Nov 3, 2009 10:30 pm US/Central
More Teens Running Away, Citing Family Dynamics
National Runaway Switchboard Sees Spike In Calls Attributed To Tough Economy, Sexual Orientation
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Kevin, 18, lives on the streets after he ran away from home because his family did not accept the fact that he is gay.
CBS
They could be your kids' classmates, your neighbors - even your own children. They're kids in crisis and more of them are calling the National Runaway Switchboard right now. The agency says the number of teens thinking about running away is rising dramatically. CBS 2's Pamela Jones takes a look at why.
Chances are, you've passed them on the street. Many hang out where they can. For some, the need to survive takes over.
"I ask people for money, do a whole lot of things, sell my body, do something where I have money in my pocket where I can survive on the streets," said 18-year-old Kevin.
Four years ago, Kevin says he joined the many hundreds of runaway teens in the Chicago area. He feels some family members pushed him away because he's gay.
"He called me all type of homosexual words, and you know told me he would beat it out of me because I was gay," Kevin said.
They're the kind of calls the National Runaway Switchboard gets every day. It handled 114,000 calls last year, and a new survey shows almost half of the teens who call here are runaways.
Over the past eight years, the number of teens under age 12 calling in and callers ages 18 to 21, grew tremendously.
"This is an issue in our country that is a crisis, and it is very alarming," said executive director Maureen Blaha. "The number one problem that youth identify when they call the National Runaway Switchboard is family dynamics."
Ruben Anzures volunteers for the switchboard and said, "They don't feel comfortable where they don't feel like it's a safe place for them to be."
He says the center's focus on outreach programs is finding help for teens "on the edge."
But for many, the issues that forced them to run will linger.
"I can't ask God why he let it happen to me. I can just forgive. But I can't forget," said Kevin.
The National Runaway Switchboard has teams handing out flyers with the phone number 1-800-RUNAWAY. And they've reached out with social networking, too.
They say some of the increase in calls may be because more teens know they're available now, 24 hours a day, for free.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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