Correlates of Homeless Youths' Stability-Seeking Behaviors Online and In Person

Objective: This study examines correlates of service seeking and use of the Internet for stability-seeking purposes such as employment, housing, and health needs among homeless youth. The purpose was to (a) analyze previously unexplored youth characteristics and behaviors such as substance use and self-reported reasons for homelessness; (b) understand the relationship between youth characteristics and behaviors and use of the Internet for stability-seeking purposes; and (c) compare Internet resource-seeking between those who used in-person services and those who did not use in-person services in each domain. Method: A nonprobability sample of homeless youth completed a self-administered questionnaire during 2 periods of data collection (N = 642) at drop-in agencies in a large city on the West Coast. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted and the Holm-Bonferroni method was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons. Results: Logistic regressions show service use and use of the Internet for stability-seeking purposes are significantly associated with race, hard drug use, and becoming homeless because of mental health problems. Individuals who use hard drugs are 2 times more likely (OR = 1.82, p < .05) to use health services than those who do not use hard drugs. Youth who indicate they are homeless because of mental illness are 5 times more likely (OR = 5.13, p < .001) to look online for health services than homeless youth who do not give mental illness as a reason for homelessness. Conclusions: Some youth who might otherwise be labeled disconnected could still be searching for stability-seeking resources through the Internet. Implications for practice are discussed.