Representations of homelessness, home environments, and authority in the context of runaway behaviors reported by foster care youth residing in an emergency shelter

ABSTRACT

Between 31 and 46% of youth with histories of foster care placement were homeless at least once. Studies of the incidence of runaway behavior have identified a host of risk factors associated with running away from foster care placement, but less is known about the internalized processes of these individuals at risk for running away or the contextual experience surrounding it. This study is designed to investigate the representations made by individuals who have engaged in running away to uncover and explore thematic patterns. Accordingly, a secondary analysis was performed on data from four group interviews (n = 15) collected from youth under the care of one child protective services (CPS) agency-operated emergency shelter setting, using thematic content analysis by two independent reviewers. Codes were networked and themes that emerged were discussed through a framework of power dynamics. Themes around the participants’ perceptions of homelessness, lack of control, and their resistance to authority were all identified as contributory to the theme of running away. The act of running away is, therefore, framed as a threshold event representing a multifaceted phenomenon combining perceptions of self-identity, conflict, and power in the home.

KEYWORDS:

• Foster care
• child protective services
• youth
• runaway
• homeless
• homelessness
• thematic content analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Ben King, MPH, is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at the UT Houston School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus. He is also a research scientist at the UT Dell Medical School, Department of Neurology, Stroke Institute and the President of Methods and Results, LLC research consulting services, both in Austin, Texas. His research is currently divided between design and development of acute coagulopathy and neuro-emergency treatment and imaging trials, non-profit program evaluation, and (primarily quantitative) studies of the experience of homelessness and related health effects.

Dina Abrego, MPH, currently works at Radiant Wellness Clinic in Chillicothe, Ohio, and is a recent Master of Public Health graduate from UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville, Texas. As a student, her research interests focused on vulnerable populations including homeless youth. She also has experience with working in homeless populations, and men and women who have been incarcerated. Her current focus is promoting wellness and healthy lifestyles in her community.

Sarah Narendorf is an assistant professor at the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. Her research focuses on ensuring successful transitions to adulthood for vulnerable young people including those that have experienced homelessness and those with involvement with the foster care and juvenile justice systems. She has conducted research using a variety of methods with the aim of developing effective interventions to ensure all young people are able to stay mentally and physically health and maintain housing and employment as they transition to adulthood.

Yoonsook Ha is an assistant professor at Boston University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on how access to public programs and services affects the health and social outcomes of low-income children and youth. Ha has conducted research using state administrative data and mixed methods approaches in evaluating various state and federal policies and programs, including child care, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems, to promote health and social developmental outcomes of vulnerable children, youth, and families.

Diane Santa Maria is an assistant professor and the Dorothy T. Nicholson Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas School of Nursing. She has extensive experience in public health nursing research particularly concentrated on HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention in vulnerable and homeless youth. Santa Maria has expertise working with at-risk and homeless youth using qualitative methods, ecological momentary assessments, and multi-city, mixed-methods to develop prevention strategies grounded in the lived experience of youth.

ORCID

Ben King http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8248-5547

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the University of Houston – Downtown Center for Public Service and Family Strengths and the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.