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 The SAFE@LAST MISPER Scheme aims to help young people to recognise and sort out the issues that led to them running away and to provide safe alternatives that will ensure they do not put themselves in danger again through running.
When a young person has been reported missing and returns home, the young person is contacted by SAFE@LAST and is given the opportunity to talk about their time missing and explore ways of resolving the problems that caused them to run. We offer ongoing support if the young person feels it would be helpful.
Image posed be model.
Used with kind permission from the Childrens Society
'Running Away in South Yorkshire' (Smeaton and Rees)- revealed that
59% of young runaways in our region have run away more than once.
SAFE@LAST has had significant success with the young people with whom it works, less than 1% have chosen to run away again - choosing safer strategies when things get tough.
Every year in South Yorkshire more than 3 200 young people run away. Reasons why young people run away are varied.
These could include:
- Arguments within the family.
- Disagreements about clothes, boyfriends or girlfriends and staying out late.
- Violence and abuse in the home environment.
- Problems at school such as truanting, bullying or exams.
- Personal issues such as sexuality, pregnancy, drugs and alcohol.
Young people who have run away have said that if they’d had ‘someone to talk to’ they may not have run away - our project workers provide a listening ear, time, expertise, knowledge, experience and sensitivity to every young person.
Please remember - if you are worried about yourself, or a young person that you know and you would like some advice - please call us on our freephone helpline 0800 335 SAFE - we will listen, we will help.
© SAFE@LAST 2007
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