Teen Runaways: Should We Force Them Home?

"Responsible Canadians should realize that children are not small adults. They do have rights, but those rights are not licenses to destroy future opportunities." (Crosby, Teen Runaways p. 161) When battling the issue of teen runaways, we must first address reasons that prompt their flight. Legitimate abuse cases or instances where teenagers are mistreated in their homes obviously debate against the idea of legislating the forceful restoration of a child to his or her family home where they will yet again be exposed to the very evil that they are trying to escape. …