ABSTRACT
Alcohol and drugs are woven through the life experiences of many homeless and runaway adolescents. A significant number of runaway adolescents abused substances prior to leaving home and their own or their caretakers’ substance use contributed directly or indirectly to their current homelessness. Studies of drug and alcohol use among runaway and homeless young people indicate that it is very prevalent. Runaway adolescents often find themselves in environments where drugs and alcohol are readily available and there is pressure to join in. Relationships may be initiated on the basis of getting high together or going to someone’s place where there will be drugs. Adolescent females were slightly more likely to be affected by changes than were males. There were strong effects for parent characteristics on adolescent substance abuse. Modeling externalizing behaviors with runaway adolescents is extremely difficult because the very behavior of running away is an indication of externalization.
