Runaway youth constitute a population at high risk for alcohol problems (Greene & Ringwalt, 1996). Due to the range and intensity of the challenges they face (Slesnick, Meyers, Meade, & Segelken, 2000), runaways have been called """"""""the most vulnerable group of youth in the United States"""""""" (Bronstein, 1996). Despite their risk for adverse outcomes, we know relatively little about the profile of runaways. In 2003, the Bush administration called for a 10-year initiative to end chronic homelessness; an essential component of this initiative is understanding factors such as alcohol use that may lead people to the street. Available information offers a """"""""snapshot"""""""" of a subgroup of runaways, but the cross-sectional research designs cannot provide information about behaviors that precede or result from running away.
The aims of the proposed study are to apply the Integrated Control-Strain Theory to (1) determine the extent to which adolescent and parent alcohol use predict running away; (2) determine whether youths' relationship with parents mediates the association between alcohol use and adolescent running away; (3) examine the moderating influence of bonds to school and conventional peers on the relationship between parent-child relationship and running away; and (4) determine whether running away in adolescence is a significant, independent predictor of alcohol use and related problems in young adulthood. We will address these aims and contribute knowledge on runaway youth by analyzing data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth), a nationally-representative, non-servicebased, longitudinal study of youth. Descriptive and multivariate analysis will be used. Understanding the role of alcohol use in adolescent runaway behavior will enable more effective interventions both for preventing runaway behavior with these youths and for developing targeted alcohol use interventions.
| Sanchez, Rebecca Polley; Waller, Martha W; Greene, Jody M (2006) Who runs? A demographic profile of runaway youth in the United States. J Adolesc Health 39:778-81 |
