Alarming figures for children's home runaways
Posted on 9 November 1998
New research published this week reveals that in some local authorities up to 71 per cent of young people in children's homes go missing overnight at some time.
The proportion of 11 to 16 year olds missing overnight in different local authorities ranged from 25 per cent to 71 per cent. Seventeen per cent of those going missing were aged 12 or under.
The study also found that:
- bullying by other residents was a serious problem which prompted many young people to run away;
- many were at considerable risk of sexual exploitation (including prostitution), crime against them, involvement in drug and alcohol misuse, and of sleeping rough, whilst absent from care;
- 42 per cent of those who went missing were not in school, either because of non-attendance or exclusion. Non-attendance/exclusion from school and going missing were mutually reinforcing;
- half of the young people had run away from home before they came into care;
- for those who went missing repeatedly there were longer term risks of detachment and social exclusion as they became progressively detached from carers and school. This group were more likely to be excluded from school and more likely to be involved in offending and drug and alcohol abuse;
- there was a lack of placement choice for looked after young people, with many placed in the only bed available rather than in the children's home or foster home best able to meet their needs.
"The study highlights the fact that local authorities have no central records of all unauthorised absences and are therefore unable to identify particular children's homes or foster homes where there might be problems," said researcher Nina Biehal. "Not only were there differences in numbers going missing between local authories, but there were also major differences between individual children's homes."
"We have identified the need for better inter-agency co-operation as services for young people in care are fragmented," said Jim Wade, "and highlight the need for a co-ordinated response to going missing by social services, police and voluntary agencies, and the importance of early intervention and good preventive services for young people running away from home, to respond to family conflict, abuse and neglect at an early stage."
The three year study in the Social Work Research and Development Unit at the University of York was funded by the Department of Health.
Notes to editors:
- The term 'going missing' includes both runaways and young people going missing to spend time with friends and family.
- Going Missing. Young People Absent from Care is written by Jim Wade and Nina Biehal of the Social Work Research and Development Unit, University of York, with Jasmine Clayden and Mike Stein. It is published by John Wiley and Sons. The research was funded by the Department of Health.