When you were little, did you ever run away? Maybe you packed up your backpack and made it down the driveway or around the corner to your friend's backyard. But after a little while, you forgot why you were running away and it was getting dark out, so you went home.

Hopefully, that was the last time you ever thought about running away because there's a big difference between thinking about running away (or walking a few blocks down the street) and actually running away.

Running away is a serious problem. According to the National Runaway Switchboard, an organization that takes calls and helps kids who have run away or are thinking of running away, one in seven kids between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away at some point. And there are 1 million to 3 million runaway and homeless kids living on the streets in the United States.

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 kids 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.

The Reality of Running Away
When you think about running away, you probably imagine that there will be no more rules, no parent to tell you what to do, no more fights. Sounds great and exciting, right? Iin reality, running away is anything but fun. Kids and teens who run away face new problems like not having any money, food to eat, a safe place to sleep, or anyone to look out for them.

People with no home and no money become desperate, doing anything just to meet their basic needs. Because of this, they often find themselves in risky situations that would be frightening, even for adults. Runaway kids get involved in dangerous crimes much more often than kids who live at home.

Kids who live on the streets often have to steal to meet basic needs. Many take drugs or alcohol to get through the day because they become so depressed and feel that no one cares about them. Some are forced to do things they wouldn't normally do to make money. The number of kids with HIV or AIDS and other diseases is higher on streets, too, because these kids might use IV drugs or have unprotected sex (often for money).

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