This systematic review provides emerging evidence of the skills and competencies youth may develop through YPAR and offers methodological recommendations for future research that can provide greater evidence of causality.

The majority of research on homeless youth has focused on the multitude of problems faced by this vulnerable population. The current study, while acknowledging the hazards of life on the streets, seeks to explore the personal strengths and informal resources street youth rely on to navigate their environments. Qualitative data from seven focus groups conducted with street youth ages 18-24 were analyzed using content analysis. These data, rich with interactions among youth participants, highlight three important themes: developing "street smarts," existence of personal strengths, and informal resources relied upon by youth to survive. Results provide valuable insights into the strengths of homeless youth that can be useful to providers in assessing street youths' service needs and increasing the likelihood of long-term positive outcomes.

The developmental period characterized by the transition from childhood and elementary school to early adolescence and middle school has been associated with increases in aggressive behavior and peer victimization. Few longitudinal studies, however, have examined the stability of aggression and victimization during this critical transition. This study uses latent class analysis (LCA) to examine patterns of aggressive behavior and victimization during the transition to middle school among urban, public school students (N = 458; Girls = 53%; Latino/a = 53%; M age at t1 = 10.2 years). Independent LCA models were conducted using self-reported data assessing subjects' involvement in aggressive conduct and victimization during the spring semesters of grades four, five, and six. Elementary school students in the fourth grade initially belonged to one of four groups identified as aggressor, victim, aggressor-victim, and uninvolved latent classes. Contrary to prior research, membership in these classes changed significantly by the time students completed their first year of middle school with most youth participating in episodes of aggression and victimization during the transition. Six common paths that describe patterns of aggressive behavior and victimization from the last two years of elementary school to the first year of middle school were found. Findings are discussed in the context of social dominance theory and prior research that has found greater stability in aggression and victimization among early adolescents.

Purpose-Homeless youth are at particularly high risk for teen pregnancy; research indicates as many as 20% of homeless young women become pregnant. These pregnant and homeless teens lack financial resources and adequate health care, resulting in increased risk for low-birth-weight babies and high infant mortality. This study investigated individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy among a national sample of runaway/homeless youth in order to better understand the needs of this vulnerable population. Methods-Data from the Runaway/Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHY MIS)provided a national sample of youth seeking services at crisis shelters. A sub-sample of pregnant females and a random sub-sample (matched by age) of nonpregnant females comprised the study sample (N= 951). Chi-square and t tests identified differences between pregnant and nonpregnant runaway females; maximum likelihood logistic regression identified individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy.Results-Teen pregnancy was associated with being an ethnic minority, dropping out of school, being away from home for longer periods of time, having a sexually transmitted disease, and feeling abandoned by one's family. Family factors, such as living in a single parent household and experiencing emotional abuse by one's mother, increased the odds of a teen being pregnant.Conclusions-The complex problems associated with pregnant runaway/homeless teens create challenges for short-term shelter services. Suggestions are made for extending shelter services to include referrals and coordination with teen parenting programs and other systems of care. Keywords Homeless adolescents; Runaway youth; Adolescent health; Teen pregnancyRates of pregnancy among adolescents in the United States decreased from 1991 to 2005 by 35%, but increased by 3% in 2006 [1]. Despite fluctuations, the U.S. has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and birth in the western industrialized world. In 2004, 41 of 1000 female adolescents aged 15-19 years gave birth, translating to 415,262 live births [2] and indicating that teen pregnancy remains a serious public health challenge. Childbearing during adolescence has been associated with a variety of negative maternal consequences; teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school, to remain unmarried, and to live in poverty. Their children are more likely to be born prematurely at low birth weight, to live in impoverished single-parent households, and to enter the child welfare system [2,3]. Infant mortality during the first year of life is also higher among babies born to adolescents than to mothers >20 years of age [4]. One group of youth particularly at risk for pregnancy is runaway/homeless adolescents [5,6]. These are young persons who stay away from home at least overnight without the permission of a parent or guardian and who live in unsupervised locations or circumstances, such as with strangers, in shelters, in public places such as parks or highway underpasses, or in shared rented room...

Exposure to multiple forms of maltreatment during childhood is associated with serious mental health consequences among youth in the general population, but limited empirical attention has focused on homeless youth-a population with markedly high rates of childhood maltreatment followed by elevated rates of street victimization. This study investigated the rates of multiple childhood abuses (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) and multiple street victimizations (robbery, physical assault, and sexual assault) and examined their relative relationships to mental health outcomes (meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and substance use disorder) among a large (N = 601) multisite sample of homeless youth. Approximately 79% of youth retrospectively reported multiple childhood abuses (two or more types) and 28% reported multiple street victimizations (two or more types). Each additional type of street victimization nearly doubled youths' odds for meeting criteria for substance use disorder. Furthermore, each additional type of childhood abuse experienced more than doubled youths' odds for meeting criteria for PTSD. Both multiple abuses and multiple street victimizations were associated with an approximate twofold increase in meeting depression criteria. Findings suggest the need for screening, assessment, and trauma-informed services for homeless youth who consider multiple types of abuse and victimization experiences.

Client engagement is an essential yet challenging ingredient in effective therapy. Engaged clients are more likely to bond with therapists and counselors, endorse treatment goals, participate to a greater degree, remain in treatment longer, and report higher levels of satisfaction. This study explored the process of engaging high-risk youth and their parents in a unique home-based family therapy intervention. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 families who completed family therapy sessions that included a core component aimed at increasing treatment engagement. Parents' and youths' perceptions of engagement suggest the importance of developing therapeutic alliance with therapists, who facilitated building a shared alliance among family members. Implications for improving client engagement are discussed within the context of alliance building with the therapist and among family members.

Homeless youth experience disproportionately high rates of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined correlates of trauma and PTSD among homeless youth with a focus on the impact of homeless culture, substance addiction, and mental health challenges. Homeless youth (N = 146) from Los Angeles, California, Denver, Colorado, and St. Louis, Missouri, were recruited from organizations providing services to homeless youth using comparable methods. Results indicate that 57% of respondents had experienced a traumatic event and 24% met criteria for PTSD. A multinomial logistic regression model revealed greater transience, alcohol addiction, mania, and lower self-efficacy predicted PTSD whereas trauma exposure was associated with alcohol addiction only. Findings have implications for screening and intervening with traumatized homeless youth across service settings.

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