Xiaojin Chen

Perceived discrimination and early substance abuse among American Indian children.

This study investigated internalizing and externalizing symptoms as potential mediators of the relationship between perceived discrimination and early substance abuse among 195 American Indian 5 through 8 graders from three reservations that share a common culture (e.g., language, spiritual beliefs, and traditional practices) in the upper Midwest. The findings indicated that, although perceived discrimination contributed significantly to internalizing symptoms among the adolescents, internalizing symptoms were unrelated to early substance abuse. Rather, the effects of perceived discrimination on early substance abuse were mediated by adolescent anger and delinquent behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of the consequences of perceived discrimination on the development of American Indian early adolescents.

Mental disorder, subsistence strategies, and victimization among gay, lesbian, and bisexual homeless and runaway adolescents

This study compares participation in deviant subsistence strategies, street victimization, and lifetime prevalence of five mental disorders (conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, post‐traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse) among heterosexual males and females (n = 366) and gay, lesbian, and bisexual (n = 63) homeless and runaway adolescents from the first wave of a longitudinal study of homeless youth in four Midwestern states. The results indicate that gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents were more likely to have been physically and sexually abused by caretakers, were more likely to engage in risky survival strategies when on their own (including survival sex), were more likely to be physically and sexually victimized when on the streets, and were more likely to meet criteria for mental disorder than were their heterosexual counterparts.

Early Sexual Abuse, Street Adversity, and Drug Use among Female Homeless and Runaway Adolescents in the Midwest

Research on homeless and runaway adolescents has shown that this population is at high risk for illicit drug use. Though sexual abuse has been widely considered in the etiology of illicit drug use, we know less about how early sexual abuse affects young peoples decisions to run away, to use drugs, and to engage in other deviant behavior on the streets. Based on interviews with 361 female homeless and runaway adolescents in four midwestern states, the current study revealed a high prevalence of drug use, especially use of cocaine among youths with sexual abuse histories. Path analyses showed that early sexual abuse indirectly affected drug use on the streets via running away at an earlier age, spending more time on the street, and use of deviant strategies to survive (e.g., affiliation with deviant peers, trading sex, and use of nonsexual deviant subsistence strategies).

Onset of Conduct Disorder, Use of Delinquent Subsistence Strategies, and Street Victimization Among Homeless and Runaway Adolescents in the Midwest

This study examines the effects of childhood-onset conduct disorder on later antisocial behavior and street victimization among a group of homeless and runaway adolescents. Four hundred twenty-eight homeless and runaway youth were interviewed directly on the streets and in shelters from four Midwestern states. Key findings include the following. First, compared with those who exhibit adolescent-onset conduct disorder, youth with childhood onset are more likely to engage in a series of antisocial behaviors such as use of sexual and nonsexual survival strategies. Second, youth with childhood-onset conduct disorder are more likely to experience violent victimization; this association, however, is mostly through an intervening process such as engagement in deviant survival strategies.

Food insecurity among homeless and runaway adolescents

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity and factors related to it among homeless and runaway adolescents. DESIGN Computer-assisted personal interviews were conducted with homeless and runaway adolescents directly on the streets and in shelters. SETTING Interviews were conducted in eight Midwest cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Kansas City, Lincoln, Omaha, St. Louis and Wichita. SUBJECTS The subjects were 428 (187 males; 241 females) homeless and runaway adolescents aged 16-19 years. Average age of the adolescents was 17.4 (standard deviation 1.05) years. RESULTS About one-third of the adolescents had experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. Factors associated with food insecurity were age of adolescent, a history of caretaker neglect and abuse, having ever spent time directly on the street, a small post-runaway social network, and engaging in deviant and non-deviant street food-acquisition strategies. CONCLUSIONS Based on these findings, our conservative estimate is that nationally more than 165,000 homeless and runaway adolescents experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. These adolescents are largely hidden from public notice and they are usually missed in studies that address national hunger.

Sexual health of homeless youth: prevalence and correlates of sexually transmissible infections

BACKGROUND The study examined risk factors for having ever contracted sexually transmissible infections (STI) among a high-risk sample in midwestern USA. METHODS A cross sectional survey was conducted among 428 homeless youth aged 16-19 years. Assessed correlates included child maltreatment, street exposure, sexual histories, street experiences and substance use. RESULTS Multivariate analyses revealed that males were 86% less likely to have had STI compared with females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06-0.31). Blacks were almost four times more likely (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI = 1.80-7.63) and other races were over two times more likely (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.08-4.67) to have had STI compared with whites. For every one unit increase in the number of times youth ran away, there was a 3% increase in the likelihood of ever having had an STI (AOR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01-1.06). For every one unit increase in frequency of condom use there was a 61% decrease in the likelihood of an STI (AOR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.10-1.76). Finally, youth who traded sex were approximately 2.5 times more likely to have had STI compared with youth who did not trade sex (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.04-5.34). None of the remaining correlates approached multivariate significance. CONCLUSIONS The amount of time youth spend on the street, their sexual practices, and their subsistence strategies are important correlates of STI and females and non-whites are particularly vulnerable among this high-risk population.

The Linkage Between Deviant Lifestyles and Victimization An Examination From a Life Course Perspective

A small but growing body of research has demonstrated the merits of linking victimization to a life course perspective. Although cross-sectional studies have shown a strong association between deviant lifestyles and victimization, few have assessed this association from the life course perspective. Drawing data from a prospective, longitudinal study, the current study examines this association in a group of high school adolescents. Results from latent growth curve models show that (a) victimization and deviant lifestyles, measured as involvement in delinquent activities, affiliation with deviant peers, and time spent on unsupervised activities change over time; and (b) change in deviant lifestyle patterns leads to change in victimization patterns over time.

The influence of running away on the risk of female sexual assault in the subsequent year.

This study explores the sexual risk trajectories of female youths and sheds light on the long-term effects of running away. It evaluates whether running away increases the risk of sexual assault in the following year, which is after runaways return home. The sample consists of 5,387 heterosexual females between the ages of 11 and 18 years from the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Nearly one quarter (23%) of runaways report a previous sexual assault in contrast to 5% of nonrunaways. In a logistic regression model, childhood neglect increases the risk of sexual assault between Waves 1 and 2 by nearly two times. Poor mental health is statistically significant. Alcohol use doubles the odds of sexual assault. The risk of sexual assault is approximately three-fold for girls with a history of sexual onset and sexual touching in a romantic relationship. Running away increases the risk by nearly two and a half times. There is evidence that alcohol use and sexual onset partially mediates the relationship between running away and sexual assault.

Predictors of police contact among Midwestern homeless and runaway youth

Research has substantiated that homeless and runaway youth are at high risk for offending and deviant behavior. Although gender, abuse, and deviant peers have been implicated in arrests among homeless youth, we know less about whether these precursors operate similarly for police harassment as well as for postrunaway arrest. In a study of 361 Midwestern homeless and runaway youth, several differences were noted between the predictors of arrest and police harassment. First, path-analytic techniques demonstrated that having deviant friends promoted harassment but not arrest. Second, substance use was the impetus for police harassment, whereas age at first runaway was consequential for arrest. Third, physically abused youth encountered more harassment, yet minor delinquent behavior increased the risk of arrest.

Impact of Running Away on Girls' Sexual Onset

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to longitudinally examine the impact of running away on sexual onset, and to determine the 12-month prevalence of sexual onset among runaway females. METHODS The sample consists of adolescent females from Waves 1 and 2 of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N=4,564; age range=11-18 years). Voluntary or involuntary sexual onset at Wave 1 results in exclusion from the analysis. A logistic regression model is fit, which examines sociodemographic characteristics, protective factors (e.g., parental and academic bonds), and running away and other risk behaviors on sexual onset. RESULTS Our study confirms that more than one out of thee females becomes sexually active within 12 months of running away. Only 17% of females who never report a runaway episode experience sexual onset. School bonds, dating and romance, alcohol use, delinquency, and runaway behavior have main effects in the longitudinal analysis. Runaways are 1.7 times more likely to report sexual onset. CONCLUSIONS This study applies the risk amplification model to runaways in the general population. Running away is a turning point in the developmental trajectory, and puts girls at risk of sexual onset a year later compared to their nonrunaway counterparts. A multipronged approach is needed to address the sexual risk characteristics of girls who return home.