Parental Bonding, Family Systems, And Environmental Predictors Of Adolescent Homelessness

A multicausal model of adolescent homelessness is proposed, based upon the notion that homeless youth suffer from emotional, social, and cultural deprivation. The model was tested in a sample of homeless adolescents ( n = 54) and a similar, but not homeless, control group ( n = 58). Emotional deprivation was assessed on the Parental Bonding Inventory (Parker, Tupling,&Brown, 1979), whereas social and cultural deprivation were assessed on the Family Environment Scale (Moos&Moos, 1981). The homeless adolescents were found to be significantly more deprived emotionally, socially, and culturally than the controls. The results indicate support for a deprivation model of adolescent homelessness with implications for public policy and intervention planning.