Without A Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey

4.6 Crime
Much research has demonstrated that homeless and street-involved youth are more likely
to be involved in street crime than youth in the general population. Because research
has shown that youth involved in the drug trade are more likely to be involved in other
criminal activities (e.g., theft, breaking and entering, assault), we are using drug selling in
our analysis as an indication of crime involvement more broadly (Clinard & Meier, 2016).
In order to explore this activity at the national level, we asked youth two questions: “Have
you sold drugs in past year?” and “Have you ever sold drugs in your life?”
TABLE 18
Involvement in selling drugs
YES NO MISSING CASES
Ever Sold Drugs? 58% 42% 101
Sold Drug in Past Year? 47.9% 52.1% 609
p