"The stories of four runaway youths illustrate key points in this summary of information about runaway and homeless children and teenagers. In addition to describing the breadth of the problem, this book explains different types of runaway and homeless youths, why they leave home - voluntarily or because they are asked - what factors are common to the children and their families, and what happens to the youths after they have left. Slesnick, a clinical psychologist, notes that there are few resources and programs specifically designed to help families with runaway youths. This book provides direction and support for parents in need of assistance." "Told by a parent and three runaways themselves, the stories of four people trying to understand the causes and cope with the aftermath of running away serve to illustrate research results and major issues. This work will be of interest not only to parents of runaways and mental health professionals, but also to students in adolescent psychology, family psychology, and clinical child psychology."--BOOK JACKET.