Q: My nieces ask about a friend who ran away and got into trouble by the police. What is the law on runaways and what if there is a bad situation in the home causing them to run away? — Paula from Saranac.
A: Paula, this is an excellent question and is something the young people ask me about in schools. First, I will give two definitions. A juvenile in Michigan is a young person under the age of 17. This is everyone 16 and younger. A status offense is a violation of the law that can only be committed by a juvenile. These violations include running away from home, truancy, incorrigibility and curfew violations. If a juvenile runs away from home, they would be apprehended and a parent or guardian would sign for them on the apprehension form. The report is then turned over to the jurisdictional court for its review.
The second part of your question is handled when law enforcement (LE) does the investigation. When LE takes the initial report from the parent or guardian, an interview is done to determine if they know why the child is gone. When LE finds the child, the child is interviewed to determine why they ran away from home. Most of the time, it’s because the child didn’t want to follow the rules of the home. If there is an allegation of danger in the home, the investigation continues and the child is not automatically put back in that environment. Other arrangements may be made. Again, probate court would be involved. A juvenile may go to probate court if he or she is accused of a crime, is abused or neglected by a parent or guardian, repeatedly refuses to obey the parent or guardian (incorrigibility) or repeatedly skips school (truancy).
By state law, a minor child under the age of 12 cannot be on any public street, highway, alley or park between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or an adult delegated by a parent or guardian. The same restriction applies to a minor who is 12 to 16 years old between midnight and 6 a.m. More specific restrictions may apply depending on the city or township ordinances.
Parent tip:  Do you know who your kids are with? Are you sure? Monitoring is an effective way you can help your tween or teen stay drug-free. While kids may complain that parents “don’t trust them” or are being unreasonable, there is security in knowing that parents care enough to ask.  Monitoring involves allowing independence, but still knowing: 1) where youth are, 2) who youth are with, and 3) what youth are doing.
Talk about it — have conversations often about your expectations for your child. Make sure you clearly communicate what you expect when it comes to drinking alcohol and using drugs. Here are some monitoring tips: 1) Require them to check in by phone, 2) occasionally drop in unannounced to make sure they are safe, 3) ask details before and after they “go out,” 4) talk to their friends and friends’ parents often, 5) stay in tune with their mood and behavior, and 6) prepare your youth to handle emergency situations.
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