If you ran away as a teen, where did you go?

[Anonymous]

I posted briefly yesterday about a young teen girl missing from our community. She’s been missing since Thursday night (it’s now Saturday morning.) A group searched for her yesterday night in a park to no avail. Police have been questioning friends but can’t find her.

I’m trying to think outside of the box. If you ran away and maybe didn’t go to a friend’s house, where did you go?

[Anonymous]

I didn't run away, but two of my siblings did. My brother took my dad's car and went to my mom's house, which was across the country. My sister hitchhiked to Los Angeles to live out her dreams of doing something with fashion. She is gorgeous and she let creepy men buy her everything she needed (although she never, ahem, reciprocated in the way they hoped).

They didn't hide what they were doing, though. My parents found out where they were in a matter of days. It's scary that they can't find this teen. I think that means that either she is running away from a really bad situation or something bad happened to her.

[Anonymous]

I’d be checking browsing history and looking for hidden internet accounts and disappearing chats.

[Anonymous]

I'm in DC and went to New York City. I went to all the museums and saw Broadway shows. Hopefully she's OK and not trafficked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't run away, but two of my siblings did. My brother took my dad's car and went to my mom's house, which was across the country. My sister hitchhiked to Los Angeles to live out her dreams of doing something with fashion. She is gorgeous and she let creepy men buy her everything she needed (although she never, ahem, reciprocated in the way they hoped).

They didn't hide what they were doing, though. My parents found out where they were in a matter of days. It's scary that they can't find this teen. I think that means that either she is running away from a really bad situation or something bad happened to her.

Thanks! Family/friends are now putting FB posts out saying things like “we can deal with whatever is wrong AT HOME” etc. Also, police don’t seem as concerned as one would think, since the family is adamant they HAVE NOT heard from her and are begging her to let them know she’s ok.

[Anonymous]

Back in the day 100% of my friends who ran away went to a friend's house. But these days a "friend" could also mean someone you met off the internet, which is far scarier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back in the day 100% of my friends who ran away went to a friend's house. But these days a "friend" could also mean someone you met off the internet, which is far scarier.

My DD has a friend who often “runs away” and she is always in communication with her friends, and always goes home before the end of the day.

We need to instill in our teens that if their friends are in danger and they know where they are, we can let their parents know where they are without letting them know their friends “ratted them out”.

[Anonymous]

Not me, but a cousin made his way from Michigan to Southern California at 15 in the 1990s. Shockingly, it took just five days. People were all too happy to give him rides and he later swore that only one person was inappropriate with him. Most of the people who gave him a ride had their own teenage runaway story or their own kid had run away and they stressed he was safer with them than someone else. A few gave him money or bought him food before parting ways.

His experience once he arrived in Southern CA was very different. Almost immediately people tried to traffic him. He spent a sleepless week before he agreed to let a priest call his family back home. My uncle flew out there to get him. The whole thing took about two weeks, he was physically unharmed, but they all ended up in family therapy for two years. No major issues at home (though my uncle was a serial cheater). My cousin just wanted to experience what he saw on tv and teen movies. He asked to go there on family vacation. His parents said no. So he ran away.

Today, he’s still the impulsive person in the family and will disappear for a month to pop up somewhere unexpected. Sometimes he only resurfaces because he is financially stranded by whoever paid for his ticket to someplace exotic and then grew weary of his company. Until my uncle died, he would cough up the money for a return flight. Now, he’s hit us up a few times. We’re middle aged now so this habit is less charming than when we were younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't run away, but two of my siblings did. My brother took my dad's car and went to my mom's house, which was across the country. My sister hitchhiked to Los Angeles to live out her dreams of doing something with fashion. She is gorgeous and she let creepy men buy her everything she needed (although she never, ahem, reciprocated in the way they hoped).

They didn't hide what they were doing, though. My parents found out where they were in a matter of days. It's scary that they can't find this teen. I think that means that either she is running away from a really bad situation or something bad happened to her.

Thanks! Family/friends are now putting FB posts out saying things like “we can deal with whatever is wrong AT HOME” etc. Also, police don’t seem as concerned as one would think, since the family is adamant they HAVE NOT heard from her and are begging her to let them know she’s ok.

Why would I they say that? It sounds oddly defensive but maybe there is a good reason for it. I think I would say a lot of stuff like “we just want to see her safe,” etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't run away, but two of my siblings did. My brother took my dad's car and went to my mom's house, which was across the country. My sister hitchhiked to Los Angeles to live out her dreams of doing something with fashion. She is gorgeous and she let creepy men buy her everything she needed (although she never, ahem, reciprocated in the way they hoped).

They didn't hide what they were doing, though. My parents found out where they were in a matter of days. It's scary that they can't find this teen. I think that means that either she is running away from a really bad situation or something bad happened to her.

Thanks! Family/friends are now putting FB posts out saying things like “we can deal with whatever is wrong AT HOME” etc. Also, police don’t seem as concerned as one would think, since the family is adamant they HAVE NOT heard from her and are begging her to let them know she’s ok.

Why would I they say that? It sounds oddly defensive but maybe there is a good reason for it. I think I would say a lot of stuff like “we just want to see her safe,” etc.

These posts are to HER, in the event she sees them. So they are telling her they (her and her parents) can deal with whatever if she comes home, like she won’t be in trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't run away, but two of my siblings did. My brother took my dad's car and went to my mom's house, which was across the country. My sister hitchhiked to Los Angeles to live out her dreams of doing something with fashion. She is gorgeous and she let creepy men buy her everything she needed (although she never, ahem, reciprocated in the way they hoped).

They didn't hide what they were doing, though. My parents found out where they were in a matter of days. It's scary that they can't find this teen. I think that means that either she is running away from a really bad situation or something bad happened to her.

Thanks! Family/friends are now putting FB posts out saying things like “we can deal with whatever is wrong AT HOME” etc. Also, police don’t seem as concerned as one would think, since the family is adamant they HAVE NOT heard from her and are begging her to let them know she’s ok.

That’s odd that the police don’t seem that concerned. That was not my experience when I had to report my kid missing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted briefly yesterday about a young teen girl missing from our community. She’s been missing since Thursday night (it’s now Saturday morning.) A group searched for her yesterday night in a park to no avail. Police have been questioning friends but can’t find her.

I’m trying to think outside of the box. If you ran away and maybe didn’t go to a friend’s house, where did you go?

When my sister ran away, after a week my mother discovered a sleeping bag and pillow she had been using in the basement, in the tiny space behind the staircase. Check places at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted briefly yesterday about a young teen girl missing from our community. She’s been missing since Thursday night (it’s now Saturday morning.) A group searched for her yesterday night in a park to no avail. Police have been questioning friends but can’t find her.

I’m trying to think outside of the box. If you ran away and maybe didn’t go to a friend’s house, where did you go?

When my sister ran away, after a week my mother discovered a sleeping bag and pillow she had been using in the basement, in the tiny space behind the staircase. Check places at home.

Interesting. I’ll pass this anecdote along.

[Anonymous]

I went to a friend of a friend’s home.

I hope this kid is safe and home soon. It must be absolutely terrifying for her family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be checking browsing history and looking for hidden internet accounts and disappearing chats.

Read the forum title.