At Street Level: Learnings, Voices, Experiences, and Lifestyles of Street Involved Youth

Abstract

Street Involved Youth (SIY) are part of a diverse, complex, and heterogeneous group which is underestimated, under resourced, and often ignored in programs and planning for health and social wellness. As the numbers of SIY continue to grow, so do the issues and challenges related to the roles of nursing in working with this vulnerable population. Study Intent: The goal was to engage SIY to gather, share, and exchange information (learnings + voice) about experiences, lifestyles, needs, opportunities, and strengths of SIY from their perspectives; and to inform programs/services, policies, and interventions to achieve preferred futures. Method: The project used a qualitative community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach with an arts-based method – specifically music. Results: Two thematic groups with sub-themes were derived. The first thematic grouping is LOCATION which had four sub-themes - ‘Individual Orientation’; ‘Collective (Culture/Sub-culture) Orientation’; ‘Behavioral Orientation’; and ‘Time Orientation’. The second thematic group is DIRECTION with three sub-themes - ‘Path of Disempowerment’; ‘Path of Empowerment’; and ‘Shifting Paths’. Study Limitations: This study was conducted in partnership with a single SIY agency in a relatively small urban setting in Canada. Conclusions: In working with SIY, it is imperative to ‘meet them where they are’ with research methods that are innovative and engaging. In this study, the use of music as an arts-based method was found to be highly suitable, efficient, and mutually beneficial.