NCJ Number
68752
Date Published
1977
Length
139 pages
Annotation
SELECTED VARIABLES RELATED TO RUNAWAY BEHAVIOR WERE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE RELATED SIGNIFICANTLY TO PROSTITUTION.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 45 RUNAWAY GIRLS: 20 HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN PROSTITUTION DURING A RUNAWAY EPISODE, AND 25 HAD NO INVOLVEMENT. DATA WAS OBTAINED THROUGH A QUESTIONNAIRE BASED ON 21 VARIABLES THOUGHT TO BE CAUSAL AGENTS IN THE DECISION TO LEAVE HOME, AND A CHI-SQUARE ANALYSIS WAS USED TO DISCOVER THOSE WHICH WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. NO RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN PROSTITUTION AND AGE, ETHNICITY, AREA OF ORIGIN, SITUATION OF PARENTS' MARRIAGE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, RELIGION, AGE WHEN LOST VIRGINITY, SEXUAL ASSAULT BY A MALE RELATIVE, EXCESSIVE DRINKING BY PARENTS, RELATIONSHIP WITH FATHER AND MOTHER, DISTANCE TRAVELED, PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, OR THE MAJOR REASON FOR RUNNING AWAY. HOWEVER, SEVEN VARIABLES WERE SIGNIFICANT: (1) 48 PERCENT OF THE NONPROSTITUTION GROUP WERE STILL VIRGINS; (2) THE MAJORITY OF THE PROSTITUTION GROUP MISSED 20 OR MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL OR HAD DROPPED OUT; (3) THE PROSTITUTION GROUP WERE HEAVIER USERS OF MARIJUANA; (4) MORE FREQUENT USERS OF THE PILL, (5) MORE LIKELY TO CONSUME ALCOHOL, (6) STAYED WITH FRIENDS OR STRANGERS RATHER THAN WITH RELATIVES OR AT RUNAWAY HOUSES, AND (7) STAYED AWAY FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING THE PROSTITUTION PROBLEM INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE RUNAWAY HOUSES, GROUPHOMES, AND FOSTER HOMES; THE COUNSELING OF DISTURBED FAMILIES BEFORE RUNAWAY BEHAVIOR IS PRECIPITATED; GREATER ENCOURAGEMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES; THE ABOLISHING OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE JUVENILE COURTS COVER STATUS OFFENSES. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, APPROXIMATELY 50 REFERENCES, AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED.