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How many people go missing or run away?

It’s difficult to know for sure how many people go missing or run away from home in the UK. This is because cases of missing people are often not reported or recorded.

Missing young people are more likely to be reported to the police, because their parents, carers and friends become concerned about their whereabouts and safety.

Based on police figures, the Children’s Society estimate that around 100,000 people under 18 years old go missing every year. That works out at one young person going missing every five minutes.

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Reasons for running away from home

There are many reasons why teenagers leave home without telling anyone.

These reasons include:

• arguments with a parent or other relative
• stress
• abuse or violence at home
• worries about money and debt
• being thrown out of their home by a parent or carer
• problems with drugs or alcohol

For many teenagers, the actual decision to run away is taken on the spur of the moment.

This means that someone who runs away has not thought about:

• where they will go
• where they will sleep
• how they will get access to money
• the effect their decision will have on family members

Even if life at home is becoming unbearable, running away might not be the best option, even if it seems like the only one.

• Young people and homelessness

Organisations that give support to runaways

If you’ve been forced to leave home or are thinking about running away, there are lots of free helplines you can contact for more information.

The Runaway Helpline

The Runaway Helpline is for anyone under 18 years old who has run away from home and needs help and advice. You can also use the helpline if you’re thinking about running away.

The Runaway Helpline can help you get a message back to your parents to let them you know that you’re safe.

All contact with the Runaway Helpline is confidential, and the advisers can’t find out where you are unless you choose to tell them.

You can get in touch with the helpline by phone, text, email or on the website.

• Contact the Runaway Helpline Opens new window

ChildLine

ChildLine advisers are trained to help with any problems that you’re having at home that are making you think about running away.

Calls to ChildLine are completely confidential and free, even if you call from a mobile phone.

• Visit the ChildLine website Opens new window

Running away from a care placement

Many missing teenagers are young people who have run away from local authority care.

Young people who run away from local authority care may:

• be unhappy with their current care arrangements
• be being bullied by other teenagers in the same care home
• want to live with their friends or family members

If you’re in care, you have a right to complain if you’re not happy with your care placement. If this is the case, talk to your social worker or personal adviser.

You can talk through any problems you’re having with them and try to work out a solution. In some cases, they may be able to arrange a different care placement for you.

• Young people leaving care

• Living in local authority care Opens new window

Friends who are missing

If you’re worried about a relative or a friend who has gone missing, contact the police. You can do this by:

• visiting your nearest police station
• contacting your nearest police station by telephone

A police officer will take a report from you about the missing person and will enter all the details onto a national computer. Police forces across the world can use this information to find missing people.

All missing people under 18 years old are treated as a priority and the police will start looking for them as soon as possible.

• Missing people - help and support (home and community section)

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Useful contacts

• Young people contacts