Why We Must Listen to Youths in Need

This banned book, “Trick,” written by Ellen Hopkins, led me to discover another unpleasant issue: many teens are put into a spot where they run away and are kicked out of their homes.

“Trick” is a novel written in verse about the stories of five teenagers from different backgrounds. Each teenager faces struggles with their unique problems and circumstances that lead them into the world of prostitution to survive in the harsh environment.

What disturbed me the most was that some adults were well aware of their situations, willingly exploiting these teenagers who desperately needed their help. The stories are all sad. The stories were discussed and horrifying. If you go to the National Runaway Safeline forums, you can read many teen postings.

We are consumed with our lives and oblivious to something about our society. No, we may intentionally ignore them because these issues seem unsettling. In verse, Hopkins tried to portray these tragic, scary, and alarming stories. Her message is crisp and clear—hey, adults, pay attention!

There Are So Many Runaway Adolescents In The U.S.

I was surprised to find out how many runaway adolescents there are in the United States. Around 1.7 million young people run away or are expelled every year. In 2021, there will be about 43 million people aged between 10 and 19, approximately 4% of our teens. If you include non-registered residents in the United States, the number shoots up even higher.

The demographic of runaway adolescents can vary widely – which means there are runaway adolescents in any demographic. However, there are more runaway adolescents in specific demographics, such as lower income, race, and social identities.

Income

The lowest-income group has the highest percentage of runaway adolescents. According to reports from ASPE, 21% of runaways come from lower-income families, 16% from middle-income families, and 12% from upper-income family groups (ASPE, 2007).

Ethnicity

Runaway adolescents come from all ethnicities. According to NRS (2018), the percentage of blacks or African Americans (23%) or Hispanics or Latinos (18%) is much higher (NRS-2018). There is a distribution of runaway adolescents. However, the interpretation of the statistics needs to be evaluated more carefully as the population composition for each ethnic group is different.

Social Identity

LGBTQ+ youth represented a high % of homeless youth despite they represent only 5 to 10% of the youth population. According to the National Network for Youth, 20 to 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+ (Kovalick, 2024, July 15). They face multiple challenges, such as family rejection, discrimination, safety and health risks, and social stigma.

How to Protect These Vonulable Youth

It is reported that one-third of these runaway teens end up in some form of sexual trade within 48 hours of leaving their homes (Runaway Homeless Youth Statistics, nd). Some organizations include the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) and the National Network for Youth (NN4Y).

Lack of Trust and Fear of Authorities

I realized there is something in common with those teens. Those teens have experienced some types of abuse, neglect, or other issues. For example, Whitney is a typical example of neglect. So, instead of seeking adult help, they decide to stay or be trapped in horrible situations.

Legal Limitation Around Assisting Teen Runaway

Legal limitations exist around assisting teen runaways, making it a complex problem. We have legal frameworks to protect minors, who should be under the supervision of responsible adults. When their guardians abuse them, legal limitations can prevent us from providing immediate and appropriate assistance.

These Teens Fre Facing A High Risk of Exploration

There is an adult who exploits these teens since they are vulnerable. They don’t trust adults, and they fear authorities. So, it will be difficult for these teens to seek adult assistance. That made them easy targets as they are vulnerable. In Whitney’s case, Bryn exploited Eden. In Eden’s Case, even a man in the correction house tried to manipulate her.

Substance Abuse Issues & Other Mental disorders

Some teens have problems with substance abuse. Research indicated that 60.5% of the runaways experienced either alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or drug abuse (Johnson, Whitbeck, and Hoyt, 2005)

What Can We Do?

Frankly, this book was harrowing to read. It provoked me to realize how oblivious I was to the issue. It was not because I did not know those issues existed. Those issues you watched on TV shows over two decades ago in the past were fiction in my head. I was too busy with my life and did not even take time to check to see. I am not even sure if I did not do this project of researching banned books; I’ve even investigated further, even when I read these books, and this greatly disturbed me.

I am still trying to figure out how I can help them. I can donate some money, and it will help the organizations. The more I researched these issues, the more I understood how complex these issues are. There are so many issues we need to discuss if we want to help them, such as having enough infrastructure and legal protection against them, especially if they live in conditions where the abusers are their guardians. I can’t stop thinking that we will never be able to remove the root of these issues.

Yeah, there are between 1.7 million teens who report away yearly. And they are in great danger of being exploited by adults in the United States. So, the author says this at the end of her book. If you see them, call the hotline. It’s important. Please ensure some adults listen to them and explain why they are on the street. It may be their guardians who were the source of the problems.

Want to Read Other Posting about Banned Books? Click Here.