A comparative study of prosocial attitudes towards homelessness among secondary school students

Abstract

Introduction: Negative stereotypes and prejudices towards people experiencing homelessness persist even in the adolescent population, which may influence their attitudes, behavior, and level of acceptance towards this marginalized group. Goal: To analyze prosocial attitudes and the level of willingness to help people without homes among students of different types of secondary schools in the Dolná Orava region, identify factors influencing their readiness to provide help, and verify differences in these attitudes by type of school, age, and gender. Methods: Quantitative research (N = 639; age 14-20 years old; 56.5% girls) used the adapted Attitudes Towards Homelessness Inventory (ATHI-SK; α = 0.82) measuring tool. Willingness to help was measured on a Likert scale. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. This is a pilot study and regionally limited to a set of students from Dolná Orava; therefore, the results cannot be directly generalized to all Slovak secondary school students. Results: Students from the medical school demonstrated the highest willingness to help (Mean Rank = 385.23), while students from the polytechnic school showed the lowest level of willingness (266.05; χ2= 37.21; p < 0.001). Girls declared higher compassion and lower fear (p < 0.001). Older respondents (18-20 years old) reported less fear than younger respondents (14-15 years old; p < 0.01). More than 40% of students believe that most homeless people are addicted to addictive substances, but 53% agree that financial assistance improves their situation. Conclusion: The professional focus of the school and the age of students significantly shape prosocial attitudes towards homelessness. Educational programs that provide direct contact with marginalized groups can help reduce stereotypes and foster empathy. The conclusions are preliminary; the primary contribution of this thesis is to verify the feasibility of measuring attitudes in regional conditions and to outline adjustments that improve assessment.