THE OPENING PAPER DESCRIBES A STUDY OF ADOLESCENT RUNAWAYS' PERCEPTIONS OF CONFLICTS WITH THEIR PARENTS. RUNAWAYS PERCEIVED MORE CONFLICT THAN DID NONRUNAWAYS ON 15 OUT OF 39 ITEMS MEASURED. A KEY ISSUE FOR RUNAWAYS WAS THEIR PARENTS' FAILURE TO EXPRESS LOVE. THE STUDY FINDINGS ARE DOCUMENTED, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR HELPING RUNAWAYS AND POTENTIAL RUNAWAYS ARE OFFERED. A DISCUSSION OF RUNAWAY YOUTH AND INCEST DRAWS ON THE EXPERIENCES OF A SEXUAL TRAUMA TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT HAS TREATED 75 SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN, INCLUDING INCEST CASES. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DYNAMICS AND PHYSICAL MECHANICS OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN ADULTS AND CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY IN INCEST, ARE EXAMINED, WITH A VIEW TO MAKING COUNSELORS WHO WORK WITH RUNAWAYS AWARE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE TRAUMAS EXPERIENCED BY YOUTHS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN INCESTUAL RELATIONSHIPS. A DISCUSSION OF RUNAWAYS AND PROSTITUTION SURVEYS THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM, THE WAYS IN WHICH JUVENILES ARE RECRUITED INTO PROSTITUTION, AND THE LIVES THEY LEAD AS PROSTITUTES. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP JUVENILE PROSTITUTES--OUTREACH, TIMELINESS, PROTECTION FROM PIMPS, HOUSING, CHILD CARE, PUBLIC INFORMATION, ETC.--ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL OFFICE FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR SUCH PROGRAMS IS NOTED. THE FINAL PAPER EXPLORES RUNNING AWAY AS AN HISTORICALLY AND SOCIALLY DETERMINED RESPONSE TO REAL OR PERCEIVED STRESS, DISADVANTAGES, OR ALIENATION. TOUCHING ON THE VALUES AND NORMS THAT DOMINATE NUCLEAR FAMILIES, THE MEANING OF ADOLESCENCE IN POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, AND THE VALUES, MYTHS, AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE GENERAL AMERICAN CULTURE, THE DISCUSSION CONCLUDES THAT SOCIETY MUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF YOUTHS RUN AWAY FROM HOME AND MUST HELP THESE YOUTHS EITHER TO LEAVE THEIR FAMILIES OR TO REENTER THEIR FAMILIES IN SAFETY AND DIGNITY. BIBLIOGRAPHIES ACCOMPANY TWO OF THE PAPERS. (LKM)