13 year old runaway

[mummaof3boys]

My 13 year old son has run away. He has been reported to the police. They contacted me and told me they have seen and spoken to him. He told them he was going to stay at a friends house (this house is known to police). They told me that they could not pick him up and bring him home even though he has been reported missing. Don't know what to do

[Bel_RO]

Hey @mummaof3boys, 

Welcome to the ReachOut parent and carer community! Thank you for sharing what you’re experiencing. What’s happened with your 13 year old son is incredibly devastating and frightening to say the least. How long has this been going on for?

 I imagine you might be feeling hopeless with what’s happened with your son and police. Anyone in your shoes would be feeling largely let down by the response from the police, which is completely understandable and valid! Are there any coping strategies that have been helping you cope with this? Looking after yourself is likely the last thing on your mind being a parent under such circumstances. However, it is incredibly important to seek support for yourself too. I am wondering if you have any professional support at present? If you’re interested in additional support, ReachOut offers free 1:1 parent coaching sessions that can be really helpful for you to discuss how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing at the moment. Sometimes the school your teen attends can also help by putting strategies into place to better support the young person and parents. I am also curious if you’ve spoken to the school about your 13 year old son? 

Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ) is a leading provider of services that support healthy relationships and wellbeing. RAQ has over 30 centres across Queensland which can be accessed in person, via telephone or Zoom video conference, and online. I encourage you to consider connecting with this service as they may be able to support you and your family during this difficult time. They might also be able to refer you to local services, while trying to connect with your 13 year old son.

[twinsplusone]

Hi I am so sorry to hear of your experience. I am reaching out as obviously this was a little while ago now and I am curious as to your outcome. Did your son come home, if so what were his consequences and how did you get him to come home. I am asking this as my 13 year old son run away last night also to a house known to police. I dont know how to cope, I want him home but so scared I will be so angry at him and make it worse! 

[Bel_RO]

Hey @twinsplusone,

Welcome to ReachOut’s Parent & Carer community! I’m sorry to hear that your 13-year-old son has run away from home to a house that is known to police. I can hear that you’re unsure how to cope with this, which is really understandable. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge your efforts to support yourself and your son, by reaching out to the community. When experiencing something so taxing and overwhelming, it can be difficult to reach out for support. I can see that you are trying your best! 

Having your child run away from home is incredibly frightening and knowing that they’ve been at a house known to Police would heighten those parental instincts. It sounds like you may know or have an inkling as to where your son has run off to. Have you been able to communicate with him since he’s run away from home? I am also wondering if this is the first time your son has run away from home? 

I can also hear that you don’t know how to cope with this and am interested to know if you have spoken to any friends or family about your son? It can be really helpful to have support around you during difficult times like this. In case you are interested in additional support, ReachOut offers free 1:1 parent coaching sessions for parents of young people aged 12-18. Another service that you might also find helpful is Relationships Australia NSW. They offer counselling for individuals and families, and can also provide you with referrals to other services local to you. 

An email has also been sent to you to check in offline, so please keep an eye out for that.