Running away is often an unplanned and impulsive response to a crisis situation and ¾ of children will return within a week.
However, if the situation they ran away from remains the same the probabilities of the child running away become more frequent and prolonged. This increases their risk of delinquency, exploitation, abuse, violence and overall vulnerability.
The long-term impacts of running away during adolescence are evident throughout adulthood with a significant impact on future health, economic, and justice system outcomes. Research shows an increase in the probabilities of experiencing mental health problems in adulthood as well as being a smoker and using marijuana.