Part 3: Prevention & Early Signals — Stopping “Runaway” Risk Before It Starts
Part 1: Retiring the “Runaway” Label – Praxis Professional
North Star: Connection prevents crisis. Spot signals early, respond without blame, and build safety plans that make it easy to ask for help.
Early Signals at Home
- Sudden secrecy online (new/hidden accounts, locked devices, switching apps frequently)
- New “older” friends or rides from unknown adults; unexplained cash, gifts, clothing
- Sleep disruption, high irritability, or depression; abrupt drop in grades or interests
- Conflict spikes about rules/identity/phone privacy; stays out late or disappears overnight
- Substance changes (new use, paraphernalia, or associating with frequent users)
How to respond: use calm, curious questions (“Help me understand…”) and set collaborative limits. Offer options, not ultimatums. Pair consequences with connection.
Early Signals at School & Community
- Chronic tardies/absences, leaving class often (bathroom, nurse, counselor)
- Exhaustion, sleeping in class; dramatic attention to phone during specific periods
- New luxury items without explanation; changes in peer groups toward much older youth
- Rumors about older partners, rides, “parties,” or exchanging images/favors
- School-adjacent hotspots (parking lots, transit stops) where unfamiliar adults linger
Staff tactics: use a warm handoff to counselors; document signals; engage family with supportive language; loop in SROs/liaisons when exploitation indicators appear.
Online Grooming: What It Looks Like
- Love-bombing & mirroring: intense praise, “soulmate” talk, rapid trust-building
- Isolation: pushing secrecy, moving chats to encrypted apps, discouraging real-life supports
- Testing boundaries: “send a pic,” “prove you trust me,” escalating to sexual content
- Control & leverage: threats to share images (“sextortion”), guilt, or financial pressure
- Offline meet-ups: rides offered, gifts promised, “modeling” or “job” invitations
What to do now: screenshot evidence, preserve handles and messages, adjust privacy settings, and report exploitation to the
CyberTipline. For an immediate missing child, call
1-800-THE-LOST (NCMEC) and local law enforcement.
Family Safety Plans (Template)
Create this before you need it. Keep a copy in the kitchen and in the child’s phone.
- Safe adults: 3–5 names the child can contact day or night
- Code words: 1 for “come get me now” and 1 for “call 911 for me”
- Meet-up locations: 2–3 safe places within 10 minutes
- Phone settings: location sharing with a caregiver; app store restrictions; unknown callers silenced
- Money & transit: a prepaid card or rideshare plan for emergencies (with guardrails)
- De-escalation list: music, walks, trusted friend, journaling—agreed “cool-down” options
Practice it: role-play requests for help; demonstrate that asking for help never brings punishment.
Reducing Repeat Episodes After Recovery
- Medical & safety check first; then a non-blaming debrief about needs and triggers
- Stabilization supports: counseling/advocacy; sleep; nutrition; school re-entry plan
- Trigger audit: identify and reduce the conditions that led to leaving (conflict, unsafe contacts, online pressure)
- Re-engagement team: name 2–3 consistent adults across home/school/faith/community
- Follow-ups: weekly check-ins (text or in person) for at least 6–8 weeks
Printable Quick Checks
Click Here for the PDF Download of the Quick Checks below.
Home Signs (Top 5)
Secrecy online • Older friends • Unexplained gifts • Sleep changes • Big mood/grade swings
School Signs (Top 5)
Absences/tardies • Exhaustion • Phone fixation • Luxury items • Older peer group
Grooming Ladder
Love-bomb → Isolation → Boundary tests → Leverage → Meet-up
Safety Plan (6 items)
Safe adults • Code words • Meet-ups • Phone settings • Transit plan • De-escalation list