RUNNING AWAY
Useful Links & Things
Need information? Don't know who to ask or where to turn? Here are some useful links and information sources that will respect YOU and your privacy.
Abuse:
Most of us don't know a lot about Child Abuse - what it is and what the results can be. This information is written for young people like you who want to know more. You may be reading this because you're concerned about yourself or about a friend, or just because you're interested in the subject.
As you get older, you start making important decisions about relationships with family and friends, school, and health.
How you feel, how you get along with others, and what you want out of life are all very important parts of growing up and living a healthy, happy life. But these are also the things that are threatened if you are a victim of child abuse.
You might think, Well, I'm not a child any more. But a person is considered a "child" up to the age of 18 in most states; 17 in others.
Even if you are older or you are no longer being abused, abuse can leave a lot of physical or emotional damage. So it's important to take steps to end the abuse if it is still happening and to begin to heal yourself emotionally so you can get on with your life.
In the pages that follow, we talk about what child abuse is and what it is not. We also talk about some of the reasons that child abuse happens and why it is so important for abused teens to get help for themselves and, hopefully, for their families. Then, we talk about how and where to get that help.
What is child abuse?
What are the different kinds of abuse?
Abuse is a family problem
The abuse is not your fault
What are the signs of abuse?
Dealing with the feelings
Revealing the secret
Getting someone to listen
Where to get help
Take the first step
Need to talk?
One Kid's Story
Running Away
What comes to mind when you think of kids who run away from home? Teenagers off on an adventure, looking for a good time? Kids who can return home when it doesn't work out?
Or maybe you think of the kids who make trouble at school? Who don't want to listen to their parents or anybody? Who just want to do what they want to do?
Or perhaps you think of young people with lots of problems and parents who don't care?
Really, there's no one way to describe young people who run away or who are homeless, or to describe the backgrounds they come from. They are males and females; from rich families and poor families. They may be your daughter or sister, nephew or friend.
Links that might help:
Who runs away?
Why young people run
What parents and friends should look for
Preventing running away
What you need to think about
What happens on the street: meet Mike
Options Mike thought about
If your child has run
A letter from the street
If you need to talk
Suicide
Most young people end up killing themselves because they simply don't know where else to turn. They are in some kind of pain that seems unbearable and they want the pain to stop. They end up stopping their entire lives just because they didn't know what else to do.
Here are some links that might help:
Why do people kill themselves?
Suicide warning signs
What do you know about suicide?
Need to talk?
http://joanbramsch.com eens eenlinks.shtml
About the Author
JOAN BRAMSCH is a family person, educator, writer and E-publisher. Her articles appear internationally in print and online. Six of her best-selling adult novels - near one million copies - have worldwide distribution. Her
Empowered Parenting Ezine serves 1000 parents around the globe.
http://www.JoanBramsch.com mailto:hijoan@joanbramsch.com
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