Why do Romanian children run away from home? What are the procedures and what should parents do when such an event happens

Almost 10,000 children run away from home, annually, in Romania. In the last 6 years, their number has almost tripled. Specialists sound the alarm and say that these children end up leaving the family for many reasons, from seemingly harmless ones to serious abuse kept quiet.

Train stations are the favorite destination of children who have run away from home PHOTO The truth

According to the data provided by the “Save the Children” Organization, between May 20, 2024 and May 20, 2025, more than 9,500 notifications of missing minors were reported to the Police. The overwhelming majority are those who ran away from home. Added to these figures is a significant number of children who wander, leave home from dysfunctional families for significant periods of time, without anyone reporting their disappearance. In Romania, there are some clear procedures when a minor is declared missing and found to have run away from home (voluntary departure). Specialists say that the phenomenon is increasingly worrying, as there is already a profile of the child who runs away from home. The reasons are varied and the approach to the situation must be done with caution and empathy, along with bringing the child back to the family, experts say.

The police collect them from the roads, Child Protection investigates

In Romania, after the disappearance of a child is reported to the Police through 112, the search for the minor is carried out based on reports. All data are made public so that the population can provide details if they see the child in question somewhere. Most of the time, runaway children are found. With their identification, two situations arise. Either the police take them to a center of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC), or they bring them home, to the family. In both cases, the children are evaluated by specialists from Child Protection. First of all, to see what was the reason for the minor leaving home. Depending on the results of the evaluations, the DGASPC specialists decide whether the minor can remain in the family or whether he ends up in the care of the state.

“There are two situations. There are the cases of children who voluntarily leave their home or the family home and are brought by the Police or other state institutions, such as SPAS, to our emergency reception center. And there is also the case of children who disappear from the family environment and are brought by the Police or other state organs to the family environment. In both cases these children come to our attention. First of all, the operational procedure is applied to those brought to our emergency reception center, i.e. they are evaluated socially, medically, educationally. Depending on the result of the evaluation, we make a decision regarding these children. If they have been a victim of abuse or other abusive behavior, then these children remain in the system”says Alexandru Colbu, deputy director of DGASPC Botoșani. And in the case of children who end up back in the family, assessments are made and a report is drawn up. If abuse is found, protective measures are applied to the children.

“When a child runs away from home it's an alarm signal”

Specialists say that a child running away from home raises the alarm. Most of the time, it is not whims on the part of the child, but a dysfunction in the relationship between parents and children, experts say. The situations are diverse.

“When a child runs away from home it is clear that we have an alarm signal. It is clear that something there in the family dynamic is not working in a healthy way from a psycho-emotional point of view for the child. Many times we find that it would be a conflict between parents and children, conflicts between parents that the children somatize through introversion, closing in on themselves even running away from home. The child ends up running away from home if they do not feel sufficiently seen, listened to and important in the family environment, as a member with rights full”, states Felicia Mihai, head of service within DGASPC Botoșani. Specialists say that many children suffer because of the imminent or even already concluded divorce between their parents.

It is a way of showing their unhappiness and despair that they no longer belong to a family. Some people find it difficult to choose who they will go to, who they will stay with. In the situation of divorces, often running away from home is repeated by the child. There are cases in which the child does not feel understood and listened to, things are imposed on him without the parents taking into account his wishes, abilities or aspirations. The best examples are when parents force them to follow a school route they don't want or forbid them an activity they enjoy doing. For example, a favorite sport or extracurricular activity that is unfairly suspended by parents, in order to study more at school or for other disapproval reasons. The prohibition of a relationship or a friendship, especially in adolescence, can result in running away from home.

Desperation to escape from a domestic hell

If the previous situations can be resolved by changing the attitude, by reconsidering family relationships and by counseling or therapy, there are also serious situations of abuse where it is no longer just a question of a bad relationship, but also criminal cases. They are children who run away from home to escape the family hell. They are abused physically, mentally, sexually, or a terrifying combination of forms of abuse.

“There are also serious cases of abuse, and then those children remain in the state's protection system if the abuse is confirmed. There are also serious cases of neglect. There are children who call 112 or 119 alone and report such things. That is, the fact that they can no longer endure staying in that family environment. Maybe at first glance it seems easy for some. “Hey, another adventure! He doesn't want to go home anymore”. Unfortunately, there are also real cases where children suffer serious abuse and really need support”adds Felicia Mihai. When there is no one to report those abuses and they remain behind closed doors, at the first opportunity that child will run away. And, experts say, we don't just have to think about vicious families.

Abuse can also happen in apparently normal, balanced families with parents with a high level of education. For those children, running away from home is the only possibility to escape. Specialists say that there are cases in which children are abused by people close to the family, relatives or family friends, but whom they are afraid to disclose, especially because there is a fear that they will not be believed. And at that moment the flight from home, the escape occurs.

Profile of the child who runs away from home

Based on the investigated cases, a category of children prone to this phenomenon of disappearance from home was identified. It's about teenagers. The reasons for running away from home may differ according to gender. Middle school boys, for example, may run away from home for fear of punishment, especially related to schoolwork. At the age of adolescence they do this because they do not feel understood in the family, listened to or following conflicts with their parents. Girls, on the other hand, disappear from home especially after they are forbidden relationships, either love or friendship. In general, it all depends on exactly that conflicting relationship with the parents, on the fact that they are not understood and listened to. There are also situations where teenage girls run away from home after falling in love with people they know online. Or run away with the lover rejected by the family.

“Teens who tend to run away repeatedly do so to gain power over a situation in which they feel powerless, while the parents of runaway teens have often allowed the parent-child relationship to deteriorate to the point where communication is either difficult or non-existent. The main causes of running away are: the absence of effective communication in the parent-child relationship, the teenager's inability to resolve personal issues, maltreatment of the adolescent by parents or other adults”shows the Association Telefonul Capilului. Children disappear especially at the age of adolescence and because they feel more independent, able to handle themselves, but also through the prism of age-specific problems.

Golden rules when a child goes missing

Specialists and professional associations say that parents must take action as soon as they notice the child's disappearance. They recommend calling the Police immediately, without waiting 24 hours. It is recommended that parents call the child's friends and anyone who can provide clarification. If the child has the phone with him, GPS location can be tried. At the same time, it is important to look in the room or among his things for clues or important information. When the child is brought home by the Police, there is a behavior that the parents must adopt, precisely to prevent further problems and to try to relaunch the relationship with the child, to find out the root of the problems.

“Give each other space. You are probably extremely emotional, and the moment your child returns may not be the most productive time to resolve the situation. Have an open and honest conversation with the goal of understanding the motivation behind the behavior. Reevaluate the rules. Poor communication is the number one reason teens run away from home. If you are both calm, this is the time to review the rules, outcomes, and behavioral expectations for your teen Get help If your teen is running away repeatedly, it's probably time to get to the root of the problem. The best way to do this is to get help from a mental health professional who specializes in teen issues.”say the specialists from the “Telefonul copuliu” Association.