NCJ Number
54472
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 7 Issue: 3, Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 301-305
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EXAMINES WHETHER PATTERNS IN BIRTH POSITION OR FAMILY CONFIGURATION COULD BE IDENTIFIED IN A SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENTS WHO RAN AWAY FROM HOME.
Abstract
DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE DERIVED FROM INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE YOUTH SERVICE CENTER IN RIVERSIDE, CALIF., A COUNSELING CENTER FOR ADOLESCENTS. SUBJECTS WERE 122 RUNAWAYS SEEN FOR COUNSELING DURING THE PERIOD, JULY 1976 THROUGH JUNE 1977. CLIENTELE AT THE CENTER ARE 80 PERCENT WHITE AND 71 PERCENT UPPER AND MIDDLE CLASS. IN ATTEMPTING TO FIND VARIABLES DESCRIPTIVE OF THE SAMPLE, SEX, AGE DISTRIBUTION, WHERE THE ADOLESCENT LIVED PRIOR TO RUNNING AWAY, MOTHER'S OCCUPATION, FATHER'S OCCUPATION, RACE, LEGAL STATUS, AND RELATIONSHIP WITH MOTHER AND FATHER WERE EXAMINED. THE ONLY PATTERN FOUND WAS THAT THE SUBJECTS UNSURPRISINGLY HAD A FAIR OR POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR PARENTS. FAMILY CONFIGURATION, HOWEVER, REVEALED SOME STRIKING PATTERNS. THE MOST OBVIOUS FINDING WAS THAT THE RUNAWAYS TENDED TO COME FROM MUCH LARGER THAN AVERAGE FAMILIES, WITH THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN PER FAMILY FOR THE RUNAWAYS BEING 3.95, AS COMPARED WITH 2.68 FOR THE LOCAL GENERAL POPULATION. IT IS THEORIZED THAT THE RUNAWAYS EXPERIENCED THE SMALLER AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AVAILABLE TO EACH CHILD IN A LARGE FAMILY AND THE PROBLEMS OF INCREASED SIBLING RIVALRY FOR PARENTAL ATTENTION AND AFFECTION. IN FAMILIES WITH MORE THAN ONE CHILD, NO SINGLE BIRTH POSITION WAS OVERREPRESENTED OR UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG THE RUNAWAYS. IN EXAMINING SIBSHIP COMPOSITION, IT WAS FOUND THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE SUBJECTS HAD VERY YOUNG SIBLINGS, WITH 23 HAVING A BROTHER OR SISTER UNDER THE AGE OF 5, AND 55 HAVING A SIBLING UNDER THE AGE OF 7. IT IS SPECULATED THAT SUBJECTS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE MAY HAVE HAD PARENTAL ATTENTION DIVERTED FROM THEM TO THE YOUNGER CHILD. ANOTHER FINDING SHOWED THAT A LARGE PROPORTION (26.2 PERCENT) WERE FROM FAMILIES WHERE ALL THEIR SIBLINGS WERE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. IT IS SUPPOSED THAT ISOLATION AND ALIENATION FROM OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS MAY HAVE RESULTED FROM THIS CONFIGURATION. WHILE IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE DIFFICULT TO GENERALIZE FROM THESE FINDINGS, IT IS BELIEVED THEY MAY PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO THE PROBLEMS OF A RUNAWAY FROM A MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY. DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)