Adolescent Runaway Episodes: Application of an Estrangement Model of Recidivism (Survey‪)‬

Adolescents who run away represent a unique and understudied subgroup of the homeless population, and estimates suggest that between 1.3 and 2.8 million youths in the United States run away or are forced out of parental homes each year (Greene, Ringwalt, & Iachan, 1997). These youths are at increased risk of a variety of problems, including drug and alcohol use, emotional and conduct disorders, school failure, criminal behavior, and victimization (Rotheram-Borus, 1993; Yoder, Hoyt, & Whitbeck, 1998). Although research of delinquency among adolescents has used theory to guide research (Thornberry, 1987), most studies of youths who run away have not drawn on a theoretical framework. Furthermore, limited research has addressed the issue of recidivism--specifically, youths who run away, return home, and run away again. In the few studies conducted to explore factors associated with recidivism to shelter services, results suggested significant differences between youths who run away once and those with repeated episodes (Baker, McKay, Hans, Schlange, & Auville, 2003; Thompson & Pillai, 2006). Youths who run away once appear to be responding to a specific incident, often parental maltreatment or intense conflict; youths who run away repeatedly experience prolonged and lingering problems that often originate from poor family relationships (Stefanidis, Pennbridge, & MacKenzie, 1992). Given the paucity of research concerning the characteristics and antecedents associated with runaway recidivism, research must address escalation of runaway behavior by developing conceptual models that identify factors contributing to runaway behaviors. CONCEPTUAL MODEL