UCLA

There is growing evidence to support developing new typologies for homeless adolescents. Current typologies focus on the risks associated with being homeless, with less consideration of the positive attributes of homeless adolescents. The authors examined both risk and protective factors in a sample of newly homeless adolescents. Using cluster analysis techniques, they identified three distinct clusters of newly homeless adolescents: those who are protected and doing relatively well while out of home with more protective than risk factors, those who are at-risk, and those who are risky with more risk than protective factors. Over half (51.9%) of these newly homeless adolescents were in the protected cluster. This typology has implications for the design and implementation of services and interventions for newly homeless adolescents to reconnect them with stable housing situations.