Exploration of associations between family and peer risk and protective factors and exposure to physically violent behavior among homeless youth: A meta-analysis.

Abstract

Objective: Limited research has investigated the influence of risk and protective factors on homeless youths' health and social problems. This study presents a meta-analysis exploring associations between family and peer risk and protective factors and exposure to physically violent behavior in homeless youth. Method: A series of meta-analyses using random effects models were conducted. The selection of family and peer risk and protective factors examined was data-driven. Moderator analyses compared the influence of methodological-level (study quality and research design) and sample-level (age and gender) variables on associations between family and peer factors and homeless youths' exposure to physically violent behavior. Results: The meta-analyses yielded 194 effect sizes from 25 studies, analyzing data from 6,953 youth aged 12 to 21 years, from North America. Childhood abuse was significantly associated with exposure to physically violent behavior both as perpetrators (odds ratio = 4.34, 95% confidence interval [2.99, 6.30], p < .0001) and victims (odds ratio = 7.40, 95% confidence interval [3.72, 14.74], p < .0001). Similar associations were evident for associations between engagement with deviant peers and exposure to physically violent behavior. Few associations were evident for family and peer protective factors. Moderator analyses showed variation in results based on methodological-level (e.g., study design) and sample-level (e.g., gender) variables. Conclusion: Future research exploring risk and protective factors in their association with a range of outcomes is needed. Such research is imperative for informing prevention and early intervention strategies designed to improve homeless youths' behavioral outcomes and reduce their experience of homelessness.