Teen Runaway Statistics

• Between 1.3 and 2.8 million runaway
  and homeless youth live on the
  streets of America each year.

• Statistics show one in seven youth
  will run away from  home before the
  age of 18.

• Parental substance abuse is the
  largest predictor of runaway behavior
  in youth.

• Runaway/homeless youth are:
  50% male and  50% female, though
  females are more likely to  seek
  help through shelters and hotlines.

• Prior to leaving home, nearly half
  (43%) of youth reported being
  beaten by a caretaker.

• Forty-one percent of youth that
  ran away had been abandoned by
  their parents or caretakers for at 
  least 24 hours.

• A little over a quarter of youth that
  ran from home have had parents or
  caretakers request sexual activity,
  and 32% have been forced to
  participate in sexual activity against
  their will.

• Forty-one percent of females that
  is seeking Shelter are report being
  pregnant.

• Seventy-five percent of runaway
  and homeless youth have dropped
  out or will drop out of school.

• Twenty-six percent stay in areas
  that was unsupervised and possibly
  unsafe places for one or more
  nights.

• Twelve percent spend at least one
  night outside in park, on the street,
  under a bridge or overhang, or on
  a roof top.

• Thirty-two percent have attempted
  suicide at some point in their lives.