Based on the available reports and statistics by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ombudsperson for Children, the phenomenon of youth runaways from residential care has been increasing for the last few years. This phenomenon presents a danger situation for a young person who is exposed to many risks during the runaway and is prevented from providing interventions, but this is also a major social problem. The results of research (Ratkajec Gašević, Zalović, Maurović, 2017) show that 50% of young people from residential care have experience of a runaway, but at the same time, they estimate the large presence of protective factors. Therefore, this work is focused on verification of this contradictory result. The purpose of this work is to identify internal and external protective factors that young people perceive as crucial in preventing runaway. Qualitative methodology was used in the research. Participants in the research were 15 young people with behavioral problems, aged between 14 and 18 who were in residential care in three cities (Bedekovčina, Osijek and Rijeka). Based on the interview transcripts, a thematic framework analysis was conducted. Young people talk more about external than internal protective factors and these external protective factors are associated with conditions in residential care, relationships with family and friends and interventions from educators. Internal factors are related to emotional states and responsibility for their own behavior. Besides, in research youth talked more about reasons for a runaway than about protective factors. These results show the importance of strengthening interventions with the aim of empowering internal and external protective factors that would prevent young people from runaways. These external protective factors are mostly focused on improving the living conditions in residential care. Some of the protective factors were general and are not necessarily related to the runaways of young people. Therefore, further research should focus on identifying specific protective factors in preventing runaways of youth from residential care.