February 21, 2026 00:00 United Daily News / Reporters Li Yixin, Liao Bingqi / Taipei Report
LIN,SHU-LI, Assistant Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University, pointed out that the increasing number of runaways among teenagers and children worldwide, including in Europe and the United States, is a widespread phenomenon and is inextricably linked to the rise of the internet. However, the internet is ultimately just a tool; the root cause is the estrangement between families and children. LIN,SHU-LI said that nowadays, children and teenagers running away from home, whether for illegal work or to find online friends, often rely on the internet to find resources they had when they left. Although Taiwanese police can usually find missing children quickly, there is concern that during their time away from home, these children may have been tempted by online allure or encountered unsuitable people, believing they have found refuge and thus unwilling to return home.
LIN,SHU-LI pointed out that according to reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States, and police, the number of missing teenagers worldwide continues to rise or remains high. Driving factors include online exploitation such as deception and crime, abuse, neglect, family problems such as conflict, and mental health crises. A 2024 report from France showed that the number of children under 15 who ran away from home had been steadily increasing since 2018.
LIN,SHU-LI pointed out that children today are maturing earlier than before due to the internet, but this also brings increased risks, such as exposure to inappropriate online content. Although there are internet rating systems, they are often ineffective. Therefore, Australia implemented the world’s first “social media ban for children under 16” last December to protect children from cyberbullying, addiction, and harmful content, but the effectiveness remains to be seen.
Regarding the running away of teenagers and children, a police officer in charge of juvenile affairs said that many children face academic and peer pressure at school, and are then scheduled for tutoring or extracurricular classes after school or on weekends, making them unhappy. Furthermore, as “digital natives” growing up in the internet age, their mental age is not yet mature, yet they are exposed to “advanced” information too early, affecting their mental health.
The police officer stated that most parents are busy with work, sometimes even working overtime when their children return home. While they strive for their families, they lack time to interact with their children and don’t understand their inner world. Children lack a sense of attachment to their families and emotional value, feeling misunderstood by their parents and believing that “friends outside” understand them better. This can lead to them being abducted by online acquaintances or exploited by criminal groups, finding self-affirmation in the process and running away from home.
He said children might be tricked into providing sexually explicit images online, or even lured out of their homes for molestation or assault, or recruited by fraud groups as money mules. Relevant agencies must pay close attention to the problem of runaway youth and children.
He suggested that the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education should strengthen guidelines related to parenting education. If a child violates criminal laws and parents neglect their upbringing, the Judicial Yuan should mandate parenting education and counseling to improve family function. Schools must immediately report absenteeism to relevant systems for tracing and strengthen post-absence support.