In the wake of a U.S. Justice Department investigation that found widespread use of excessive force by staff at upstate psychiatric care facilities for mentally ill children, this new edition of Child Welfare Watch identifies shortcomings in mental health services and explores possible solutions, including the expansion of alternatives to…

This paper suggests that research has shown that street youth are running from homes characterized by domestic violence, parental drug and alcohol abuse, or child abuse or neglect. This packet describes federal support for helping runaway and homeless youth and reviews implementation of the "Street Outreach Program" and best practices.…

Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics show a 183% increase in female juvenile prostitution and a 245% increase in male juvenile prostitution between the years 1969 and 1978. Most of these juveniles were runaways who shared a common childhood background of physical and sexual abuse. In 1981, a city task force was created to examine the problem…