Taking a Chance? The Risks Associated with Going Missing from Substitute Care

Abstract

Studies have pointed to the link between running away and the need to escape abusing or rejecting parents'This paper reports on a study of over 200 young people going missing from residential and foster care in four local authorities. The proportion of young people missing from residential care was high, ranging from 25 to 71% of all 11 -16-year-olds in mainstream children's homes. Two types of absence were identified: the 'runaways' profile (those who ran away or stayed out) and the 'friends' profile (those missing to be with friends). There were variations in levels of risk for different sub-groups within the sample. Risks included immediate risks of victimization, sexual exploitation (including prostitution), offending and substance misuse. A longerterm risk of detachment was identified among those going missing often, involving high levels of non-school attendance, detachment from carers and involvement in offending and in substance misuse. Difficulties in the assessment of risk are discussed and approaches to managing risk for young people who go missing from substitute care are explored.

Suicides by persons reported as missing prior to death: a retrospective cohort study

“…Most missing persons leave voluntarily to avoid some adverse physical, social or economic circumstances or following stressful events 3. Biehal et al 4 proposed a ‘continuum of missingness’ to describe different groups within the missing persons population, ranging from intentional to unintentional absence with the following categories: ‘decided’ (relationship breakdown, escaping personal problems or violence), ‘drifted’ (losing contact, transient lifestyle), ‘unintentional absence’ (Alzheimer's disease or other mental health problems, accident, misadventure) to ‘forced’ (victim of foul play). Without differentiating between reasons for going missing, mental health concerns are on average recognised in almost half of reports of missing persons and are particularly common among older persons 3.…”

Discharge Due to Running Away from Residential Treatment: Youth and Setting Effects

“…It nearly goes without saying that runaway from a residential treatment setting is a bad outcome. The additional risks to which running youth are exposed are well documented (Biehal & Wade, 1999).…”

Rehab Retrospect: Former Prostitutes and the (Re)construction of Deviance

“…With few resources, young girls then end up on the street, where the risk of prostitution is heightened (Biehal and Wade 1999;Brannigan and Van Brunschot 1997;Greene et al 1999;Kidd and Kral 2002;McCarthy and Hagan 1992;Potter et al 1999;Raphael 2004;Silbert andPines 1982a, 1982b;Whitbeck et al 2001;Widom and Kuhns 1996). Over half of the total sample in Silbert and Pines' (1982b) study were runaways when they started prostituting, and their main reason for selling themselves was because they needed money or because they were hungry.…”