Event History Analysis of Antecedents to Running Away from Home and Being on the Street

Abstract

Event history analysis was used to study the correlates of running away from home for the first time and spending time directly on the street (sleeping outside or in an abandoned building) for the first time in a sample of 602 homeless and runaway adolescents from four Midwestern states. The results indicated that age, neglect by an adult caretaker, and sexual abuse by an adult caretaker were associated with the likelihood of running away from home for the first time. Moreover, age at first run and the amount of time that elapsed since first running away from home were associated with the likelihood of spending time directly on the street for the first time. Finally, although males and White youths were no more likely than females and non-White youths, respectively, to run away initially, males and White youths were more likely than females and non-White youths, respectively, to spend time directly on the street.