NCJ Number
144932
Journal
Justice Report Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (1992) Pages: 1-5
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In 1991-1992, Health and Welfare Canada funded a project under the Community Action Program of the National Drug Strategy to investigate the issues, problems, and needs of local youth, particularly with regard to substance abuse activities.
Abstract
The project identified 20 street youth living in a small Ontario town who agreed to complete an in-depth questionnaire. The findings showed two primary differences between street youth living in urban centers and those living in small towns. The first concerns the individual youth's anonymity and connectedness to the area of social living. In small towns, street youth were visible and known to the residents; this maintenance of even a strained social connectedness has important implications for these youths' survival strategies. The second difference is that small town street youth seemed to be able to migrate and adapt to city street life, whereas city street youth could not migrate to a small town, unless it was their original home community. As a result of these differences, small town street youth are less dependent on social services than city street youth, relying instead on their own social networks to acquire housing, food, and clothing. Street youth in small towns tend to settle their conflicts in public, with infrequent weapons use, and use alcohol more than other drugs. Small town street youth are less entrenched in street life existence than their urban counterparts and most seem desirous of leading "normal" lives and reintegrating into the community.