Can Parent and Peer Attachment Attenuate the Impact of Sexual Violence on Suicide Risk Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness?

Background and purpose:

Youth experiencing homelessness were especially vulnerable to sexual violence. Rates vary across studies, but one Korean study found that almost 30% of youth experiencing homelessness are exposed to sexual violence. Sexual violence carries many adverse outcomes including risk of suicide. Impact of sexual violence can be even more detrimental for these youth experiencing homelessness as they lack the fundamental protection from their family. On the flip side, however, the fact that they lack essential social support signifies that emotional support and caring from significant others can act as more powerful protectors for these runaway youth in dealing with such traumatic events. The Risk Amplification and Abatement Model (RAMM) emphasized that unaccompanied youth can still maintain supportive relationships with their families and peers such positive contacts can abate the risk. Nevertheless, the protective role of such positive contacts among runaway youth with sexual violence exposure have not been examined in Korea. We specified the positive contacts into parent and peer attachment and examined whether the adverse impact of sexual violence exposure on suicide risk was alleviated when there was higher parent or peer attachment.

Methods:

Data from random sample 241 youth experiencing homelessness were used for this study. The sample consist of 51.7% male and 48.3% female. The independent variable is sexual violence exposure including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, stalking. Suicide risk is measure with Beck’s Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI). Sex, age, education level, subjective standard of living, family structure and experience of domestic violence were included as covariates. The association between sexual violence exposure and suicide risk were examined first and then the interaction terms of sexual violence and parent attachment and peer attachment were included in the regression model to test moderation effect.

Results:

Approximately 19.9% were victims of sexual violence and 28.6% had thought about suicide in this sample. Female runaway youth were more vulnerable to sexual violence. Results from the multiple regression model showed that sexual violence exposure significantly increased suicide risk, but its impact was alleviated when peer attachment was high. On the contrary, the moderating effect of parent attachment was not significant. Instead, low parent attachment was a significant risk factor for suicide risk among runaway youth.

Conclusion and implications:

Findings of this study showed that runaway youths were at higher risk of sexual violence, and it significantly increased suicide risk. Fortunately, the detrimental impact of sexual violence can be buffered if they have strong bonding and positive support from their peers. However, different from what we expected, parent attachment did not have any moderation effect in this relationship. Such finding is still accountable that runaway youth’s relationship with their parents has less positive effect as their reason to leave home can be largely due to negative relationship with their parents. What is significant here is that peers can play a significant role in preventing suicide among these runaway youths. Youths experiencing homelessness may find help and emotional support from their friends in the absence of support from their parents.