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Schedule:
Friday, January 12, 2018: 3:52 PM
Liberty BR Salon K (ML 4) (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
* noted as presenting author
Background: Although research indicates that homeless youths are at higher risk of victimization and violence exposure, little is known about school related violence and safety outcomes for school-attending homeless youths. Specifically, the research is limited in considering the different subgroups of homeless youth according to the McKinney-Vento Act (non-sheltered, sheltered, living with relative/friend, living with other family), and the comparison with non-homeless students.
Methods: Data utilized for this study are a sample from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) administered biennially statewide (2011-2013), which allows for a representative sample of the entire state of California. The study includes 9th and 11th grades (total N= 390,028). Bivariate analyses were used to examine differences between the different groups and multivariate analysis was utilized to examine the role of homelessness in the outcomes of school-discriminatory bullying, school-behavioral victimization and weapon use on school grounds. The homelessness subgroups included non-sheltered homeless students (2,822), sheltered homeless students (2,183), students living with relative/friend (11,940), students living with other family (10,341) and non-homeless students (358,228). To assess school victimization students were asked to report the rate of discriminatory bullying, behavioral victimization and weapon use on school grounds during the past 12 months of items on a four Likert scale. Three composite victimization scales were created, then recoded into two categories (yes/no). Control variables included gender, ethnicity, gang membership, migration situation and grade.
Results:The differences between the groups demonstrate that homeless students consistently report higher levels of discriminatory bullying (non-homeless 23%, students living with other family 27.3%, students living with a relative or friend 29%, sheltered homeless students 41.7%, non-sheltered homeless students 47.3% ), higher rates of behavioral victimization (non-homeless 61.1%, students living with other family 66.1%, students living with relative or friend 68.8%, sheltered homeless students 70.7%, non-sheltered homeless students 77%)and higher rates of weapon violence (non-homeless 10.6%, students living with other family 15.3%, students living with relative or friend 19.2%, sheltered homeless students 37%, non-sheltered homeless students 60.3%). The multivariate analysis revealed that all the subgroups had higher and significant odds ratios when compared with non-homeless students (p=0.000).The living condition of the non-sheltered students had the highest odd ratios when compared to non-homeless in the tested model for each of the dependent variables: discriminatory bullying (b= 0.84, p=0.000, OR=2.33, 95% CI : = 2.13-2.55), behavioral victimization (b= 0.57, p=0.000, OR=1.77, 95% CI = 1.59-1.97) and weapon use (b=1.56, p=0.000, OR=4.75, 95% CI = 4.3-5.25). Additionally, for weapon use, gang membership was found to be an important contributor (b=1.72, p=0.000, OR= 5.56, 95% CI= 5.4-5.74).
Discussion:The results highlight that homeless students are at high risk of experiencing violence in school. These preliminary findings enhance the need to further investigate the school experience of homeless students and to develop school-based interventions focused on homeless students and the different subgroups among this population. With the new amendments for the McKinney-Vento Act under the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), social workers in homeless youth services and school-social workers should consider schools as a location for intervention with homeless youth.
Methods: Data utilized for this study are a sample from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) administered biennially statewide (2011-2013), which allows for a representative sample of the entire state of California. The study includes 9th and 11th grades (total N= 390,028). Bivariate analyses were used to examine differences between the different groups and multivariate analysis was utilized to examine the role of homelessness in the outcomes of school-discriminatory bullying, school-behavioral victimization and weapon use on school grounds. The homelessness subgroups included non-sheltered homeless students (2,822), sheltered homeless students (2,183), students living with relative/friend (11,940), students living with other family (10,341) and non-homeless students (358,228). To assess school victimization students were asked to report the rate of discriminatory bullying, behavioral victimization and weapon use on school grounds during the past 12 months of items on a four Likert scale. Three composite victimization scales were created, then recoded into two categories (yes/no). Control variables included gender, ethnicity, gang membership, migration situation and grade.
Results:The differences between the groups demonstrate that homeless students consistently report higher levels of discriminatory bullying (non-homeless 23%, students living with other family 27.3%, students living with a relative or friend 29%, sheltered homeless students 41.7%, non-sheltered homeless students 47.3% ), higher rates of behavioral victimization (non-homeless 61.1%, students living with other family 66.1%, students living with relative or friend 68.8%, sheltered homeless students 70.7%, non-sheltered homeless students 77%)and higher rates of weapon violence (non-homeless 10.6%, students living with other family 15.3%, students living with relative or friend 19.2%, sheltered homeless students 37%, non-sheltered homeless students 60.3%). The multivariate analysis revealed that all the subgroups had higher and significant odds ratios when compared with non-homeless students (p=0.000).The living condition of the non-sheltered students had the highest odd ratios when compared to non-homeless in the tested model for each of the dependent variables: discriminatory bullying (b= 0.84, p=0.000, OR=2.33, 95% CI : = 2.13-2.55), behavioral victimization (b= 0.57, p=0.000, OR=1.77, 95% CI = 1.59-1.97) and weapon use (b=1.56, p=0.000, OR=4.75, 95% CI = 4.3-5.25). Additionally, for weapon use, gang membership was found to be an important contributor (b=1.72, p=0.000, OR= 5.56, 95% CI= 5.4-5.74).
Discussion:The results highlight that homeless students are at high risk of experiencing violence in school. These preliminary findings enhance the need to further investigate the school experience of homeless students and to develop school-based interventions focused on homeless students and the different subgroups among this population. With the new amendments for the McKinney-Vento Act under the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), social workers in homeless youth services and school-social workers should consider schools as a location for intervention with homeless youth.