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Children of the Night

NCJ Number
116268
Author(s)
R Telles
Date Published
1989
Length
63 pages
Annotation
This television script details the experiences and eventual death of Iain Brown, who for 5 years was one of America's 1 million teenage runaways.
Abstract
Through dialogue and narrative, the script recounts how a polite well-mannered boy from an affluent California town began to rebel against authority and became progressively involved in truancy, vandalism, and other forms of delinquency. It details how Iain ran away from and returned to his parents home numerous times over the 5 year period, his motivations, and the benefits he perceived to be derived from life on the street. Also detailed are his involvement with drug abuse, his initiation into hustling, his experiences as a juvenile prostitute, and his eventual return home after the breakup of his street 'family.' Conversations with parents, friends, and neighbors chronicle their reactions to Iain's running away, the lack of acceptance upon his return to his community, his failed attempts to find and keep employment, and his eventual suicide. Production credits are included.