Thinking of running away?
Looking at my situation
Are you thinking of running away? It’s likely hard for you right now. Your problems seem impossible to solve. You’re dealing with conflict. Before you decide, take a close look at your situation.
To help you find a solution:
Talk to a friend, family member or teacher about your problems. You can also talk to a youth worker from a resource such as Kids Help Phone or Tel-jeunes.
Ask someone you trust to act as a go-between for you and your parents. Mediation is a technique that can help.
Think of the ways you’ve dealt with this in the past. If you ran away before, how did you manage to work things out with your parents? What solutions did you come up with?
Take a breather. Go and stay with a friend or family member where you feel safe and comfortable.
Before running away, make sure you know what to expect. Check out the page What’s running away?. Make sure you have the right people around you by visiting the page on trusting the right people.
Trusting the right people
Are you looking for help and someone to support you? Do you already know a family member or good friend you can trust? This is a great place to start. Unfortunately, you may feel their support doesn’t always address your needs. In this case, you can turn to other people in your life. Think of someone who can listen and support you without judging:
Your teacher or another person who works at your school
Your coach (if you play sports) or another activity leader
Your school nurse or your doctor
Another person who cares about your well-being
If these people can’t offer support, help is available. There are people who can help you voice your concerns and provide information. They can help you find a solution. These resources are often available 24/7. Don’t hesitate to contact them.
Police officers are also there to help you. Their role is to make sure you’re safe. In the case of a runaway, it’s true that a law enforcement officer will likely have to take you back home, but not always. Their main goal is to help and protect you. They can work with you and other people you trust to find a solution to your situation. If you’re in danger, they are the people who can best help you and respond the soonest.
BEWARE
When you run away, you have a tougher time taking care of yourself. It gets harder for you to eat, sleep, wash yourself and dress properly. Some people may want to take advantage of your situation. For example, you may be asked to do something illegal in exchange for money or a place to sleep. If you accept help from these people, you may end up in a situation where you don’t feel safe. You may even feel you’re in danger. Be careful about who you trust. Trustworthy people don’t try to control you, nor do they try to use you to gain something.
When you run away, it’s very important to trust the right people. Here’s what some young people had to say:
What’s running away?
You took the time to think about your situation and still believe running away is your only option? This solution can help you escape your problems and conflicts. It can mean freedom, fun and discovery.
On the other hand, running away also involves downsides and new challenges:
Your daily life can be turned upside down: school, work, friends and family.
It can get hard to take care of yourself. You need to figure out where to sleep, what to eat, how to dress and stay clean.
You may feel lonely, bored, tired and scared.
You won’t always feel safe.
There are also consequences and you should be aware of them. Running away is governed by Quebec laws. Their purpose is to ensure your safety and development.
Running away often leads to many new responsibilities. You should feel free to ask for help from someone you trust . You can also contact a resource that can help you address your needs.
Running away is unpredictable. Here’s what some young people had to say:
