Aberlour Child Care Trust, 36 Park Terrace, Stirling FK8 2JR
Tel: 01786 450335 Fax: 01786 473238
News - in Depth
10/1/2008
ABERLOUR SUPPORTS PLANS FOR YOUNG RUNAWAYS
Aberlour children’s charity, leader of the Scottish Coalition of Young Runaways and a supporter of the English coalition, is delighted with the plans announced today by Ministers in England for a national support network for children who run away from home or care.
Research carried out by Aberlour (1) revealed that 1 in 9 of Scotland’s children run away before the age of 16. Most of these 9,000 young people and children are running away from abuse and neglect at home and 6,000 will be physically and/or sexually assaulted whilst running. Most likely to run will be girls aged 14 to 15.
Led by Aberlour, the Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways commissioned research earlier this year (2) which showed that the majority of local authorities across the country are not providing specific services for vulnerable young runaways. This is despite detailed guidance from the then Scottish Executive in 2003.
The Scottish Government has responded to Aberlour and the Coalition’s call for a national strategy for young runaways by setting up a National Working Group for Young Runaways, which is due to report on its findings this Spring.
Bryan Evans, Assistant Regional Director from Aberlour, Chair of the Scottish coalition and member of the national working group, is pleased with the announcement by the Ministers in England today. He says:
“Aberlour is encouraged to see that the English government has recognised young runaways as a national problem with great significance. Children and young people find themselves in desperate situations without adequate support and help and the problem exists in rural and urban areas and across social and economic groups.
The National Working Group in Scotland will report to Scottish Ministers later this year and we hope it will respond by planning future policies and services to ensure adequate measures are place to protect and support every runaway under 16 in Scotland. “
Aberlour runs the only refuge for young runaways in Scotland offering three beds for young people who run away. Its Running Other Choices (ROC) service offers preventative work in schools and in the community to support young runaways or those who are at risk of running.
- ends
Interview requests and more information from Ann-Marie Fry on tel. 07854 958 051
Notes to editors:
(1)Aberlour published “Missing Out, Young Runaways in Scotland” in 2002. It is based on research carried out with over 3,000 children and young people and more than 40 agencies that are involved with runaways in six contrasting areas of Scotland
(2) The Scoping study was conducted by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Stirling. It examined the provision of services to young runaways by local authorities and Area Child Protection Committees.
(3) A range of statistics about runaways in Scotland:
- 1 in 9 of Scotland’s children run away before the age of 16 – this amounts to 9,000 children running away each year including those who have run away previously
- Each year there are 11,000-12,000 incidents of children running away in Scotland
- 1 in 6 young runaways are physically and /or sexually assaulted whilst running away
- 28% of young runaways slept rough on their last occasion
- 68% of young runaways are not reported missing to the police
- 50% of young people who run away state that maltreatment figures prominently in their lives and was associated with them running away
Figures taken from Wade, J (2002) Missing Out: Young Runaways in Scotland - Aberlour Child Care Trust and Rees, G and Lee, J (2005) Still Running II. The Children’s Society.
(4) Make up of coalition
1 in 9, The Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways is supported by Aberlour, Barnardo’s, Streetwork, ACPOS, Childline, ADSW, the Edinburgh Lothian and Borders Child Protection Office, and the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
- ends
Return to Latest News.
More stories like this one can be found in the News Archive or the Press Release section.