Every day hundreds of children are forced to leave home. According to charities like Shelter, the number of homeless children is bound to rise as a result of the recent government budget cuts. To see what is in store, Dispatches follows 4 teenagers fending for themselves on the streets, in a world defined by drugs, conflict and risk.

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All are remarkably eloquent about why they take flight: family breakdowns, addiction, violence, neglect and abuse. An acute lack of adequate parenting is the unspoken truth behind their stories. A severe lack of consistent and effective care once they have left home becomes their reality.