IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v108y2020ics019074091930756x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impulsiveness or self-protection? Exploring individual perceptions, family and school strains related to why adolescents run away from home in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yu, Yanping
  • Atkinson-Sheppard, Sally
  • Gao, Yunjiao

Abstract

Adolescents under the age of 18 running away from home is an ‘ill-timed’ event, but there has been a paucity of empirical research exploring why adolescents run away from home in China. To address this, and by drawing on intensive in-depth interviews with 40 runaway adolescents, this study examined how the interactions between family and school strains as well as adolescents’ perceptions of those experiences facilitate their decision to leave home in China. The study found that unstable transitions among parents and other caregivers, abuse by parents and other caregivers, neglect by parents, and exclusion from school were common strains prior to an adolescent’s decision to leave home. The adolescents in this study perceived their family and school experiences as overwhelmingly negative and struggled to cope with these strains; running away from home became the last resort for the majority of participants. In conclusion, this study supports the social-psychological perspective that runaway behavior is a result of the interaction between environmental precursors and individual factors. Policy and practical implications related to reducing runaway adolescents are considered and should focus on establishing an executable child protection system.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu, Yanping & Atkinson-Sheppard, Sally & Gao, Yunjiao, 2020. "Impulsiveness or self-protection? Exploring individual perceptions, family and school strains related to why adolescents run away from home in China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s019074091930756x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104615
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019074091930756X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104615?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kennedy, Angie C. & Agbényiga, DeBrenna LaFa & Kasiborski, Natalie & Gladden, Jessica, 2010. "Risk chains over the life course among homeless urban adolescent mothers: Altering their trajectories through formal support," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1740-1749, December.
    2. Gao, Yunjiao & Atkinson-Sheppard, Sally & Yu, Yanping & Xiong, Guibin, 2018. "A review of the national policies on street children in China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 79-87.
    3. Crosland, Kimberly & Joseph, Ruby & Slattery, Lindsey & Hodges, Sharon & Dunlap, Glen, 2018. "Why youth run: Assessing run function to stabilize foster care placement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 35-42.
    4. Jeanette Manjengwa & Collen Matema & Doreen Tirivanhu & Rumbidzai Tizora, 2016. "Deprivation among children living and working on the streets of Harare," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 53-66, January.
    5. Tyler, Kimberly A. & Schmitz, Rachel M., 2013. "Family histories and multiple transitions among homeless young adults: Pathways to homelessness," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1719-1726.
    6. Greene, J.M. & Ennett, S.T. & Ringwalt, C.L., 1997. "Substance use among runaway and homeless youth in three national samples," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(2), pages 229-235.
    7. Man, Xiaoou & Barth, Richard P. & Li, Yue-e & Wang, Zuobao, 2017. "Exploring the new child protection system in Mainland China: How does it work?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 196-202.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Heyman, Janna C. & White-Ryan, Linda & Kelly, Peggy & Farmer, G. Lawrence & Leaman, Tara Linh & Davis, Henry J., 2020. "Voices about foster care: The value of trust," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Frederick, Tyler J. & Vitopoulos, Nina & Stamatopoulos, Vivian & Kidd, Sean A., 2021. "Brief report: Youth homelessness, youthful caregiving, and resilience," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Tyler, Kimberly A. & Schmitz, Rachel M., 2013. "Family histories and multiple transitions among homeless young adults: Pathways to homelessness," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1719-1726.
    4. Ford, Jason A. & Pomykacz, Corey R. & Ortiz, Kasim & McCabe, Sean Esteban & Schepis, Ty S., 2020. "Educational attainment and prescription drug misuse: The importance of push and pull factors for dropping out," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. AKINPELU, Ibrahim Lanre, 2021. "Drug Abuse, Youths and National Security Implications for Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(12), pages 238-244, December.
    6. Semborski, Sara & Redline, Brian & Madden, Danielle & Granger, Theresa & Henwood, Benjamin, 2021. "Housing interventions for emerging adults experiencing homelessness: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. Moschion, Julie & van Ours, Jan C., 2019. "Do childhood experiences of parental separation lead to homelessness?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 211-236.
    8. Yoshioka-Maxwell, Amanda & Rice, Eric, 2020. "Exploring the relationship between foster care experiences and social network engagement among a sample of homeless former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    9. White, Kevin R. & Wu, Qi, 2014. "Application of the life course perspective in child welfare research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 146-154.
    10. Brodie Fraser & Nevil Pierse & Elinor Chisholm & Hera Cook, 2019. "LGBTIQ+ Homelessness: A Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-13, July.
    11. Monica H. Swahn & Rachel Culbreth & Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye & Volkan Topalli & Eric Wright & Rogers Kasirye, 2018. "Problem Drinking, Alcohol-Related Violence, and Homelessness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, May.
    12. Makuyana, A. & Mbulayi, S.P. & Kangethe, S.M., 2020. "Psychosocial deficits underpinning child headed households (CHHs) in Mabvuku and Tafara suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Semanchin Jones, Annette & Bowen, Elizabeth & Ball, Annahita, 2018. "“School definitely failed me, the system failed me”: Identifying opportunities to impact educational outcomes for homeless and child welfare-involved youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 66-76.
    14. Heerde, Jessica A. & Hemphill, Sheryl A., 2014. "A systematic review of associations between perpetration of physically violent behaviors and property offenses, victimization and use of substances among homeless youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 265-277.
    15. Latzman, Natasha E. & Gibbs, Deborah A. & Feinberg, Rose & Kluckman, Marianne N. & Aboul-Hosn, Sue, 2019. "Human trafficking victimization among youth who run away from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 113-124.
    16. Morton, Matthew H. & Kugley, Shannon & Epstein, Richard & Farrell, Anne, 2020. "Interventions for youth homelessness: A systematic review of effectiveness studies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    17. McVicar, Duncan & Moschion, Julie & van Ours, Jan C., 2015. "From substance use to homelessness or vice versa?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 136, pages 89-98.
    18. Brooks, Ronald A. & Milburn, Norweeta G. & Jane Rotheram-Borus, Mary & Witkin, Andrea, 2004. "The system-of-care for homeless youth: perceptions of service providers," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 443-451, November.
    19. Beau Kilmer & Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, 2010. "Preventing Drug Use," NBER Chapters, in: Targeting Investments in Children: Fighting Poverty When Resources Are Limited, pages 181-220, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Xu, Yanfeng & Man, Xiaoou & Zhang, Lixia & DeForge, Bruce, 2020. "Family foster care and children’s outcomes in China: Evidence from a scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s019074091930756x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.