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Results for “Runaway Behavior”

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PubMed2002

Perpetrators of early physical and sexual abuse among homeless and runaway adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine abuse specific variables among homeless and runaway adolescents and to look at perpetrators of childhood abuse. METHOD: A total of 372 homeless and runaway adolescents were interviewed using a systematic sampling strategy in metropolitan Seattle. Young people were interviewed on the streets and in shelters by outreach workers in youth service agencies. RESULTS: Approximately one-half of these young people reported being physically abused and almost one-third experienced sexual abuse. Females experienced significantly higher rates of sexual abuse compared to males, and sexual minority youth experienced significantly higher rates of physical and sexual abuse compared to heterosexual youth. Average duration of physical and sexual abuse was 5 and 2 years, respectively. Both types of abuse were rated as extremely violent by more than half of those who were abused. The average number of different perpetrators of physical and sexual abuse was four and three, respectively. Biological parents were the majority of perpetrators for physical abuse whereas nonfamily members most often perpetrated sexual abuse. Average age of perpetrators was late 20s to early 30s and the majority of perpetrators were male for both types of abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of exploitation and victimization within the family may have serious and cumulative developmental consequences for these youth as they enter the street environment. Early intervention programs are needed to break the cycle of exploitation and abuse that adolescents experience within the family. Without intervention, many of these youth may be at risk of future exploitation and re-victimization out on the street.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The impact of home background on the decision of children to run away: the case of Yaounde City street children in Cameroon.

OBJECTIVE: This study sets out to investigate the phenomenon of street children and its relationship to their home background. The project stemmed from the fact that there is an enormous increase of children nowadays roaming the streets. Our premordial aim here is to investigate whether misunderstanding between parents and their children resulting from home-rearing patterns can influence children to run away from home. METHOD: The research was carried out in specific areas of the Yaounde urban center where most of these delinquent children have their meeting points. Out of about 900 street children, 21 of them were sampled for this exercise. The nonprobability or purposive sampling technique was used. The main tool for data collection was the questionnaire. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested with the chi-square test of independence. RESULTS: From the data analysis, there is a highly positive relationship (chi2 = 68.0, P = .001 ) existing between home-rearing patterns and the children found in the street. The analysis also stipulates that there is an equally positive but low relationship (chi2 = 10.5, P = .05 existing between the level of family income and children running away from home. CONCLUSIONS: From the analysis of fundings, it can be concluded that the economic crisis which many Cameroonian families are facing cannot be considered as a major factor responsible for children abandoning the home for the street as family income has been shown to have only a weak connection with the street children phenomenon. On the contrary, authoritarian parenting which characterizes 62.86% of parents is revealed as the major factor responsible for children running away from home. The researcher recommends that interventions should focus on how parents treat their children without neglecting to deal with the means required to meet family needs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Bleak and hopeless no more. Engagement Of reluctant substance-abusing runaway youth and their families.

Runaway/homeless shelters document high levels of substance abuse among runaway youth, at least double that of school youth. These youth present a constellation of problems and research suggests that this population may be unique in the range and intensity of associated problems. Most studies to date have collected self-report data on these youth; virtually no research has examined treatment effectiveness with the population. Given the void of treatment outcome research with these youths, there is need for identifying potent interventions. Given that issues of engagement and retention must assume prominence in the development of new treatments, this article presents a family-based treatment engagement strategy successfully employed with a sample of substance-abusing youth staying in a southwestern shelter. Youth and primary caretakers are engaged separately by the therapist utilizing motivating factors appropriate to context of the families' lives and to the developmental position of the client.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Pregnancy among three national samples of runaway and homeless youth.

PURPOSE: To compare estimates of the prevalence of pregnancy among runaway and homeless youth between the ages of 14 and 17 years in various settings with each other and with youth in the general population. METHODS: Comparisons used three surveys of youth: (a) the first nationally representative survey of runaway and homeless youth residing in federally and nonfederally funded shelters, (b) a multicity survey of street youth, and (c) a nationally representative household survey of youth with and without recent runaway and homeless experiences. RESULTS: Youth living on the streets had the highest lifetime rates of pregnancy (48%), followed by youth residing in shelters (33%) and household youth (<10%). CONCLUSIONS: Shelter and street youth were at much greater risk of having ever been pregnant than were youth in households, regardless of whether they had recent runaway or homeless experiences. Such youth need comprehensive services, including pregnancy prevention, family planning, and prenatal and parenting services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Service utilization among homeless and runaway youth in Los Angeles, California: rates and reasons.

PURPOSE: To describe the service utilization patterns of homeless and runaway youth in a "service-rich" area of Los Angeles, California; identify demographic and other correlates of utilization; and contextualize the findings with qualitative data. METHOD: During Phase 1 of this study, survey data were collected from an ethnically diverse sample of 296 youth aged 13-23 years, recruited from both service and natural "hang-out" sites using systematic sampling methods. During Phase 2, qualitative data were collected from 46 youth of varying ethnicities and lengths of time homeless. RESULTS: Drop-in centers and shelters were the most commonly used services (reported by 78% and 40%, respectively). Other services were used less frequently [e.g., medical services (28%), substance abuse treatment (10%) and mental health services (9%)]. Utilization rates differed by ethnicity, length of time in Los Angeles, and city of first homeless episode (Los Angeles versus all others). Shelter use was strongly associated with use of all other services. Despite youths' generally positive reactions to services, barriers were described including rules perceived to be restrictive, and concerns youth had about confidentiality and mandated reporting. Youth suggested improvements including more targeted services, more long-term services, revised age restrictions, and more and/or better job training and transitional services to get them off the streets. CONCLUSIONS: Because shelters and drop-in centers act as gateways to other services and offer intervention potential for these hard-to-reach youth, it is vital that we understand the perceived barriers to service utilization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Agency-based tracking of difficult-to-follow populations: runaway and homeless youth programs in St. Louis, Missouri.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored agency-based tracking methods for one of the most difficult-to-follow populations: runaway and homeless youth. METHODS: A total of 118 program discharges from three federally funded agencies serving runaway/ homeless youth in St. Louis, Missouri were tracked for a follow-up study of this population. Agency staff attempted to locate and interview program participants three months post-discharge using a protocol that systematically varied times and location of contact attempts. Separate analyses were conducted to compare the group of subjects whose locations were ascertained with those who were not, and who were successfully interviewed with those who were not. Variables related to the tracking protocol and individual descriptive and service use variables were examined in these analyses. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of the sample was successfully located and fifty-nine percent interviewed. Significant findings included: fewer contact attempts over fewer days were made for individuals successfully interviewed, individuals tracked through Division of Family Services were less likely to be both located and interviewed, and individuals successfully located were significantly younger. CONCLUSIONS: This report provides encouraging evidence that even relatively unsophisticated protocols for tracking agency clients developed in collaboration with community agencies can--with consistent implementation--yield follow-up samples that are acceptably representative of program participants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Verbal and physical abuse as stressors in the lives of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths: associations with school problems, running away, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide.

A common theme identified in empirical studies and clinical reports of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths is the chronic stress that is created by the verbal and physical abuse they receive from peers and adults. This article reviews the verbal and physical abuse that threatens the well-being and physical survival of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths. This response to gay male, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents by significant others in their environment is often associated with several problematic outcomes, including school-related problems, running away from home, conflict with the law, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide. Although the causal link between these stressors and outcomes has not been scientifically established, there is suggestive evidence that these outcomes are consequences of verbal and physical harassment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Triage model for suicidal runaways.

A triage model for suicidal youth was evaluated at four community-based agencies over a 30-month period. The program screened youths for suicidal ideation, trained staff in assessment, instituted agency protocols for triage, and established a multilevel mental health service network. The number of suicide attempts decreased after implementation of the program, psychiatrists' evaluations of suicidal tendencies concurred with those of the staff, and additional community-based agencies voluntarily introduced the program.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Runaway and homeless youth: the effects of attachment history on stabilization.

The effects of attachment antecedents on response to stabilization were examined in a group of runaway and homeless youth aged 12 to 17 years. The attachment histories of those who were not responsive to stabilization showed significant differences on several measurable criteria from the attachment histories of those who were responsive. The clinical and programmatic relevance of these findings is discussed.

Adolescent↗