Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 23 U.S. States and 11 Local School Districts.

Authors

Smith-Grant, J., Kilmer, G., Brener, N., Robin, L., & Underwood, J.M.

Type
Journal Article
Year published
2022
Journal
Journal of Community Health
Attachments
Document
Smith-Grant_2022.pdf (678.05 KB)
Title

Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 23 U.S. States and 11 Local School Districts.

Volume and issue

47,

Abstract

Youth experiencing homelessness experience violence victimization, substance use, suicide risk, and sexual risk disproportionately, compared with their stably housed peers. Yet few large-scale assessments of these differences among high school students exist. The youth risk behavior survey (YRBS) is conducted biennially among local, state, and nationally representative samples of U.S. high school students in grades 9–12. In 2019, 23 states and 11 local school districts included a measure for housing status on their YRBS questionnaire. The prevalence of homelessness was assessed among states and local sites, and relationships between housing status and violence victimization, substance use, suicide risk, and sexual risk behaviors were evaluated using logistic regression. Compared with stably housed students, students experiencing homelessness were twice as likely to report misuse of prescription pain medicine, three times as likely to be threatened or injured with a weapon at school, and three times as likely to report attempting suicide. These findings indicate a need for intervention efforts to increase support, resources, and services for homeless youth.