NCJ Number
220295
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 411-425
Date Published
October 2007
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This research study looked at how homelessness and the deviant lifestyle of street youth could increase the likelihood of conflict and how these conflicts could lead to violence and victimization.
Abstract
This research study found that lifestyle influenced a street youths’ perception of harm. The longer the youth is homeless, the less likely they are to detect harm. Respondents with violent peers were more likely to become angry or to name or perceive harm. Drug use lowered a respondent’s perception of harm while alcohol increased the respondent’s perception. The purpose of the study was to explore how “risky lifestyles expose street youth to conflict situations and how the dynamics of situations correlated to the youths’ violence and victimization.” A multilevel design with survey data from 125 respondents was used. The average age of the males was about 19 years (M=18.8). Sixty-seven percent were White and 30 percent were Aboriginal (Native Canadian) descent, and the remaining 3 percent were Asian. The average amount of time spent homeless in the prior year was 5 months (M=5.3). The male street youths were interviewed during a 3-month period from May through July of 1995 in a midwestern Canadian city. Tables, appendix, note, and references