Parents urged not to beat children who run away from home

Since the start of the year, there have been many Ananda Alerts issued daily about missing children. In some instances, parents found out that their children simply chose to leave home for a while.

This is a cause for concern according to the deputy registrar of the National Children's Registry, Child Protection & Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Warren Thompson. He said in instances where children leave home on their own, it causes the public to get desensitised and less responsive to children who are missing and in danger.

He said that regardless of this, the CPFSA takes every missing child report seriously.

"For the CPFSA, every missing child is a child who is in need of care and protection. We encourage the public not to lose sight of the fact that children are vulnerable human beings who have a right to be cared for and protected; we all can play a role in bringing our children home," he said.

REASONS THEY RUN AWAY

Thompson believes that children run away for various reasons. A study conducted by the CPFSA with the families of children who ran away and returned in 2016 found that children run away for three main reasons.

"The study shows that children run away because of their experience of maltreatment within the home, and the fear of repercussion for some action done by him or her, peer pressure to run away, and dissatisfaction with home situation (including rules and relationships) and a desire for freedom," he said.

Thompson said that the study that was done mirrors research done in other countries and "suggests that the sequence seems to be abuse or rejection in the home followed by a gradual dissociation from families, school and social support."

Children's Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison said that once a child runs away it is an immediate cause for concern.

"Send out an alert far and wide and take nothing for granted. It is always better to err on the side of caution leave no stone unturned," she said.

Gordon Harrison told THE STAR that parents should communicate with their children to try and understand the reasons for their actions.

"As a parent, you can't sacrifice disciplining your child because you fear a particular outcome. The important balance, however, is that you always have to determine how to discipline because discipline is not violence. It does not have to take the form of corporal punishment," she said.

Thompson added: "When children run away from home, it is never a good idea to curse the child. The child should be made aware of the impact of his/her disappearance on the family, and what could have been the possible outcomes of his/her disappearance. ...The focus should not be on punishing the child for the past behaviour but rather on preventing the child from running away in the future," he said.