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January 31, 2009Perceptions and experiences of homeless youth vary by race, UCSF study shows |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: The self-perceptions and life experiences of young homeless people vary significantly by race, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The findings underscore the need for a more tailored approach to youth homelessness intervention and prevention programs. UCSF researchers surveyed 205 white and African American youth in San Francisco who had been homeless in the prior six months, and discovered two groups who told starkly different stories about life on the streets and how they ended up there. A combination of ethnographic interviews and epidemiological surveys was used to collect data about issues related to family, housing status, self-identification, street survival strategies, service utilization, and drug use. "Our findings showed the African American youth come from Bay Area communities that are in decline with limited opportunities for young people and their families. While 27 percent of the African Americans said they had stayed with their families in the prior month, only 8 percent of the whites had done so. "It shows that, in order to be successful, intervention programs must be consistent with the ways in which these kids view themselves. For both African American and white youth, drug dealing was a common source of income on the streets, with 40 and 36 percent of each group, respectively, reporting that they sold drugs -- primarily marijuana. One of the nation's top children's hospitals, UCSF Children's Hospital creates an environment where children and their families find compassionate care at the healing edge of scientific discovery, with more than 150 experts in 50 medical specialties serving patients throughout Northern California and beyond.
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