It's been very interesting reading the speculation on the young woman's reason for leaving home. Let me add my own personal experience. At 16, the day before final exams of my junior year of high school, I walked two blocks from my home in a Chicago suburb to a mildly busy two lane, city street and stuck out my thumb. A week later I was in Los Angeles. I was mad at my parents for not letting me take my car on a trip to a resort town with some of my friends. Other than that, which I considered the ultimate in abuse, life was pretty good in my middle class home - not perfect by any means - but pretty good.
Kids do stupid things for many reasons and it doesn't necessarily indicate abuse. If my father would have explained to me that my car's tires were bald and showing the inner core making them very dangerous, I probably would never have left.
Never did take those junior year finals.
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