People, usually young, who have fled from home without permission, often escaping difficult situations or seeking freedom.
From the phrasal verb 'run away,' combining 'run' (Old English 'rinnan') and 'away' (Old English 'on weg'). The compound word has been used since at least the 1500s to describe people fleeing, and gained particular sociological importance in the 20th century.
The history of runaways is surprisingly complex—from runaway slaves in America using the Underground Railroad, to modern homeless youth. The reasons kids run away haven't changed much: abuse, poverty, family conflict, and the desperate belief that anywhere else must be better.
Gendered in impact: young girls comprise 60-70% of reported runaway statistics, yet narratives often center on male perpetrators. Language erasure of gender-specific vulnerability in child trafficking discourse.
Use 'unaccompanied youth' or 'youth in crisis' when discussing systemic issues. Acknowledge gender dimensions in vulnerability assessments explicitly.
["unaccompanied youth","youth in crisis","displaced youth"]
Girls' disproportionate vulnerability in runaway/trafficking situations has been historically minimized in policy language; foregrounding this protects a systematically erased population.
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