THE INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF RUNNING AWAY - CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES OF THE PARENTS OF RUNAWAYS

Research into the etiology of running away has long provided evidence for the influence of family factors such as abuse, parent-child confli ct, and child stress on an adolescent's decision to leave home. This p aper offers evidence for the possibility that running away may be deep ly entrenched in patterns of family interaction that extend across gen erations. Using data from the National Incidence Study of Missing, Abd ucted Runaway, and Throwaway Children (NISMART), the influence of pare nts' own childhood experiences with running away on the behaviors of t heir children is illustrated. The importance of examining the influenc e of such intergenerational transmission factors, separate and in addi tion to more traditional predictors of running away, is demonstrated.