The Impact of Parental, School, and Neighborhood Attachments on Running Away

• In Event: Social Bonds, Attachment, and Networks

Abstract

Running away is a prevalent problem in the United States, with serious consequences for youth. While some prior research has shown that parental attachment can help reduce the likelihood of running away, few studies have examined the effects of school and neighborhood attachments. This study examines the effects of maternal, paternal, school, and neighborhood attachments on the frequency of running away. The data utilized in this study include 9,203 respondents from Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) dataset. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to examine the effects of each form of attachment on the frequency of running away. The results of the study found significance for maternal and paternal attachment, such that greater maternal and paternal attachment were associated with less frequent running away; school and neighborhood attachments were found to be non-significant. These results help to further establish the association between parental attachment and running away and that other attachments may not be as important in a juvenile’s decision to run away from home.

Authors

• Emily Katherine Egan, Florida State University

• Marin R. Wenger, Florida State University