Street Kids: Towards An Understanding of Their Motivational Context
Description:
The focus of the present research was the daily behaviours and goals of a sample of urban homeless youth, or, as they prefer, "street kids." The challenge of choosing an appropriate control sample was resolved by comparing street kids to two separate samples: University students and young people from a community club in a poor neighbourhood. A standard interview requiring daily recall of behaviour on an hour-by-hour basis, and ratings on 10-point scales to a series of questions focusing on motivation, role models, trust, and psychological and physical well-being, was administered on a one-to-one basis. Results revealed that street kids stand out as having no coherent set of medium- and long-term goals. Moreover, they do not trust, nor look up to authorities, but neither do they have stable friendships involving trust and admiration. However, those few street kids who do have a trusted friend are more intrinsically motivated and tend to feel less irritable and less anxious.
Type of Resource:
Journal
Publication Date:
2004
Volume:
36
Issue:
1
Pages:
1-16
Location:
Toronto