RUNAWAYS

By John Blankenship
Register-Herald Reporter

August 16, 2008 11:25 pm

— On dark street corners of American cities, many things are for sale — including our children.
According to official estimates, there are more than 600,000 juvenile prostitutes in the country, most of them between the ages of 12 and 16, and some of them younger.
What is more, the increased demand for youth on the streets is being fed by many of the 1 million children who run away each year.
Police and court officials, meanwhile, seem to agree that national arrest statistics reveal only a small fraction of the growing juvenile prostitution problem.
In other words, there’s really no way to know just how many of the nation’s runaway children are being exploited by adults — either as their pimps or as their patrons. Some have put the figure at more than 1 million.
Nikki — whose name has been changed, like the names of countless other girls who run away from home each year to become a lamentable statistic — learned her lesson the hard way.
Abused as a child, she turned to an abusive boyfriend, an older man, when she was 14. At 15, she became pregnant. No charges were ever filed against her abuser, the perpetrator who fathered her child and committed statutory rape.
“I ran away because I was tired of not belonging to anyone or anything,” explained the 18-year-old mother. “I was numb from the abuse I had witnessed as a child. I felt unloved and unworthy.”
Nikki isn’t alone.
Rather, she is an example of what officials see reflected in the values of a declining American family lifestyle, values mirrored in research that reveals an alarming sign of the times.
Ironically, though, Nikki seemingly now has her act together; she is enrolled as a freshman in one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges. She is working to fulfill her dreams and care for her daughter.
One day, she hopes to counsel abused young women who are the victims of a society that — though neither blind where abuse exists nor unwilling to punish criminal behavior — ultimately, in many cases, permits the ill-treatment of its children.
Many young women who have experienced similar treatment at the hands of their guardians, step fathers, parents, brothers, or family acquaintances aren’t so lucky.
Because they are vulnerable, they are often lured into a life of depravity, degradation and dependency.
The majority of runaway juveniles doubtless are victims of abuse before they come under the control of exploitive adults on the street. Many already have experienced sexual molestation by a relative or family friend, physical abuse by parents, or sexual assault prior to running away from home.
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One study of San Francisco prostitutes, for example, found that 80 percent had such experiences prior to entering prostitution, and 63 percent had been runaways.
The statistics are alarming — a 200 percent increase in juvenile prostitution nationally over the last decade, according to FBI figures.
Who are these children?
Why are they selling themselves before they’re legally old enough to buy a drink or drive a car?
In a recent Wisconsin study of female juvenile offenders, it was learned that among girls who had run away from home three or more times — 93 percent had been victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or sexual assault.
And at least some of the runaways reportedly fled nuclear families with strong religious values and economic security.
The market for young girls, meanwhile, is expanding.
One police captain with the vice squad in Milwaukee reported his precinct arrests more than 100 juvenile prostitutes each year, with some taken into custody as young as 12.
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Educators and counselors, meanwhile, are convinced that teaching children about sexual offenses is critical. “All families are complicated,” explained Nancy Forsberg, community services manager with the West Virginia Department of Human Services (WVDHS) in Beckley. “Often when kids run away, they are easily exploited because it isn’t easy to be self-supporting on the road. A lot of kids end up on the street because they feel they have no other options; it’s just the way they feel.”
At the same time, Forsberg added, it’s sometimes difficult to know that a child is a runaway unless it is reported to authorities.
Occasionally, she said, runaways from other states are picked up by local police and taken into custody. “We temporarily place those children under our protection until they can be reunited with parents in a day or so, unless they have committed a crime; then we have a whole different situation to deal with.”
According to Tracy King, children’s services director with FMRS health systems Inc., in Beckley, “The entire community needs to work together for children, including school personnel, social workers, counselors, doctors, and nurses to identify children at risk, those who are having emotional difficulties. By working together, we can improve children’s lives and possibly prevent further disruptions — whether it’s in the community or the schools.”
King noted that some children’s emotional health depends on getting the help they need quickly.
“Children need information in order to protect themselves,” she said. “They also must learn that they have the right to tell someone about their difficulties. It’s important that children have someone who will listen to them—no matter who that person is — someone who will listen, not be judgmental, and do something for them.”
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Forsberg, meanwhile, noted that a variety of community resources are available to local families through the Beckley office of WVDHS, located at 407 Neville St.
“We have all kinds of resources in our community, including FMRS, Child Protective Services (CPS), the court system and Juvenile Probation, as well as private providers and counselors,” she said, adding: “If someone needs help, we can get it to them; our community is rich in support services.”
Forsberg noted that the WVDHS officials, counselors and case workers are vigilant when it comes to taking care of the kids in the community.
“We have a child abuse hotline (1-800-352-6513) that is available 24 hours a day,” she said. “If a youngster is out on the street, he or she can call and we’ll do everything we can to help them.”
In other comments, Forsberg lauded the local foster parent program for its contributions to the safety, health and welfare of troubled teens.
“We have great foster parents for teenagers,” she said. “Anyone who is interested in becoming a foster parent can call our office at 304-256-6930 and get information. We’re always looking to recruit additional foster parents in the area. Our goal is to take care of our kids so they won’t feel they have to run away. We want them to know that we care about them and that we are willing to help them any way we can.”

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