Patterns of runaway behavior within a larger systems context: the road to empowerment

Runaway behavior is a common problem in residential treatment settings for youth. This paper looked at Orten and Soll's runaway typology and Homer's conceptualization of runaways as "running from" or "running to" something and expanded the context to include interactions with family and professionals. A case study and a survey of nine adolescent runaways from a residential setting were used to explore several hypotheses. A discussion of the results and practical applications illustrated ways to empower therapists and other professionals to deal with runaways more effectively.