| Runaway
Facts Feel free to use these facts in any way you wish. (Papers, web sites, etc.) The more people know, the better we'll all be. Conservative estimates indicate that at least 500,000 children run away each year in the United States. (Whitebeck, Hoyt, & Yoder, 1999) One study of 150 youths residing in a shelter in New York City indicated that 27% [of the runaways surveyed] had attempted suicide at least once. Also, 27% of all the respondents had [reported being] sexually abused. (Feitel, Margetson, Chamas, & Lipman, 1992) One study of 576 youths recruited from four shelters for runaways in New York City found 29% had previously attempted suicide. (Rotheram-Borus, 1993) One study of 219 homeless and runaway youths in Denver determined that 43% had previously attempted suicide and 35% had previously received psychiatric treatment. They also found that 55% had been physically abused, and 50% had been sexually abused. What's more, 24% had exchanged sex for money, drugs, or food at some point in their lives. (Booth & Zhang, 1996, 1997) One study involving 100 runaways in Los Angeles revealed that 18% had previously attempted suicide, 16% had been physically abused, and 22% had been sexually abused. (Yates, MacKenzie, Pennbridge, & Cohen, 1988) Among the 631 youths housed in runaway shelters throughout the United States who were sampled in one study, 67% reported using alcohol and 52% reported using marijuana in the preceding 30 days. (Greene, Ennett, & Ringwalt, 1997) Among 432 runaways sampled in Los Angeles, 55% received a diagnosis (i.e. abuse or dependence) for an alcohol disorder, and 60% received a diagnosis for an illicit drug disorder. (Kipke, Montgomery, Simon, & Iverson, 1997) 21% of the runaway and homeless youths who participated in a study in Northern California reported that they had injected drugs in the 30 days prior to being interviewed. (Gleghorn, Marx, Vittinghoff, & Katz, 1998) Among the 104 youths recruited from a Chicago Shelter, 26% acknowledged irregular condom use, and 75% acknowledged having sex with multiple partners in the previous 12 months. (Johnson, Aschkenasy, Herbers, & Gillenwater, 1996) A study of 214 street youths recruited from health clinics in San Francisco revealed that 21% currently had a sexually transmitted disease. (Sherman, 1992) About 200,000 of the charges processed in juvenile courts in 1996 were for running away from home. (U.S. Department of Justice, 1998) According to the National Network of Runaway and Youth Services, 70% of adolescents in shelters have been physically and/or sexually abused by family members. (Kennedy 1991) In one survey, 71.5% of male runaways reported physical abuse and 38.2% reported sexual abuse in their families. (Janus, Burgess, and McCormack, 1987) Citations: Whitbeck, L. B., Hoyt, D. R., & Yoder, K. A. (1999). A risk-amplification model of victimization and depressive symptoms among runaway and homeless adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27,273-296. Feitel, B., Margetson, L., Chamas, J., & Lipman, C. (1992). Psychosocial background and behavioral and emotional disorders of homeless and runaway youth. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 43, 155-159. Rotheram-Borus, M. J. (1993). Suicidal behavior and risk factors among runaway youths. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 103-107. Booth, R., & Zhang, Y. (1996). Severe aggression and related conduct problems among runaway and homeless adolescents. Psychiatric Services, 47,75-80. Booth, R., & Zhang, Y. (1997). Conduct disorder and HIV risk behaviors among runaway and homeless adolescents. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 48, 69-76. Yates, G., MacKenzie, R., Pennbridge, J., & Cohen, E. (1988). A risk profile comparison of runaway and non-runaway youth. American Journal of Public Health, 78, 820-821. Greene, J., Ennett, S., & Ringwalt, C. (1997). Substance use among runaway and homeless youth in three national samples. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 229-235. Kipke, M. D., Montgomery, S. B., Simon, T. R., & Iverson, E. F. (1997). "Substance abuse" disorders among runaway and homeless youth. Substance Use & Misuse, 32, 969-986. Gleghorn, A., Marx, R., Vittinghoff, E., & Katz, M. (1998). Association between drug use patterns and HIV risks among homeless, runaway, and street youth in Northern California. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 51, 219-227. Johnson, T., Aschkenasy, J., Herbers, M., & Gillenwater, S. (1996). Self-reported risk factors for AIDS among homeless youth. AIDS Education and Prevention, 8, 308-322. Sherman, D. (1992). Neglected health care needs of street youth. Public Health Reports, 107, 433-440. U.S. Department of Justice. (1998). Crime in the United States, 1997 (p. 222). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Kennedy, Michael R. 1991. "Homeless and Runaway Youth Mental Health Issues: No Access to the System." Journal of Adolescent Health 12: 576-79. Janus, Mark, Ann Burgess, and Arlene McCormack. 1987. "Histories of Sexual Abuse in Adolescent Male Runaways." Adolescence 22: 405-17. |
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