This project will help us better identify and understand the factors in street youth's family histories, developmental patterns and processes, and the socio-environmental conditions that are linked to their victimization on the streets, their involvement in violence against others, and their alcohol use and abuse. Of particular interest is the role of alcohol abuse in placing street youth (ages 13-20) at risk of becoming both a victim of and a perpetrator of violence. It is hypothesized that alcohol exacerbates the physical and psychological risks associated with life on the streets, thus setting the course for adult homelessness. The project involves interviews with 400 homeless adolescents on the streets and through youth shelters in order to test a model developed by G.R. Patterson and colleagues. about the effects of cumulative risk and coercive family processes. A subsample of at least 100 parents/parent equivalents of these adolescents will also be interviewed. In addition. a subsample of 240 adolescents, selected for either high or low levels of alcohol use will be followed, on a quarterly basis, over a two year period. Data will be analyzed using standard regression techniques and repeated measures analysis. as well as structural equation modeling and survival analysis. African-Americans and females will be oversampled so that we can better understand whether or what gender and ethnic effects exist in terms of the etiologic factors, the risk factors, and the course of homelessness.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA010253-03
Application #
2000396
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCA (32))
Project Start
1995-01-01
Project End
1999-12-31
Budget Start
1997-01-01
Budget End
1997-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Tyler, Kimberly A; Whitbeck, Les B; Hoyt, Dan R et al. (2004) Risk factors for sexual victimization among male and female homeless and runaway youth. J Interpers Violence 19:503-20
Stewart, Angela J; Steiman, Mandy; Cauce, Ana Mari et al. (2004) Victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder among homeless adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 43:325-31
Tyler, Kimberly A; Cauce, Ana Mari; Whitbeck, Les (2004) Family risk factors and prevalence of dissociative symptoms among homeless and runaway youth. Child Abuse Negl 28:355-66
Ginzler, Joshua Aaron; Cochran, Bryan N; Domenech-Rodriguez, Melanie et al. (2003) Sequential progression of substance use among homeless youth: an empirical investigation of the gateway theory. Subst Use Misuse 38:725-58
Tyler, Kimberly A; Cauce, Ana Mari (2002) Perpetrators of early physical and sexual abuse among homeless and runaway adolescents. Child Abuse Negl 26:1261-74
Cochran, Bryan N; Stewart, Angela J; Ginzler, Joshua A et al. (2002) Challenges faced by homeless sexual minorities: comparison of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender homeless adolescents with their heterosexual counterparts. Am J Public Health 92:773-7
Tyler, K A; Hoyt, D R; Whitbeck, L B et al. (2001) The effects of a high-risk environment on the sexual victimization of homeless and runaway youth. Violence Vict 16:441-55