title: Enhancing Risk Detection Among Homeless Youth: A Randomized Clinical Trial of a Promising Pilot Intervention.
abstract: Homeless youth frequently experience victimization, and youth with histories of trauma often fail to detect danger risks, making them vulnerable to subsequent victimization. The current study describes a pilot test of a skills-based intervention designed to improve risk detection among homeless youth through focusing attention to internal, interpersonal, and environmental cues. Youth aged 18 to 21 years ( N = 74) were recruited from a shelter and randomly assigned to receive usual case management services or usual services plus a 3-day manualized risk detection intervention. Pretest and posttest interviews assessed youths' risk detection abilities through vignettes describing risky situations and asking youth to identify risk cues present. Separate 2 (intervention vs. control) × 2 (pretest vs. posttest) mixed ANOVAs found significant interaction effects, as intervention youth significantly improved in overall risk detection compared with control youth. Post hoc subgroup analyses found the intervention had a greater effect for youth without previous experiences of indirect victimization than those with previous indirect victimization experiences.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DePrince
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Begun
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hathaway
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Badiah
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haffejee
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058445:Bullying; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: homeless youth; intervention; risk detection