December 2024 Issue | Vol.19 Contents 1. Family conflict and arguments at home are one of the main reasons for young people to run away. 2. RPC e-learning for professionals and RPC e-learning for parents.
Why children and young people go missing Every year 100,000 children and young people go missing or run away from home. Children who experience frequent, intense and poorly resolved conflict are very a vulnerable group. Often they don’t understand the dynamic between their parents nor the root of the discord. They feel completely lost and stuck in the middle of a battlefield of adult issues. For young people home home can be an escape from the stresses and anxieties of school. But for some young people, their house doesn’t always feel like a safe place. Leading UK charities like Missing People or Action for Children describe parental conflict and family relationship breakdown as the factors that cause significant stress for the child or young person and lead them to believe that the only option to protect themselves is to leave. 7 in 10 young people who have been sexually exploited have also been reported missing. Please visit the Bromley Parenting Hub to learn more about how to support families who experience harmful levels of conflict. To better recognise the signs of parental conflict and ask the right questions, please watch the new video. Why children and young people go missing. This diagram is a part of National Missing Persons Framework Toolkit