The cry for help to find a child
Recently, cases of minors leaving home for unknown reasons have raised deep concerns in public opinion.
The incident of T (13 years old) in Hanoi gathering with his family on the evening of July 27 received much attention.
At 9:15 p.m. on July 23, T's family (13 years old) worriedly shared information about him leaving home on Lac Long Quan Street, Tay Ho Ward, Hanoi City.
The journey to find a child of Ms. N.T.D (T's mother) went through many hardships. The family checked the phone positioning and found the last location displayed in Thai Nguyen, but then the signal completely disappeared.
Through information on social networks, Ms. D learned that her daughter took a bus to Long An (now Tay Ninh province) but was refused tickets by bus companies on the grounds that it was too small and she traveled alone. After the bus company refused and refused to take the bus, T was given money by someone and turned around to catch a motorbike taxi. On the morning of July 26, Ms. D and her husband flew to the South, took a bus to Nga Tu Ga bus station (Ho Chi Minh City) to meet a motorbike taxi driver. This person enthusiastically supported her to get her to where T got off the bus.
By the evening of July 27, T had returned home safely after many days of losing contact when following an acquaintance through social networks from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
For T's family, the journey to find their child was like a miracle.
Another case also received public attention. H (13 years old), residing in Nam Thanh Cong apartment complex, Lang Ha ward, Hanoi, left home at 8:40 a.m. on May 23, 2025. By the morning of June 2, the family had found H. in a location about 5 km from home.
Mr. N.V.Q (41 years old, residing in Ninh Binh province) could not hide his emotions when he found his son again on June 13, after more than 5 months of leaving home after a small argument between father and son.
Or the case of male student H (born in 2010, residing in Thanh Tri, Hanoi), a 9th grade student, was also found on the afternoon of June 10, after 2 days of losing contact with his family. H's father shared that just because he scolded him a moment, he advised him about the two brothers arguing, H left.
Parents' worries in the social media era
The case of children leaving home due to family conflicts or being lured through social networks is making many parents worry about how to properly teach their children. When children leave home, the consequences can be unpredictable.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Ha Phuong - a parent living in Hanoi, shared: "Personally, I am quite worried. At the age of primary and secondary school, the children are still immature and have little life experience. Children live online a lot, receiving information is sometimes incomplete, so they are easily lured and led.
In addition, at a sensitive age, children are often easily affected by what happens in the family and on their own, leading to suddenness or poor thinking and rebellion. Therefore, sometimes parents have to slowly talk and instruct children to be cautious, avoid negativity in cyberspace, and be cautious with strangers.
In general, recent incidents are also a reminder for parents to be closer to their children so that they feel accompanied and ready to share when something happens.
Mr. Dang Van Cuong, a parent whose daughter is in 11th grade, shared with us: "If I'm lucky, the child will be taken care of by a good person. But otherwise, the risk of abuse, child trafficking, illegal labor... always exists. Parents need to accompany their children more, especially at a time when social networks have many traps like today".
Children leaving home become an increasingly painful phenomenon reflecting the gap between generations, lacks in emotional education and obstacles in controlling social networks. Although many cases have been resolved, psychological damage and potential risks are still a concern for every family, school and society.
