Runaway Youth: Caring for the Nation’s Largest Segment of Missing Children

This article discusses the role pediatricians and other health care professionals have in supporting runaway youth, addressing their unique health needs, fostering positive relationships within their families and with other supportive adults, and connecting them with available community resources. This report provides clinical guidance for pediatricians and other health care professionals regarding (1) the identification of adolescents who are at risk for running away or being thrown away and (2) the management of the unique medical, mental health, and social needs of these youth. The authors contend that pediatricians can significantly reduce risk and improve long-term outcomes for runaway youth in partnership with national, state, and local resources. (author abstract modified)