Why Teeagers Run Away from Home
It is critical that the number of youth who run away from home is increasing at a dangerous rate, and millions of parents suffer every year because their children run away from home. These parents say it is like a never-ending nightmare, and they are left to struggle with the question of why their child would leave home. Too many teenagers run “from” something rather than “to” something, but runaway teenagers claim they leave home in search of safety and freedom. Running away from home is usually a quick decision, and that choice is made on impulse rather than logical reasoning.
One problem every teenager faces on a daily basis is stressful situations, but this can come to such an extreme that the only choice is to leave. Runaway teenagers are often victims of poor problem-solving, and they do not see alternative solutions other than leaving home. The romanticized view of living on the streets lures young teenagers to leave home, but they do not realize the harsh reality they will face. Teenagers run away from home on impulse, and they think it is easier to run away rather than to fix the problem.
There are several reasons children run away from home, but a prominent reason is unstable and stressful family situations. One problem teenagers face these days is that both parents may work, and their mom and dad are not around much. Absence of a parent does not make the heart grow fonder, and oftentimes a runaway will complain that she is not loved anymore. Some teenagers run away as a response to a divorce between their parents. Since they have never experienced a situation like this, a teenager does not know how to react, so they escape to wield power over, get attention from, manipulate, or punish their parents.
The death of a close family member can have a detrimental impact on a young teenager, and it can cause them to suffer an acute personal crisis and leave. For many teenagers, death is an obstacle that is hard to deal with, and without coping mechanisms, could quickly lead to running away from home. Major reasons teenagers run away from home are unstable and stressful family situations, and often include lack of parental guidance, divorce, and death of a family member.
The main reason why kids run away from home is because they do not have good problem solving skills, and running away from home is an “either-or” kind of solution. Teenagers run away because they do not want to face something, and that includes unwanted emotions. They are trying to avoid any type of accountability, for the fear of consequences outweighs the possibility of a harsh, real world experience. The adolescent who has run away has run out of problem solving skills, and leaving home seems to solve their immediate problems.
Running away becomes a quick fix, and it is the product of black-and-white thinking. If the circumstances are right, a teenager can run away at any time if they do not see an alternative solution. The willingness to leave can develop from a variety of reasons, for teenagers often do not know that what they are facing can be dealt with using other strategies. Running away from home shows poor problem solving skills, and the fear of consequences and accountability, not being able to see alternative solutions, and thinking it solves immediate problems are all signs of poor problem solving.
Another factor is that teenagers often idealize running away, and they develop a romanticized view of life on the streets. Teenagers think that if they leave home, they will have all of the freedom they have ever wanted, and that they can control what happens to them. For some, running away makes them feel free, unsupervised, with no curfew hours, homework, dress code, and eating habits, but some just seek adventure and are pressured by their peers.
Teenagers always want to find their own answers to their own problems, and this often leads to arguments between parents and children. Running away seems to offer a rebellious teen the chance to make choices for themself, and this thought is very tempting to many. Runaway teenagers have a very glamorous view of an independent life style, and they do not realize the struggles they will face. They have a naive picture in their head of a world filled with nice, fun, harmless people, but in reality, one is always cold, hungry, and struggling.
Teenagers think to highly of a life away from home, and this is because they are naive, looking for control, and they want to make their own choices. Running away from home seems like an adventure or the key to freedom, and as if “no one can tell me what to do. ” Unstable family conditions are often the cause of teenagers running away from home, and for many teens this is a difficult obstacle to face. A teenager who runs away from home is often a victim of poor problem solving skills, and they are looking for an easy escape from their problems.
Teenagers are intrigues by the thought of living on their own, and often times have a romanticized view of a harsh and cruel world. Any child can run away at any time if the circumstances are right, and if they are under enough stress, any kid can justify running away. Do not forget that running away is like any other action, so in order to do it, one needs the ability, the willingness, and the opportunity. Kids have to ability and opportunity to run every day, so all it really takes is the willingness to do it.
