Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Almost four out of ten minor girls who leave their homes without informing parents are driven by domestic issues to take the drastic step. A study conducted by the State Police Headquarters (PHQ) showed that ‘home-related issues’, that includes annoyance with family, poverty, denial of education were among the key reasons that drove young girls to run away from their homes.
Around 43.4 % missing girls left their home over the domestic issues. Stress and tension in homes is also forcing the young girls to leave their house. There were several girls who wanted to study, but their family did not permit them to go to school. So they decided to leave their homes. The study covered cases of missing minor girls in the state from January 2024 to September 2024.
Around 15% of the girls leaving their homes want to live with their relatives instead with parents citing different reasons. These girls left their homes and went to the homes of their preferred relatives to reside with them.
Love affair: The second key reason attributed for girls leaving their home is ‘love affair’. Young girls infatuated by boys living in the neighbourhood, or their classmates, acquaintances and now increasingly social media pals, elope with their ‘lovers’, who, too, are in most cases minors. These girls are not aware that they cannot legally get married till attaining the age of 18 years. In such cases, their ‘lovers’ are charged with abduction, if they are major.
Travel bug: Some girls have a wander lust and leave their homes just to visit places of their choice. They often travel ticketless and caught by railway staff or the RPF. Their percentage is around five.
Sexual exploitation: Around 5% minor girls left their home because they faced sexual exploitation at the hands of family members, including father, brothers or other relatives.
Financial distress: Around 3% of the girls cited financial distress at homes for their decision to runway. They said that their basic needs were not being met. Around one per cent of the girls went missing just because they lost their way back home.
