don't have a phone number, how can you get contacted for interviews?
- Without a job, it's hard to get money.
- Without money, it's hard to buy food or pay for a place to stay.
Life on the streets is hard and some people will do anything to survive.
Feelings like anger, emptiness and sadness don't go away on the streets!
Sometimes these feelings can lead a person to make harmful choices, like:
- Getting involved with people who help you at first but then take advantage of you
- Taking drugs or drinking to bury your feelings
- Ignoring health problems because it doesn't seem to matter
- Having sex with strangers for money, a place to stay, food, or drugs
If you run away, you increase your chances of:
- Becoming a victim of a crime
- Being attacked or raped
- Getting HIV and AIDS
- Getting other illnesses
- Being arrested
You can get help and be safe. The National Runaway Switchboard and Suicide Hotline can:
- Give you a place to stay right away
- Help you get counseling
- Introduce you to teens with similar problems
- Get help and counseling for your family
- Help you with the court system, if you need it
Call the National Runaway Switchboard and Suicide Hotline at: (800) 621.4000