Exploring the Relationship Between Homelessness and Delinquency: A Snapshot of a Group of Homeless Youth in San Jose, California

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study examining the relationship between homelessness and delinquency in adolescents. Researchers collected data from interviews of 42 homeless youth contacted through a drop-in center in San Jose, California. Participants responded to a structured interview as well as two vignettes describing situations in which crimes were committed. The most striking findings are that (1) reported rates of delinquency are higher than expected based on past research, and (2) despite the high rates of delinquency, answers to a ''three wishes'' question describe wishes and ideals that are largely consistent with mainstream societal values. This paper provides a survey of existing research on homeless youth and delinquency, a comparison of our findings to those of previous studies, and two detailed case studies that highlight the patterns we observed in the broader survey.

The Mental and Physical Health of Homeless Youth: A Literature Review

“…Studies have consistently found that substance use is more prevalent in homeless youth than housed youth [6,23,62,76]. The high rates of use are consistent across geographical regions, cultures, and ethnicities [19,62].…”

“…The prevalence of substance use varies across studies, and ranges from 70 to 90% [23,76,78]. A recent study conducted in San Jose, California compared the drug use of 42 homeless youth with a high-school sample and found that levels of substance use were twice as high among homeless youth [76].…”

“…A recent study conducted in San Jose, California compared the drug use of 42 homeless youth with a high-school sample and found that levels of substance use were twice as high among homeless youth [76]. Interviews with the youth revealed that 88% of participants currently used at least one substance, with the most common being alcohol (76%), tobacco (76%), and marijuana (69%).…”

Your Shelter or Mine? Romantic Relationships Among the Homeless

“…Also for the community's benefit and safety, homeless individuals are treated or stabilized for mental health and substance abuse issues to avert criminal activity and abnormal behavior (Fischer et al 2008;Johnson and Chamberlain 2008;Rayburn and Wright 2009). Aside from these prominent topics, others such as homeless adolescents, families, and gender that have emerged in recent years have also generated numerous empirical studies (Huey and Berndt 2008;Schwartz et al 2008). The composition of the homeless population is continually changing and, therefore, different findings are reported depending on the time period and location of a particular study.…”

Violence in the Social Networks of Homeless Youths

“…Participation in delinquent and violent subsistence strategies increases the risk of interaction with law enforcement, arrest, and imprisonment (Chen, Thrane, Whitbeck, & Johnson, 2006;Miles & Okamoto, 2008;Schwartz, Sorensen, Ammerman, & Bard, 2008;Yoder, Bender, Thompson, Ferguson, & Haffejee, 2014). Participation in delinquent and violent subsistence strategies increases the risk of interaction with law enforcement, arrest, and imprisonment (Chen, Thrane, Whitbeck, & Johnson, 2006;Miles & Okamoto, 2008;Schwartz, Sorensen, Ammerman, & Bard, 2008;Yoder, Bender, Thompson, Ferguson, & Haffejee, 2014).…”