In it’s never ending quest to sexualize every aspect of life: the porn industry has successfully fetishized the teen runaway phenomena. (The above titles are from actual porn box-covers.)There is a whole subgenre of films dealing with men who pick-up, coerce, and or kidnap runaways. In the minds of many men, this makes the teenager, a sexually available target. Back when I was in porn, I never met an underage kid on a movie set; but, very sadly, I came across many teen runaways who had gotten into prostitution and hustling. I remember one young man in particular: he was thoroughly attractive and charming, but with a very bad case of acne. He had a constant stream of older male clientele. At the time, I was at the end of my road and I often saw him cruising the same areas that I did. I always felt sorry for him. Years later, I heard he committed suicide. The men that abused this boy were sustained in their perversions by the porn industry. Even in the early-1990s, although many of the actors in gay porn, and straight porn as well, were older than the barely legal cadre of current actors and actresses, there was still an obsession with getting someone into the business as young as legally possible. I was washed-up by the time I reached my mid-20s. This reveals the extremely vampiristic quality of porn: for the old are constantly drawing off the life-force of the young.
Prevalence of runaways:
Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year.
Youth aged 12-17 are at higher risk for homelessness than adults.
Motivations for running away:
47% of runaway/homeless youth indicated that conflict between them and their parent or guardian was a major problem.
Over 50% of youth in shelters and on the streets reported that their parents either told them to leave or knew they were leaving but did not care.
80% of runaway and homeless girls reported having ever been sexually or physically abused. 34% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported sexual abuse before leaving home and 43% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported physical abuse before leaving home.
Childhood abuse increases youths' risk for later victimization on the street. Physical abuse is associated with elevated risk of assaults for runaway and homeless youth, while sexual abuse is associated with higher risk of rape for runaway and homeless youth.
Risk factors associated with running away:
Over 70% of runaway and throwaway youth in 2002 were estimated to be endangered, based on 17 indicators of harm or potential risk. The most common endangerment component was physical or sexual abuse at home or fear of abuse upon return. The second most common endangerment component was the youth’s substance dependency.
12% of runaway and homeless youth spent at least one night outside, in a park, on the street, under a bridge or overhang, or on a rooftop.
7% of youth in runaway and homeless youth shelters and 14% of youth on the street had traded sex for money, food, shelter, or drugs in the last twelve months when surveyed in 1995.
32% of runaway and homeless youth have attempted suicide at some point in their lives.
Approximately 48.2% of youth living on the street and 33.2% of youth living in a shelter reported having ever been pregnant.
50% of homeless youth age 16 or older reported having dropped out of school, having been expelled, or having been suspended.
Demographics of runaways
Runaway youth are 50% male and 50% female, although females are more likely to seek help through shelters and hotlines.
40% of youth in shelters and on the street have come from families that received public assistance or lived in publicly assisted housing.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children:
9% of runaway youth in a non-random sample of over 1,600 youth reported engaging in survival sex at some point in their lives.
Approximately 10% of shelter youths and 28% of street youths report having participated in survival sex. Survival sex includes the exchange of sex for shelter, food, drugs, or other subsistence needs.