This research was designed to examine the impact of attachment and emotion regulation on health risk taking behaviors among homeless youth. Furthermore, the aim of this study was to identify factors that may lead to risk taking behaviors in order to help in supporting better and more effective services for homeless youth.

The hypothesis of this dissertation was as follows; homeless youth will show greater peer attachment than parent attachment, parent attachment will significantly predict the level of health risk behaviors among homeless youth, parent attachment will significantly predict the level of emotion regulation among homeless youth, and the level of emotion regulation will significantly predict the level of health risk behaviors among homeless youth. Parent and peer attachment was measured by the trust, communication, and alienation scales on the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Emotion regulation was measured by the cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression scales on the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Health risk behavior was measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Qualitative data was collected for 51 individuals who volunteered to participate. After screening for incomplete questionnaires and inability to pass the mental status exam, data for 22 participants were analyzed. One additional participant was excluded from the data analysis for hypothesis two and four due to lack of responses on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results revealed support for homeless youth exhibiting greater peer attachment than parent attachment. However, the results revealed that secure parent attachment did not statistically significantly predict the level of emotion regulation or the amount of health risk taking behaviors, and the level of emotion regulation did not statistically significantly predict the level of health risk taking behaviors. Further research may examine peer attachment as a predictor variable to assess whether it serves as a protective factor or whether it increases health risk taking behavior.