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This study examined gender differences among homeless young adults' engagement in illegal economic activity (i.e., panhandling, selling drugs, survival sex, gambling, theft). A purposive sample of 601 homeless young adults (ages 18–24) was recruited from three U.S. cities (Los Angeles, CA [ n = 200], Austin, TX [ n = 200], and Denver, CO [ n = 201]) to participate in semi-structured interviews. General strain theory was used to identify predictors of illegal economic activity, including strains (childhood abuse, street victimization, length of homelessness, transience) and responses to strain (deviant peer associations, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder, arrest history). The full hypothesized path models for males and females separately were tested using observed-variable path analysis. Among females, a greater variety of illegal income sources was reported by those who had experienced greater street victimization and who had used a greater number of substances in the past year. Among males, a greater variety of illegal income sources was reported by those who had more deviant peer associations, experienced greater street victimization, and used a greater number of substances in the past year. Findings have implications for research and preventive interventions to address engagement in illegal economic activity among male and female homeless young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined gender differences among homeless young adults' coping strategies and homelessness stressors as they relate to legal (e.g., full-time employment, selling personal possessions, selling blood/plasma) and illegal economic activity (e.g., selling drugs, theft, prostitution). A sample of 601 homeless young adults was recruited from 3 cities (Los Angeles, CA [ n = 200], Austin, TX [ n = 200], and Denver, CO [ n = 201]) to participate in semi-structured interviews from March 2010 to July 2011. Risk and resilience correlates of legal and illegal economic activity were analyzed using six Ordinary Least Squares regression models with the full sample and with the female and male sub-samples. In the full sample, three variables (i.e., avoidant coping , problem-focused coping , and mania ) were associated with legal income generation whereas eight variables (i.e., social coping, age, arrest history, transience, peer substance use, antisocial personality disorder [ASPD], substance use disorder [SUD], and major depressive episode [MDE] ) were associated with illegal economic activity. In the female sub-sample, three variables (i.e., problem-focused coping , race / ethnicity , and transience ) were correlated with legal income generation whereas six variables (i.e., problem-focused coping , social coping , age , arrest history , peer substance use , and ASPD ) were correlated with illegal economic activity. Among males, the model depicting legal income generation was not significant yet seven variables (i.e., social coping , age , transience , peer substance use , ASPD , SUD , and MDE ) were associated with illegal economic activity. Understanding gender differences in coping strategies and economic activity might help customize interventions aimed at safe and legal income generation for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Young adults experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to firearm violence. This study aims to explore the correlates of firearm violence involvement among this vulnerable population, which may inform firearm violence reduction intervention development.Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, young adults experiencing homelessness aged 18-26 years (N=1,426) were recruited in 7 U.S. cities. Respondents completed a self-administered computer-assisted anonymous survey regarding their homeless experiences and violence involvement. Separate multivariate logistic regression models were conducted in 2020 to explore the correlates of direct firearm violence victimization, witness of firearm violence, and firearm violence perpetration.Results: A high proportion of young adults experiencing homelessness were involved in firearm violence (witnessing firearm violence: 40%; direct firearm violence victimization: 28%; perpetration: 18%). Stressful experiences, such as childhood trauma and street victimization, were associated with greater odds of firearm violence involvement. Black (OR=2.4, p<0.001) and Latinx (OR=2.0, p<0.05) young adults had greater odds of experiencing direct firearm violence victimization than White young adults. Black (OR=2.0, p<0.01) and Latinx (OR=2.4, p<0.001) young adults were also at greater risk of witnessing firearm violence. Young adults with mental illness had greater odds of being directly victimized by firearm violence (OR=1.7, p<0.01).Conclusions: Given the inter-related nature of firearm violence involvement and given that risk factors for violence are often embedded in social and structural contexts, multipronged community-based approaches to prevent firearm violence among young adults experiencing homelessness are necessary. Targeted efforts may be indicated to attenuate the risk and promote resilience among subgroups of young adults experiencing homelessness who are disproportionately affected by firearm violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]