IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v56y2015icp107-115.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Foster youth and drug use: Exploring risk and protective factors

Author

Listed:
  • Barn, Ravinder
  • Tan, Jo-Pei

Abstract

Substance use and misuse experiences of foster youth remain an under-researched area. Given that early use of drugs is said to be a common factor among 90% of those who develop substance misuse problems in their lifetime, this is an important area of academic study (Dennis, White, & Ives, 2009). By drawing upon primary empirical data from a mixed-methods study, this paper addresses an important gap in the literature and seeks to provide an improved understanding of foster youth, drug use and vulnerability. A total of 261 foster youth, who had exited care, contributed to a quantitative survey, and a further 35 provided qualitative narratives of their lived experience. Key risk factors including experience of homelessness, school exclusion and living setting are identified as strong influences that predict high levels of drug use among foster youth. Targeted social support and interventions in the form of pre-leaving care in the context of a strong practitioner/youth relationship are suggested to help ameliorate poor outcomes to obviate the problem of substance misuse among foster youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Barn, Ravinder & Tan, Jo-Pei, 2015. "Foster youth and drug use: Exploring risk and protective factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 107-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:56:y:2015:i:c:p:107-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.07.007
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740915300153
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.07.007?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Buehler, Cheryl & Orme, John G. & Post, James & Patterson, David A., 2000. "The long-term correlates of family foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(8), pages 595-625, August.
    2. Havlicek, Judy R. & Garcia, Antonio R. & Smith, Douglas C., 2013. "Mental health and substance use disorders among foster youth transitioning to adulthood: Past research and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 194-203.
    3. Baron, Stephen W., 2006. "Street youth, strain theory, and crime," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 209-223.
    4. del Valle, Jorge F. & López, Mónica & Montserrat, Carme & Bravo, Amaia, 2009. "Twenty years of foster care in Spain: Profiles, patterns and outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 847-853, August.
    5. Stein, Mike, 2006. "Young people aging out of care: The poverty of theory," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 422-434, April.
    6. Garrett, Sharon B. & Higa, Darrel H. & Phares, Melissa M. & Peterson, Peggy L. & Wells, Elizabeth A. & Baer, John S., 2008. "Homeless youths' perceptions of services and transitions to stable housing," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 436-444, November.
    7. Guibord, Mélanie & Bell, Tessa & Romano, Elisa & Rouillard, Louise, 2011. "Risk and protective factors for depression and substance use in an adolescent child welfare sample," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2127-2137.
    8. Barn, Ravinder & Tan, Jo-Pei, 2012. "Foster youth and crime: Employing general strain theory to promote understanding," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 212-220.
    9. Legault, Louise & Anawati, Michelle & Flynn, Robert, 2006. "Factors favoring psychological resilience among fostered young people," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(9), pages 1024-1038, September.
    10. Cheng, Tyrone C. & Lo, Celia C., 2011. "A longitudinal analysis of some risk and protective factors in marijuana use by adolescents receiving child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1667-1672, September.
    11. Hass, Michael & Graydon, Kelly, 2009. "Sources of resiliency among successful foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 457-463, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pittenger, Samantha L. & Moore, Kelly E. & Dworkin, Emily R. & Crusto, Cindy A. & Connell, Christian M., 2018. "Risk and protective factors for alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use among child welfare-involved youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 88-94.
    2. Barn, Ravinder & Tan, Jo-Pei, 2012. "Foster youth and crime: Employing general strain theory to promote understanding," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 212-220.
    3. Flores, Jerry & Hawes, Janelle & Westbrooks, Angela & Henderson, Chanae, 2018. "Crossover youth and gender: What are the challenges of girls involved in both the foster care and juvenile justice systems?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 149-155.
    4. Vinnerljung, Bo & Brännström, Lars & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Disability pension among adult former child welfare clients: A Swedish national cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 169-176.
    5. Bell, Tessa & Romano, Elisa, 2015. "Child resilience in out-of-home care: Child welfare worker perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 49-59.
    6. Guibord, Mélanie & Bell, Tessa & Romano, Elisa & Rouillard, Louise, 2011. "Risk and protective factors for depression and substance use in an adolescent child welfare sample," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2127-2137.
    7. Jones, Loring, 2011. "The first three years after foster care: A longitudinal look at the adaptation of 16 youth to emerging adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1919-1929, October.
    8. Farruggia, Susan P. & Germo, Gary R., 2015. "Problem behavior among older youth in foster care: Examining gender," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 20-30.
    9. Lee, Chris & Berrick, Jill Duerr, 2014. "Experiences of youth who transition to adulthood out of care: Developing a theoretical framework," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 78-84.
    10. Cullen, Greggory J., 2023. "Examining the risk and predictive factors for substance use and mental health among indigenous youth in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    11. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    12. Refaeli, Tehila, 2017. "Narratives of care leavers: What promotes resilience in transitions to independent lives?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-9.
    13. Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Cho, Minhae & Suleiman, Johara & Park, Sookyoung, 2023. "Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    14. Stone, Susan, 2007. "Child maltreatment, out-of-home placement and academic vulnerability: A fifteen-year review of evidence and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 139-161, February.
    15. Balsells, Maria Àngels & Pastor, Crescencia & Mateos, Ainoa & Vaquero, Eduard & Urrea, Aida, 2015. "Exploring the needs of parents for achieving reunification: The views of foster children, birth family and social workers in Spain," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 159-166.
    16. van Breda, Adrian D. & Dickens, Lisa, 2017. "The contribution of resilience to one-year independent living outcomes of care-leavers in South Africa," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 264-273.
    17. Shim-Pelayo, Holly & De Pedro, Kris Tunac, 2018. "The role of school climate in rates of depression and suicidal ideation among school-attending foster youth in California public schools," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 149-155.
    18. Kang, Hyunah & Woo, Seokjin & Chun, JongSerl & Nho, Choog Rai & Chung, Ick-Joong, 2017. "Developmental outcomes among Korean adolescents in out-of-home care: A longitudinal study comparing kinship foster care and institutional care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 118-124.
    19. Haddow, Sonal & Taylor, Emily P. & Schwannauer, Matthias, 2021. "Positive peer relationships, coping and resilience in young people in alternative care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    20. Heyman, Janna C. & White-Ryan, Linda & Kelly, Peggy & Farmer, G. Lawrence & Leaman, Tara Linh & Davis, Henry J., 2020. "Voices about foster care: The value of trust," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:56:y:2015:i:c:p:107-115. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.