Education and Human Sciences, College of (CEHS)

 

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

First Advisor

Yan Xia

Committee Members

Maria de Guzman, Cody Hollist

Date of this Version

8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Major: Child, Youth and Family Studies

Under the supervision of Professor Yan Xia

Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Benjamin Sen Son Yeo. Used by permission

Abstract

Lepak is a term used by Singapore street youths to describe their hanging-out behaviors, which usually involve other street-involved friends. While lepaking, street youths often develop cliques to form pseudo-families, also known as street families, that offer them a sense of belonging and protection to “survive” on the streets. However, how exactly street youths from an urban city like Singapore decide whom they lepak with before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic is unknown. Using the grounded theory approach, this qualitative study explored the consideration factors for choosing hangout companions among street youths in Singapore. Audio in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Singapore street youths between the ages of 12 and 21, and two focus group discussions with eleven street outreach social workers from a local youth organization running a street outreach service called the Youth GO! Program (YGP). The qualitative data were analyzed by gender to explore the distinct differences in their choices of hangout companions. These findings will help street outreach social workers develop gender-specific strategies to engage the street youths more effectively in Singapore. They can also inform the recruitment of street outreach workers, as well as the designs of street outreach service model and training.

Advisor: Yan Xia

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