ISSUES

Runaway and Homelessness
Homeless youth come from all races and ethnic groups and from all parts of the state. They are often escaping personal danger or have been kicked out and told not to return.

It is estimated there are 300,000 homeless youth at any given time in California alone and between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year in the United States.

If you or someone you know is thinking about running away or if you are homeless, please call the California Youth Crisis Line.

Suicide
Suicide is the act taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for youth 15-24 in the United States. Find out the warning signs and talk about your feelings with someone you can trust.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the California Youth Crisis Line.

Sexual Assault/Rape
Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act a person is forced to perform or receive. This includes, but is not limited to, rape.

In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. (These figures do not include victims 12 years old or younger.) 1 out of 4 young women between the ages of 14 and 24 will be victim of sexual assault in their lifetime.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of any type of sexual assault, please call 9-1-1, your local law enforcement, or your local medical clinic. If you want to talk to someone confidentially, please call the California Youth Crisis Line.

Dating, Domestic or Relationship Violence
Relationship violence is the abuse between intimate partners, where one partner is using different types of abuse (i.e., physical, emotional) to gain power and control over his or her partner.

1 in 5 youth have experienced physical or sexual relationship violence in the United States. You are not alone and it’s not your fault. In dating violence, one partner tries to maintain power and control over the other through abuse. Relationship violence crosses all racial, economic and social lines.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any type of relationship violence in a teen relationship, please call the California Youth Crisis Line.

Cutting
Cutting is the self-inflicted violence meant to soothe, alleviate anxiety, and increase a sense of power and control. As the behavior escalates, it actually exacerbates feelings of disempowerment, alienation and helplessness.

Studies show that approximately one out of every 200 girls between the ages of 13 and 19 practices self-mutilation regularly. Girls tend to be more prone to self-injurious behaviors but an estimated 11,000 American boys are also affected each year.

If you or someone you is cutting or causing self-harm, please call the California Youth Crisis Line.

Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a criminal activity in which people are recruited, harbored, transported, bought, or kidnapped to serve an exploitative purpose, such as sexual slavery, forced labor, or child soldiery.

At any given time, 200,000 people in the United States are living as slaves in the hotels, restaurants, agriculture, commercial sex trade, and much more.

If you ever suspect someone is being sold into any type of human trafficking, please call your local law enforcement as soon as possible. Find out more information on how you can help prevent human trafficking, check out the National Center for the Missing and Exploited.