Violence and Depression Among Young Women Experiencing Homelessness: The Social Context of the Street Environment and the Influence of Peers

Young women experiencing homelessness face many significant risks that can be detrimental to their long-term well-being. Many suffer from histories of child abuse, and most experience further exploitation after they run away or leave home. Using combined survey data from 230 young women experiencing homelessness in the United States, the purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of different types of sexual and physical exploitation, as well as risk factors associated with sexual assault on the street, and depressive symptoms among young women experiencing homelessness. Descriptive results revealed that 57% of women have a history of childhood sexual abuse, 97% have a history of childhood physical abuse, and 59% have been sexually victimized since being on the street. Findings from regression analysis revealed that women who experienced more child sexual abuse and experienced greater physical victimization on the street reported more street sexual victimization. In terms of mental health, those who have been physically victimized one or more times on the street and those who have been pressured into trying drugs by their close peers reported greater depressive symptoms. Findings have implications for targeted interventions to reduce sexual violence against women experiencing homelessness.