A TOTAL OF 368 SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM RECORDS OF THE RUNAWAY HOUSING PROGRAM FOR WHOM COMPLETE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. TO TEST WHETHER RUNAWAY SUBGROUPINGS EXISTED, THE 134 MALE AND 174 FEMALE SUBJECTS WERE CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO THREE AREAS: NATURE OF THE REFERRAL, ACTIONS PRECIPITATING THE REFERRAL, AND REFERRAL SOURCES. A SIX-ITEM CHECKLIST WAS DEVISED TO INDICATE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO RUNAWAY BEHAVIOR. ONLY 92 OR 30 PERCENT OF THE 368 YOUTH MET THE DEFINITION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS FOR RUNAWAYS (LEAVING OR STAYING AWAY ON PURPOSE, KNOWING THEY WOULD BE MISSED, AND INTENDING TO STAY AWAY FROM HOME AT LEAST FOR SOME TIME). THE AVERAGE AGE OF RUNAWAYS WAS 14.6 YEARS. CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING YOUTH TO LEAVE HOME MOST FREQUENTLY INVOLVED A FAMILY DISTURBANCE CENTERING AROUND SPECIFIC PARENTAL CONTROL ISSUES SUCH AS DISAPPROVAL OF BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND, SCHOOL ISSUES, GROOMING, DRESS, AND BEHAVIOR. PRIMARY REFERRALS WERE FROM THE COMMUNITY, FOLLOWED BY JUVENILE COURTS, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND AGENCIES. THERE WERE FOUR CASES OF PARENT-CHILD SEXUAL RELATIONS, ABUSE WAS PRESENT IN TWO CASES, AND ALCOHOLISM IN THE PARENTS PREVAILED IN ONE SITUATION. WHILE THE TERM 'RUNAWAY' HAS BEEN APPLIED IN A MANNER THAT PLACES RESPONSIBILITY ON YOUTH, EQUAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PARENTAL ABANDONMENT. THE LARGE USE OF THE RUNAWAY HOUSING PROGRAM BY AGENCIES, THE FAILURE OF SOME PRIVATE AND STATE AGENCIES TO SITUATE YOUTH AFTER AS MANY AS 35 PLACEMENTS, AND THE INADEQUACY OF COMMUNITY AFTERCARE FACILITIES FOR PATIENTS DISCHARGED FROM MENTAL INSTITUTIONS ARE NOTED. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.