National Runaway Switchboard
Encyclopedia
The National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) is the federally designated national communications system
for runaway and homeless youth, their parents and families, teens in crisis, and anyone else who might benefit from its services. It is confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, non-directive, and free. The hotline number is 1-800-RUNAWAY. Calls are answered every day of the year, 24 hours a day.
NRS answers well over 100,000 calls a year from all states and U.S. territories. In 2008, forty-nine percent of the crisis calls were from youth. Half of the youths making crisis calls were on the street. Some of the problems identified by callers to 1-800-RUNAWAY include: family dynamics, peer/social, school education, physical abuse
, and/or alcohol/drug use. Some simply wish to talk and need an attentive listener. They can also obtain referrals to legal resources in their community and employment programs. NRS maintains a database
of over 16,000 organizations throughout the country to which callers can be referred, as well as many other specialized hotlines that serve youth and families.
Parents or other relatives of runaways also frequently turn to the hotline to find help in learning what they can do about a child who has run away, how to go about making an official report, and to get emotional support during the crisis. Often, parents call not because their children already are missing, but because they fear they might run away in the future or because of ongoing problems involving discipline
, drug abuse
or alcohol abuse
, truancy
, etc.
Runaways can use the NRS message service to forward messages to parents or guardians
after they have run away, if they do not wish to call them directly. Parents or guardians can, in turn, leave messages with the NRS for a youth who has run away to pick up. The hope is that these relays will form a foundation for improved communication between the runaway and the family and make reunification more likely. NRS also can make conference calls to connect runaways with their family members if they do wish to call them but don't have money for the call, or if they wish an NRS to moderate the conversation and help to smooth the discussion.
NRS, in conjunction with Greyhound Lines Inc., administers the Home Free program, which has reunited more than 13,000 runaway youth with their families with free bus
tickets back home.
NRS also maintains a Web
site, www.1800RUNAWAY.org, which was significantly revamped in 2006 and which presents a wide range of information both on NRS and on runaway and homeless youth in general, including guidance for what families should do if a child is missing.
The switchboard calls are answered both by staff members and volunteers
. The organization has more than 150 volunteers, all of whom are based in the NRS office in Chicago
. Volunteers receive 40 hours of training before they can start to work on the crisis line, and are closely supervised by paid NRS staff.
The organization is financed by federal and state agencies, personal donations, and grants from private companies and charitable foundations.
The agency also has developed, in cooperation withi DePaul University
, an extensive Runaway Prevention Curriculum for use by community organizations and educators. It is available either through Internet
download or as a CD-ROM
. The organization also can supply schools and other organizations with promotional materials, such as posters and pamphlets, that highlight issues relating to teen runaways.
The agency since 2000 has been directed by Maureen Blaha, a former head of a statewide child abuse program for the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois. Blaha also formerly was the executive liaison for the Massachusetts Office for Children, an advocacy and regulatory agency.
In 2006, Ludacris
(singer Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) featured The National Runaway Switchboard in the music video of his Grammy-award winning single, "Runaway Love
".
The history of NRS goes back to the early 1970s. In 1971, Metro-Help was established to help Chicago youth in crisis as a clearinghouse to connect them with services throughout the region. In 1974, the crisis line received an 8-month demonstration grant from the federal government to expand its scope from a local line to a national call center and a short time later changed its name to National Runaway Switchboard. NRS was officially designated by the government as the country's "national communication system" to assist runaway youth and homeless teens. NRS is the oldest such hotline in the world, and has received over 3 million calls since its founding.
Communications system
In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole...
for runaway and homeless youth, their parents and families, teens in crisis, and anyone else who might benefit from its services. It is confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, non-directive, and free. The hotline number is 1-800-RUNAWAY. Calls are answered every day of the year, 24 hours a day.
NRS answers well over 100,000 calls a year from all states and U.S. territories. In 2008, forty-nine percent of the crisis calls were from youth. Half of the youths making crisis calls were on the street. Some of the problems identified by callers to 1-800-RUNAWAY include: family dynamics, peer/social, school education, physical abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
, and/or alcohol/drug use. Some simply wish to talk and need an attentive listener. They can also obtain referrals to legal resources in their community and employment programs. NRS maintains a database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of over 16,000 organizations throughout the country to which callers can be referred, as well as many other specialized hotlines that serve youth and families.
Parents or other relatives of runaways also frequently turn to the hotline to find help in learning what they can do about a child who has run away, how to go about making an official report, and to get emotional support during the crisis. Often, parents call not because their children already are missing, but because they fear they might run away in the future or because of ongoing problems involving discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
, drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
or alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
, truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
, etc.
Runaways can use the NRS message service to forward messages to parents or guardians
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
after they have run away, if they do not wish to call them directly. Parents or guardians can, in turn, leave messages with the NRS for a youth who has run away to pick up. The hope is that these relays will form a foundation for improved communication between the runaway and the family and make reunification more likely. NRS also can make conference calls to connect runaways with their family members if they do wish to call them but don't have money for the call, or if they wish an NRS to moderate the conversation and help to smooth the discussion.
NRS, in conjunction with Greyhound Lines Inc., administers the Home Free program, which has reunited more than 13,000 runaway youth with their families with free bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
tickets back home.
NRS also maintains a Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
site, www.1800RUNAWAY.org, which was significantly revamped in 2006 and which presents a wide range of information both on NRS and on runaway and homeless youth in general, including guidance for what families should do if a child is missing.
The switchboard calls are answered both by staff members and volunteers
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
. The organization has more than 150 volunteers, all of whom are based in the NRS office in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Volunteers receive 40 hours of training before they can start to work on the crisis line, and are closely supervised by paid NRS staff.
The organization is financed by federal and state agencies, personal donations, and grants from private companies and charitable foundations.
The agency also has developed, in cooperation withi DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
, an extensive Runaway Prevention Curriculum for use by community organizations and educators. It is available either through Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
download or as a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
. The organization also can supply schools and other organizations with promotional materials, such as posters and pamphlets, that highlight issues relating to teen runaways.
The agency since 2000 has been directed by Maureen Blaha, a former head of a statewide child abuse program for the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois. Blaha also formerly was the executive liaison for the Massachusetts Office for Children, an advocacy and regulatory agency.
In 2006, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
(singer Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) featured The National Runaway Switchboard in the music video of his Grammy-award winning single, "Runaway Love
Runaway Love
Runaway Love may refer to:*Runaway Love , an EP by En Vogue**"Runaway Love" , the title song*"Runaway Love" *"Runaway Love" *"Runaway Love", a song by Linda Clifford...
".
The history of NRS goes back to the early 1970s. In 1971, Metro-Help was established to help Chicago youth in crisis as a clearinghouse to connect them with services throughout the region. In 1974, the crisis line received an 8-month demonstration grant from the federal government to expand its scope from a local line to a national call center and a short time later changed its name to National Runaway Switchboard. NRS was officially designated by the government as the country's "national communication system" to assist runaway youth and homeless teens. NRS is the oldest such hotline in the world, and has received over 3 million calls since its founding.