Throwaway

Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d5/ae/c9/d5aec9e71ac3033acf27249b3db84b42.jpg

Runaway and Throwaway Youth: Time for Policy Changes and Public Responsibility

 He traditional American dream of owning a home, obtaining a college education, and working at a good, paying job is only that, a dream, for scores of homeless youth in America today. There is a growing street population of young people who have been thrown out of their homes by their caretakers or their families, and who face life-threatening situations each day. For these youth, the furthest thing in their lives is reaching the so-called “American Dream;” and their most immediate need is survival, simply living out the day in front of them. They have few options that lead to a decent and safe living environment. Their age, lack of work experience, and absence of a high school diploma make it most difficult to find a job. As a result, they turn to other means for survival; runaways and throwaways are most vulnerable to falling prey to the sex trade, selling drugs, or being lured into human trafficking, and some steal or panhandle. Street youth end up spending their nights in bus stations or finding a room in an abandoned building or an empty stairwell to sleep. Attempting to identify a specific number of homeless youth is difficult at best, but what is even more perplexing is our continued inability to effectively protect our children. We are left with a basic question framed by the fundamental tenets of justice: what is a community’s responsibility to its youth who, for whatever reason, end up living on the streets or in unsafe, abusive environments? The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline the characteristics of homeless youth, in particular differentiating between throwaways and runaways; explore the current federal response to homeless youth; and finally, address the nagging question that swirls around all children: can we aggressively aspire to be a community where every child is healthy and safe, and able to realize his or her fullest potential?

Source: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol2/iss1/4/

THROWAWAY

A throwaway is a youth who meets either of the following two criteria:

A child is asked or told to leave home by a parent or other household adult, no adequate alternative care is arranged for the child by a household adult, and the child is out of the household overnight.

A child who is away from home is prevented from returning home by a parent or other household adult, no adequate alternative care is arranged for the child by a household adult, and the child is out of the household overnight.

Two basic differences emerge between a runaway and a throwaway. First, a throwaway has no choice in the matter and is forced to live elsewhere with in-place guardian consent; and, second, a runaway is, in contrast, an individual who chooses to live elsewhere without legal guardian consent. A review of the various definitions, as shown above, demonstrates that there is no consensus regarding age. This is important from a legal perspective, as age becomes a determining factor in the ability to access social services including crisis, temporary, or transitional shelter. 

Source: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=childrenatrisk

Why Kids Run Away

Remember how you felt the last time you got in a big fight with your parents or one of your brothers or sisters? That kind of anger and hurt can be what pushes someone to run away from home.

In fact, most kids run away due to problems with their families. Some kids run away because of one terrible argument. Some even decide to leave without ever having a fight. They might have done something they're ashamed of, and they're afraid to tell their parents.

Other reasons kids run away include:

• ·         abuse (violence in the family)
• ·         parents separating or divorcing or the arrival of a new stepparent
• ·         death in the family
• ·         birth of a new baby in the family
• ·         family financial worries
• ·         kids or parents drinking alcohol or taking drugs
• ·         problems at school
• ·         peer pressure
• ·         failing or dropping out of school

These are problems faced by lots of kids and teens — and there are ways to deal with all of these problems besides running away. Kids who think about running away might not know how to solve tough problems or don't have adults to help them. Sometimes a really big problem can make it seem like running away is the only choice.

Unfortunately, the problems kids hope to escape by running away are replaced by other — sometimes even bigger — problems of life on the streets.

Source: http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/running-away.html

What is the difference between Runaway and throwaway?

This video explains the differences between runaway and throwaway, click in play and listen the information.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5FdvkXLiWY

Shelters and Training Programs Offer Help to Runaway Children and Parents

So many adolescents are living on Orange County streets and malls that "we could have 1,000 beds and fill them up," said the director of one of the county's shelters for runaways, truants and incorrigibles.

As it is, the county's three dozen beds for juvenile runaways are almost always filled at shelters such as Amparo Youth Shelter or Odyssey, both in Garden Grove, and Casa de Bienvenidos in Los Alamitos.

"More and more kids are running away at earlier ages," said J. L. Radford-Williard, Amparo director. "Some kids are unwilling to go to a shelter."

But most parents, however frustrated, want to stay involved, said Greg Bodenhamer, director of Back in Control, an Orange-based program that teaches parenting techniques for difficult children. "A lot of parents do get burned out temporarily and just need a rest," he said.

The Back in Control program trains parents to:

- Supervise their children. Parents should know where their children are going and with whom before they leave the house, he said. "If they can't be trusted not to run, do drugs, they don't get out of the house until they earn that trust."

- Discipline their children. Parents should develop a consistent family life with regular routines and chores. They should make sure children go to bed and get up on time and make their beds, with the goal of instilling habits.

- Track them down when they run away. Parents should keep a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of friends. Friends should be approached with concern and worry, not hostility, he said. Adults harboring runaway children should be notified they may be subject to arrest for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

- Keep their children in school. School officials should be asked to notify the parents the same day if the children skip class. "If the girl cuts, we recommend mom walk her from class to class. Ninety-five per cent only have to go one time."

Source: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-11-15/local/me-20987_1_training-program

Problems in house? What do you want?