Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase
308451
Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Hard Drug Use in a sample of Los Angeles Based Homeless Youth (HY)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Eric Rice, PhD
,
School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Hailey Winetrobe, MPH, CHES
,
School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Harmony Rhoades, PhD
,
School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among homeless youth (HY) is common, yet it has continuously been understudied, especially in relation to substance use. Methods: As part of a longitudinal study of Los Angeles area homeless youth, drop-in service seeking youth completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results are from the third panel of data collection (N=391). The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale was used to assess multiple IPV categories (physical abuse, sexual coercion and injury) and bidirectional behavior in the respondent’s most recent relationship. Results: IPV behaviors were overwhelmingly bidirectional. It was unlikely that a HY was only a victim or only a perpetrator. Thirty-five percent of HY reported physical abuse, 12.5% reported sexual coercion, and 6.8% reported sustaining injuries related to IPV. HY who reported bidirectional physical abuse had 7.8 greater odds to abuse prescription drugs and 13.2 greater odds to use methamphetamine. HY who reported bidirectional sexual coercion had 6.0 times greater odds to abuse prescription drugs, 5.3 greater odds to use meth, 4.6 greater odds to use heroin, and 4.9 greater odds to use cocaine. Multivariable models revealed that any type of hard drug use was significantly related to sexual coercion when controlling for demographic factors, and that younger HY are at greater risk of physical abuse and sexual coercion. Conclusions: IPV is a significant problem for HY, who primarily experience bidirectional IPV behavior. Hard drug use and IPV are closely related risk behaviors for HY. Comprehensive interventions should be developed to address both IPV and substance use risk behaviors.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Learning Objectives:
Discuss potential comprehensive intervention strategies to address hard drug use and partner violence in high-risk youth populations.
Describe risk behavior correlates between hard rug use and bidirectional partner violence in homeless youth.
Keyword(s): Drug Abuse, Youth Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a third year PhD student at the USC school of social work and this will be my second year in attendance to the conference. I have worked as a research assistant on a grant assessing homeless youth in Los Angeles for the past 3 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
