YOUNG people who go missing from home are put at high risk of sexual or physical harm, according to a major study carried out by University of York researchers.
The study, one of the biggest into how young people and adults are affected by going missing from home, has led to a report published by the York researchers and the National Missing Persons Helpline charity.
It shows that almost a third of young people put themselves at risk by staying with a stranger while away from home, two out of five young people slept rough, one in eight was physically hurt and one in nine was sexually assaulted.
It also showed that more than a third of young people had no help while away from home, while highlighting measures aimed at improving services for families affected by a runaway member.
More than a third of the adults in the study had felt in danger during their time away, with four-fifths of those who slept rough in danger at some point.
The report's co-author, Nina Biehal, said: "Thousands of people are reported missing each year. Going missing entails serious costs both to the missing person and to those they leave behind, while the social costs of doing nothing about this issue may be considerable. The findings relating to young people who go missing are particularly worrying given their vulnerability while away from safe adult care."
The measures the report claims are needed include:
Improved access to information about local and national services for missing people and their families
Support and mediation services to respond to the build-up of tension within families and suggest alternative strategies for managing family conflict
Follow-up support for young runaways who return home and strategies to reduce their exposure to risk.
Jeremy Jones, project manager at York's Arc Light Centre for the homeless, in Leeman Road, said the study's findings were "shocking, but not surprising".
He said studies such as this one were important to highlight the homelessness issue.
More than 2,000 adults and children who had spent time missing from home were consulted in the study.
Updated: 10:06 Wednesday, March 12, 2003
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