Research method components on runaway youths

8 million youths run away from home every year in the United States. With such a big number of adolescents living on their own without guidance from parents or guardians, there is a high likelihood of engaging in high-risk behaviors such as substance use and sex at an early age. The interaction of various circumstances that runaway adolescents experience forces them to casually engage in sexual activities at an early age. First, factors causing the adolescents to run away from home could also contribute to their casual engagement in sexual activities at an early age. For instance, factors such as youth problem behaviors, family instability, and other demographic factors including absolute poverty could mean that the adolescents lack necessary structures in society to enable them develop upright moral behaviors.

The qualitative nature of my research will require in-depth interviews from runaway youths, their parents or guardians, and authorities to develop conclusions on the influence of early intervention in reducing the runaway behavior. An ideal sampling method for getting this type of data for the research is non-probability sampling. The aim of the qualitative research will be to provide in-depth understanding on the phenomenon, and therefore, I will need to target a specific group of participants. The various types of non-probability sampling include quota sampling, snowball sampling, self-selection sampling, purposive sampling, and convenience sampling. A key feature of the non-probability sampling method is that the selection of samples is based on a researcher’s subjective judgment rather than random selection. However, there is still a heated debate on the effectiveness of these runaway programs in reducing the runaway behavior.

Various frameworks based on outcomes such as the strength of family relationships have positively indicated the effectiveness of the runaway programs in reducing the runaway behavior. One strategy that the programs are using to effectively reduce the runaway program is focusing on the underlying issues that contribute to the runaway behavior in youths. For instance, the BCP program recognizes that simply providing shelter and other basics such as clothing and food to the runaway youths are not enough to end the runaway problem in youths. Therefore, this program provides assistance with the fundamental issues that trigger the runaway behavior. As such, the qualitative methodology would yield richer and more insightful data that reveals underlying reasons and patterns within the issue of runaway among youths (Creswell and Creswell 19).