ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies the resilient youth, the runaways with the greatest chance of making successful transitions to adulthood. Identifying resilient runaways poses some distinct challenges. Risk tends to be cumulative and all of these young people demonstrate multiple risk factors. After reviewing factors that mitigate the negative effects of multiple stressors on children, it is evident that many of these factors are unavailable to chronic runaway and homeless youth. Defining resilience in a youthful population of runaways is especially problematic. The only satisfactory assessment of resilience among runaway and homeless adolescents is their successful transition into adulthood. Aggressive outreach programs need to be established even in small and medium-sized cities to identify runaways and provide immediate and secure shelter the first time they run away. Chronic runaways and homeless adolescents are literally learning to become marginal adults. Chronic runaways and homeless adolescents represent the most disadvantaged group of young people in our society.
