A
runaway is a
minor or (depending upon the local jurisdiction) a person under an arbitrary age, who has
left their
parent or
legal guardian without permission, or has been dismissed by their parent and is considered by the local authorities to lack the capacity to live under his or her own accord (the latter is sometimes referred to as a ). Statistics show that runaways are equally likely to be male or female. Female runaways are more likely to seek assistance.