Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656
Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760
DONATE
RECENT TWEETS
Every issue of the Pavement we run a Missing People advert
(see p2). Here Kate Graham from the organisation reveals how effective those ads can be
Research suggests that around half of the people who are homeless had run away or been forced to leave home which is why sleeping rough is “a common experience” for both missing adults and children. There are also links between going missing as a child and adult homelessness, with research finding that 84% of young homeless people had previously run away before the age of 16. There are similarities in the causes of homelessness and going missing, including relationship breakdown, mental health problems, and financial issues.
Going missing is not an offence. Adults have the right to go missing unless they have been detained under the Mental Health Act or are legally in the care of another person. Children (18 or under) have to be searched for and returned to a place of safety, but going missing is not a crime for a child either. The police and any other professionals involved should always just be trying to support you and make you safe.
If you are an adult and don’t want to return home and don’t want to be considered as a missing person, you will still need to speak to police so they can close the case. If they think you are safe and don’t need any further support, they will end their investigation and if you don’t want them to, they shouldn’t pass any information about where you are to your family or friends. This confidence will only be breached if they don’t think you’re safe and they have a duty to get you support.
More info and help at
www.missingpeople.org.uk
Case study: Ben*
Ben was made to feel like a burden on the family, so he decided to leave, thinking that they would be happier without him. He was just 10 years old when he first ran away from home.
Luckily, Ben was found by a concerned nurse, and taken home. However, when things at home didn’t change, Ben ran away again. And again. And again.
When he was 12 he ended up in London. He was threatened with knives and machetes and robbed of his possessions. He became engrossed in a gritty underworld of drugs, prostitution and sexual predators.
Eventually he settled on the streets as a beggar. After a fellow street beggar offered advice, Ben knew not to take the free heroin that was offered in a bid to draw him into a world of addiction and debt with local drug pushers. He spent years on the streets, his family not knowing where he was, and the authorities not knowing that he needed help.
Running away was Ben’s cry for help, but nobody was there to answer him.
Case study: Bruno*
Police were notified by a homeless shelter that one of their service users, Bruno, had not been seen in several weeks. When Missing People were informed, they published Bruno’s appeal on their social media platforms and targeted poster publicity around the Ealing area where Bruno was known to live.
Just over a week after Bruno was reported missing, he made himself known to police who confirmed that he was safe and well. The officer involved in the case highlighted the effectiveness of the charity’s poster publicity, indicating that Bruno ‘saw [Missing People’s] poster and made contact’ with the police as a direct result.
*Some details have been changed to protect the missing person’s identity.
Going home
People often go missing because they are struggling with something in their life. That might not have gone away just because they’re back.
Missing People suggest giving the person who was missing space when they first get back. “Try to make them feel welcome, and make sure they have anything they need immediately, such as food, water, warmth and sleep. It might not be helpful to start asking lots of questions about what’s been happening straight away. Some people need time and space, and interrogating questions may feel overwhelming, even if they are coming from a supportive place. We also know some returned missing people felt like loved ones ignored the missing episode. This may have been because they just didn’t know how to talk about it. Once it feels right to, it’s good to gently explore whether your person is okay. Ask them: "Is there anything you want to talk about?” Then listen deeply and without judgement.
October – November 2024 : Change
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 152 : October – November 2024 : Change
- Issue 151 : August – September 2024 : Being Heard
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
- Issue 105 : Oct-Nov 2016
- Issue 104 : Aug-Sept 2016
- Issue 103 : May-June 2016
- Issue 102 : Mar-Apr 2016
- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
- Issue 100 : Nov-Dec 2015
- Issue 99 : Sept-Oct 2015
- Issue 98 : July-Aug 2015
- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
- Issue 88 : June 2014
- Issue 87 : May 2014
- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
- Issue 84 : February 2014
- Issue 83 : December 2013
- Issue 82 : November 2013
- Issue 81 : October 2013
- Issue 80 : September 2013
- Issue 79 : June 2013
- Issue 78 : 78
- Issue 77 : 77
- Issue 76 : 76
- Issue 75 : 75
- Issue 74 : 74
- Issue 73 : 73
- Issue 72 : 72
- Issue 71 : 71
- Issue 70 : 70
- Issue 69 : 69
- Issue 68 : 68
- Issue 67 : 67
- Issue 66 : 66
- Issue 65 : 65
- Issue 64 : 64
- Issue 63 : 63
- Issue 62 : 62
- Issue 61 : 61
- Issue 60 : 60
- Issue 59 : 59
- Issue 58 : 58
- Issue 57 : 57
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 55 : 55
- Issue 54 : 54
- Issue 53 : 53
- Issue 52 : 52
- Issue 51 : 51
- Issue 50 : 50
- Issue 49 : 49
- Issue 48 : 48
- Issue 47 : 47
- Issue 46 : 46
- Issue 45 : 45
- Issue 44 : 44
- Issue 43 : 43
- Issue 42 : 42
- Issue 5 : 05
- Issue 4 : 04
- Issue 2 : 02
- Issue 1 : 01
- Issue 41 : 41
- Issue 40 : 40
- Issue 39 : 39
- Issue 38 : 38
- Issue 37 : 37
- Issue 36 : 36
- Issue 35 : 35
- Issue 34 : 34
- Issue 33 : 33
- Issue 10 : 10
- Issue 9 : 09
- Issue 6 : 06
- Issue 3 : 03
- Issue 32 : 32
- Issue 31 : 31
- Issue 30 : 30
- Issue 29 : 29
- Issue 11 : 11
- Issue 12 : 12
- Issue 13 : 13
- Issue 14 : 14
- Issue 15 : 15
- Issue 16 : 16
- Issue 17 : 17
- Issue 18 : 18
- Issue 19 : 19
- Issue 20 : 20
- Issue 21 : 21
- Issue 22 : 22
- Issue 23 : 23
- Issue 24 : 24
- Issue 25 : 25
- Issue 8 : 08
- Issue 7 : 07
- Issue 26 : 26
- Issue 27 : 27
- Issue 28 : 28
- Issue 1 : 01