Texas Law Criminalizing 'Runaways' Traumatizes Children, Advocates Say

Texas Law on Runaways

• 📌 A Texas law, in effect since 1973 and unchanged since 1995, defines the voluntary absence of a child from home without consent as conduct indicating a need for supervision.
• ⚠️ This law is used to criminalize children for running away, even when they are victims of trafficking and assault.

Impact on Children and Families

• 💔 The law leads to children being arrested, shackled, and placed in juvenile detention for running away, which is described as a trauma response.
• ⛓️ Federal law prohibits jailing kids for status offenses like running away, but Texas uses court orders and probation violations to detain them.
• 🏠 Children who run away from safe houses or treatment centers after being victims of trafficking can still be detained for violating court orders.

Systemic Issues and Advocacy

• 📈 North Texas counties, particularly Dallas County, refer more children to the juvenile justice system for running away than any other part of the state.
• 🎯 Advocates argue that this law is a "trap door toward trafficking" and retraumatizes vulnerable youth, creating a stigma that frames them as criminals.
• 💬 There is a call for a more expansive definition of a runaway young person, moving away from criminalization towards support for traumatized children.