In my 23 years of being a school counselor, I can think of only four times that one of my students has run away or gone missing. In each case, these students show up within 24-48 hours. They usually just hide out a friend's house- for whatever reason. Usually there are complicated family issues at bay. Kids don't realize that no matter what conflict they are having with their parent/s, their parent/s still love them. Dysfunction is a real thing for a lot of families. What kids also don't realize is that the things that have been happening to them, which in turn causes poor behavior and decisions, have over time made them confused individuals. Running from your problems is not a new concept. Kids running away has been an issue long before social media. Social media helps us find kids quicker and easier because sometimes they make posts or keep in touch with another person when they are missing.
Kids running away is also not a crime, if they are not committing crimes when they run away. It's often just a form of escape from their world. It's a very terrifying experience for a parent, whether or not the relationship is in crisis. We can only hope that when a child returns from his or her disappearance that he or she gets the emotional help and support needed, instead of criticism and punishment. Hopefully this student will be found and returned to his family soon.
