What makes youth run or stay? A review of the literature on absconding

• Absconding behavior is common in out-of-home care settings.
• Absconding has widespread consequences for the young person and society.
• There is a dearth of literature on this problem.
• Understanding absconding behavior is vital in order to reduce and prevent it.
• Individual, familial and contextual factors combined best explain this behavior.

This literature review focuses on why youth abscond from out-of-home care. It found that absconding behavior is common in out-of-home care settings, moreover the risk and harm associated with absconding behavior is considerable to both the absconder and society. Second, it is important to consider individual, familial and contextual factors that surround a young person when attempting to understand absconding behavior. What's more, none of these factors should be considered in isolation, as each factor continually exerts influence on each young person. Thus, in order to most effectively understand the factors at play when young people abscond, it is recommended that multiple avenues of their environment should be considered. Understanding absconding behavior is a key first step in order to reduce rates of absconding, and ultimately to prevent its occurrence. There is a need for international research to explore absconding, its causes and possible solutions.