Risk Factors Influencing High School Students to Runaway

Kim, Kyunghee; Kim, Jisu

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify risk factors influencing high school students to runaway from home. A comprehensive analysis of individual, family and social environment-related factors was done. METHOD: The participants in this descriptive survey on causal relations were 974 students enrolled in high school who were selected by convenience sampling. The data collected in June and July, 2003 were put in to logistic regression analysis to build a prediction model.
RESULTS
1) Individual- related factors for running away in high school students were experience with smoking and sexual intercourse. 2) Family- related factors for running away in high school students were economic status and physically ill-treatment of the types of ill-treatment. 3) social environment- related factors for running away in high school students were number of delinquent friends.
CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Running away from home among Korean high school students was associated not only with individual factors, but also with family and social environmental factors. The findings of study suggest that board intervention programs should be provided to prevent running away form home by adolescent. It is also recommended that a program be developed that can help control the variables identified in this study along with follow up study to verify the model.