Residential Mobility and Social Behaviors of Adolescents: A Systematic Review of the Literature

PROBLEM The association between residential mobility and negative behaviors in adolescence has attracted multidisciplinary attention. METHODS The purpose of this article is to conduct a systematic literature review in order to synthesize research that measured mobility and at least one social behavior among participants 11 thru 18 years of age. The systematic search yielded 22 studies. FINDINGS Residential mobility is associated with negative behaviors among adolescents, including social problems, delinquency, substance and nicotine use, and adolescent pregnancy. However, these effects are explained by neighborhood disadvantage and inherent differences between movers and nonmovers. CONCLUSION For youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, moving may be one indicator of problem behaviors. Attending to when and why youth move—and to where—contributes to an understanding of the etiology of risky behaviors.