NCJ Number
238098
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2012 Pages: 21-31
Date Published
January 2012
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study explored the relationship of childhood abuse to the types of social networks developed by homeless women.
Abstract
The study found that homeless women with a history of childhood physical abuse were more likely to have a social network that was sparsely connected and more high-risk than women involved in low-risk social networks, and that homeless women with a history of recent drug abuse were more likely to associate with networks that were densely connected and high-risk, or sparsely connected and high-risk. The study also found that a history of childhood sexual or emotional abuse was associated with homeless women's membership in either high-risk group. This study explored the relationship of childhood abuse to the types of social networks developed by homeless women. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 428 homeless women in temporary shelter settings in Los Angeles County. The women completed a personal network survey identifying demographic information about their social networks and their level of interaction with the members of their networks. Three types of networks were identified: low-risk networks, densely connected risky networks, and sparsely connected risky networks. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to measure associations between membership in a particular category and measures of childhood abuse. The findings indicate that a woman's experience of childhood abuse can have a significant effect on their social networks, and that the experience of childhood physical abuse has the greatest impact on homeless women's social networks. Implications for intervention programs for homeless women are discussed. Tables and references