Future expectations of Brasilian street youth

"I want purpose in my life": A qualitative exploration of how homeless youth envision their futures

Preparing for the future is a major developmental task during adolescence and early adulthood. However, youth experiencing homelessness face additional challenges relating to economic instability, housing insecurity, and a lack of social support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 youth, from Ottawa and Toronto, who were experiencing homelessness and participating in a randomized controlled trial of Housing First for Youth (HF4Y). This qualitative study explores youths' visions for the future, including their goals, aspirations, plans, and barriers to achieving them. Overall, findings demonstrated that youth had positive visions of the future and strove to reach developmentally appropriate goals and responsibilities. Compared to youth receiving HF4Y, the future expectations of those receiving treatment as usual (TAU) were characterized by uncertainty and lacked clear direction. Additionally, they emphasized self-reliance and autonomy, while HF4Y prioritized forming relationships and reconnection. Findings highlight the importance of stable housing intervention, and social, community, and financial support in planning for the future and transitioning out of homelessness. Implications for intervention, directions for future research, and limitations are provided.

Future orientation among at-risk youth in Israel

Although future orientation (FO) has been empirically linked with resilience, literature concerning the factors and the mechanisms that play a role in promoting positive FO among at-risk youth is scarce. This study investigated the contribution of mentoring to the FO of at-risk youth and the mediating role of their perceived life skills in this relationship. The participants included 198 adolescents (16-19 years old) from 11 schools for at-risk youth in Israel. Structural equation modelling indicated that while youths' FO and their mentoring relationships were significantly correlated, this association was fully mediated by youths' life skills. In light of these results, the role of meaningful mentoring relationships in promoting positive youth development was discussed. An important implication of these findings is that educational settings for at-risk youth should integrate programs that address youths' perception of their future and ways to better prepare for it, both practically and mentally.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and future expectations in Russian adolescents

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the role of future expectations-the extent to which a future outcome is deemed likely-in the health and well-being of adolescents, with research linking future expectations to outcomes such as an increased likelihood of engaging in risky health behaviors. As yet, however, there has been no research on future expectations and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescence. To address this research gap, the current study examined the association between ADHD symptoms/possible ADHD status and future expectations in a school-based sample of adolescents. Data were analyzed from 537 Russian adolescents (aged 12-17) with teacher-reported ADHD symptoms and self-reported future expectations. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations. In fully adjusted analyses, inattention symptoms/possible ADHD inattentive status was associated with lower future educational expectations, while a possible ADHD hyperactivity status was associated with increased odds for negative future expectations relating to work, family and succeeding in what is most important. The findings of this study suggest that greater ADHD symptoms/possible ADHD status in adolescence may be linked to an increased risk for negative future expectations across a variety of different life domains.

The impact of future expectations on adolescent sexual risk behavior

Rates of STIs, HIV, and pregnancy remain high among adolescents in the US, and recent approaches to reducing sexual risk have shown limited success. Future expectations, or the extent to which one expects an event to actually occur, may influence sexual risk behavior. This prospective study uses longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (n = 3,205 adolescents; 49.8% female) to examine the impact of previously derived latent classes of future expectations on sexual risk behavior. Cox regression and latent growth models were used to determine the effect of future expectations on age at first biological child, number of sexual partners, and inconsistent contraception use. The results indicate that classes of future expectations were uniquely associated with each outcome. The latent class reporting expectations of drinking and being arrested was consistently associated with the greatest risks of engaging in sexual risk behavior compared with the referent class, which reported expectations of attending school and little engagement in delinquent behaviors. The class reporting expectations of attending school and drinking was associated with having greater numbers of sexual partners and inconsistent contraception use but not with age at first biological child. The third class, defined by expectations of victimization, was not associated with any outcome in adjusted models, despite being associated with being younger at the birth of their first child in the unadjusted analysis. Gender moderated specific associations between latent classes and sexual risk outcomes. Future expectations, conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, may have a unique ability to explain sexual risk behaviors over time. Future strategies should target multiple expectations and use multiple levels of influence to improve individual future expectations prior to high school and throughout the adolescent period.

Future expectations among adolescents: a latent class analysis

Future expectations have been important predictors of adolescent development and behavior. Its measurement, however, has largely focused on single dimensions and misses potentially important components. This analysis investigates whether an empirically-driven, multidimensional approach to conceptualizing future expectations can substantively contribute to our understanding of adolescent risk behavior. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to derive subpopulations of adolescents based on their future expectations with latent class analysis. Multinomial regression then determines which covariates from Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory are associated with class membership. After modeling these covariates, we examine whether future expectations is associated with delinquency, substance use, and sexual experience. Our analysis suggests the emergence of four distinct classes labeled the Student Expectations, Student/Drinking Expectations, Victim Expectations, and Drinking/Arrest Expectations classes according to their indicator profiles. These classes differ with respect to covariates associated with membership; furthermore, they are all statistically and differentially associated with at least one adolescent risk behavior. This analysis demonstrates the additional benefit derived from using this multidimensional approach for studying future expectations. Further research is needed to investigate its stability and role in predicting adolescent risk behavior over time.

Estimating the number of street children and adolescents in two cities of Brazil using capture-recapture

AIM

To use the capture-recapture method to estimate the number of street children and adolescents in Maceió and Arapiraca, north-east Brazil, and describe the characteristics of the two populations.

METHODS

The number of children and adolescents on the street in Maceió and Arapiraca was estimated using the multi-list capture-recapture method. Two street surveys and an official list from the social services department were compared. The characteristics of the children were recorded during the street surveys using a questionnaire.

RESULTS

The estimated number of street children and adolescents was 5225 in Maceió and 1191 in Arapiraca. According to the official records, the population registered was 565 and 157, respectively. Most individuals were male (71.4% and 71.8%, respectively). They still maintain contact with their families (85.5% in Maceió and 89.6% in Arapiraca) and attend school regularly (43.4% and 49.7%). Drug use was admitted by 46.9% of the individuals in Maceió and by 26.9% in Arapiraca. In both cities, glue inhalation, associated or not with other drugs, was most frequently cited.

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents on the streets are a common and underestimated occurrence in Maceió and Arapiraca. They have similar characteristics to street children from other countries and other cities in Brazil. The method of capture-recapture seems to be suited to study populations such as street children.

Adolescent Hopefulness in Tanzania

This study compares hope in street youth, former street youth, and school youth (aged 12-18) in Tanzania. Responding to Snyder’s hope theory, the author argues that not only personal agency but also the stability of living context (street, shelter, home) shapes hopefulness. Employing qualitative and quantitative analyses, the author presents a framework that shows considerable differences by youth group in hope conceptualizations. Youth in unstable environments avoid hope to circumvent failure and instead attribute success to luck and other external factors, whereas youth in steadier environments rely on internal resources, seeing themselves as critical agents in engendering hopefulness. Taking youths’ differing living contexts into account, the author proposes a contextual model of hope that consists of “hope instruments,” “hope outcomes,” and “pathways to hopefulness.”

Life on streets

OBJECTIVE

Millions of children leave home in hope of finding a more tolerable life. The study tries to find out the kind of life they lead once out on the streets.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of all street boys admitted to a Child Observation Home in New Delhi during specified 6 months. Questions regarding various aspects of survival on streets were asked.

RESULTS

Majority are forced to work in informal sector for survival with earnings well below the minimum wages. To escape from the exploitation and hardships, many begin abusing substances. The street experience leads to hopelessness for the future and suicidal tendencies.

CONCLUSION

After circumstances at home force these kids to escape, they are caught up in yet another world of exploitation, hunger, violence and abuse.

Capacity for Survival: Exploring Strengths of Homeless Street Youth

The majority of research on homeless youth has focused on the multitude of problems faced by this vulnerable population. The current study, while acknowledging the hazards of life on the streets, seeks to explore the personal strengths and informal resources street youth rely on to navigate their environments. Qualitative data from seven focus groups conducted with street youth ages 18-24 were analyzed using content analysis. These data, rich with interactions among youth participants, highlight three important themes: developing "street smarts," existence of personal strengths, and informal resources relied upon by youth to survive. Results provide valuable insights into the strengths of homeless youth that can be useful to providers in assessing street youths' service needs and increasing the likelihood of long-term positive outcomes.