Finding Kenny

(Part 1 of Blog Prompt 3)

My new research question:

Is homelessness associated with higher rates of introverted behavioral issues in grade school students?

 The subjects of this study would have to be homeless students, but how do you find a homeless student? Will it always be in their record that they are homeless or could they be using a fake address to continue going to the school? Should the term "homelessness" be used or should it be "transient" to include the students that move from place to place living with friends and relatives? 

 Here is what I can figure for possibly reaching as many homeless/transient students as possible: Students in homeless shelters, students who have moved 3 or more times within one year, and/or students awaiting foster care placement. These three criteria are ones that would have been recorded, therefore it can be researched. The students who may be living in motels, in cars, or other similar places most likely have not had this recorded in any way.

 Next there is the issue of confidentiality. Those three criteria listed above have most likely been recorded, but where? Of course shelters would have records of students as well as foster placement centers, but only the qualified people in those places have access to that information. However, as a (hopefully) future school counselor, I would assume that this information could also be found within the school records and I would have access to that for the school that  I would be working for.

 The variable that I am not sure quite how to test yet is the introverted behavioral issues one. This one will be difficult, but I feel that I can figure something out soon.