As a teenager in foster care, Zack Zibrosky was detained eight times, five for running away from the same group home where some of the other kids had a history of aggressive behavior. Running away is considered a status offense, an activity that is prohibited only if you are a minor.

In between trips to detention, Zibrosky spent time on the streets. School fell by the wayside amidst all that upheaval.

“Kids who are going through this obviously have some type of turmoil or something in their life that’s not right,” said Zibrosky, now 20 and a youth advocate with the Mockingbird Society. Instead of locking kids up, he said, judges and caseworkers need to put more effort into finding out why a youth is acting out and tailoring their response to that kid’s needs.

[For more on this story by Allegra Abramo, go to https://chronicleofsocialchang...up-for-truancy/29850]