Social network characteristics associated with risky behaviors among runaway and homeless youth.
J Health Soc Behav
; 40(1): 63-78, 1999 Mar.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10331322
ABSTRACT
Runaway and homeless youth are at high risk for substance abuse and unsafe sexual behavior. Our study describes the personal social networks of these youth and examines network characteristics associated with risky behaviors. In 1995 and 1996, we interviewed a purposive sample of youth aged 14 through 21 who were living in Washington, DC and were identified on the streets or through shelters or other service agencies (N = 327). Although we found that most youth reported current social relationships, a significant minority (26%) did not. Youth without a social network were significantly more likely to report current illicit drug use, multiple sex partners, and survival sex than youth with a network. For youth with a network, the networks were small, strong in affective and supportive qualities, comprised primarily of friends, typically included an alcohol or illicit drug user, and usually were not a source of pressure for risky behaviors. Our results indicate that networks had risk-enhancing and risk-decreasing properties in that network characteristics were associated in both positive and negative directions with risky behaviors.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Asunción de Riesgos
/
Conducta Fugitiva
/
Apoyo Social
/
Jóvenes sin Hogar
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Año:
1999
Tipo del documento:
Article