The families of runaway and homeless youth have been characterized as having high levels of parent-child conflict and distress. This study explored homeless youths' perceptions of their parents' child-rearing practices. Youth (N = 409) were recruited from street and service sites using a stratified probability sampling design. Factor analysis conducted with 23 parenting descriptors revealed four distinct parenting styles: Supportive/Emotionally Available; Intrusive/Unavailable; Detached; and Problems With Drugs/Law. The implications of these findings and future research and service provision needs are discussed.
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