The development of services to prevent running away is viewed as both impossible and counterproductive, given that running away has historically been related to societal conditions. Running away can be a healthy response to destructive situations such as physical and sexual abuse and parental alcoholism. Running away is caused by a complex set of home environment problems. Prevention efforts are a positive process of promoting environments conducive to personal power and choice and empowering people to use crises as opportunities for growth. Runaway services have become increasingly sophisticated over the last 10 years. Case examples illustrate such prevention programs as prevention counseling, prevention training, life skills training, recreation and cultural arts programs, and job programs. Other programs described include youth participation programs, community outreach and networking, and postcrisis prevention. Among current policy and program issues are the need for the Youth Development Bureau (YDB) to put forth a comprehensive policy on positive youth development and the need for YDB funding policies to be reoriented toward positive youth development. A model prevention program should include services to help individuals and families tap their inherent strengths and use institutions to meet their needs, services to educate workers to be responsive to clients' needs, and services to organize communities to monitor and take ownership of the institutions that affect their existence. Descriptions and addresses of prevention programs and an annotated bibliography listing 52 sources are provided.