“No one knows what happens to these kids”

“No one knows what happens to these kids”: This comment from a street worker launched this research. Although there have been numerous studies of homeless and runaway adolescents in the past three decades, we know very little about the long-term developmental consequences of running away and periods of homelessness during adolescence. Runaways who run often (three or more episodes) and stay away for long periods of time assert their independence from adult caretakers years earlier and more abruptly than their conventional counterparts. This interrupts typical developmental trajectories in myriad ways. Early independence erodes important ties to supportive adults. It increases dependence on peer groups rather than adults for social support, interrupts education, creates financial and nutritional insecurity that may result in participation in the street economy, and almost always puts them in harm’s way. Experiencing early independence creates poor candidates for traditional social services interventions such as foster care or family reunification that focus on children’s subordinate role in families. Most homeless adolescents cannot or do not want to return to childhood, but they are not prepared for adulthood.