Risk-taking behaviors of homeless youth: moderation by parental monitoring and social support

Adolescence is a critical developmental period when youth are transitioning to be more independent while also being at heightened risk for negative developmental trajectories. This is especially true for adolescent youth experiencing homelessness. Using state population-representative 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, we examined the association between youth homelessness and engagement in risk-taking behaviors. The moderating roles of parental monitoring and social support were also examined. We found that 2.8% (8,922) of students were experiencing homelessness, and youth homelessness was associated with engagement in a greater number of risk-taking behavior types. The association between youth homelessness and risk-taking behaviors was not moderated by parental monitoring, which was high for stably housed youth as well as homeless youth. Social support was a significant moderator. For stably housed youth, the presence of someone to talk to when youth were feeling sad was associated with engagement in fewer risk-taking behaviors. Conversely, for homeless youth, having someone to talk to when the youth were feeling sad was associated with higher engagement in risk-taking behaviors. Findings extend our understanding of risk-taking behaviors among homeless youth, a particularly vulnerable group of adolescents. The study has implications for prevention and intervention efforts to support homeless youth.