IN SOME STATES, when a teenager runs away from home, he or she is subject to possible arrest and detainment. For a teen under arrest, a juvenile detention center is generally used instead of an adult facility, such as a prison. Being detained is not the same as being arrested. Detention can mean waiting with a law enforcement official while the runaway's parents are contacted and arrangements are made for returning the teen home. It can also involve being taken to the police station and held there for hours or even for days as the authorities decide how to best handle the situation. According to author R. Barri Flowers,

A runaway's contact with police occurs primarily through arrest, detention, and returning the runaway home or placing them in a juvenile facility. The nature of this contact is based on a...