Background Research 2

Written Sources

CTVnews

Asian homestay students at risk of sex, drugs, abuse

Foreign homestay students attending high school in B.C. appear to be more greatly exposed to major health risks, including smoking, drug use, early sexual intercourse and sexual abuse.

Focusing on East Asian students, who comprise the majority of homestay students in B.C., Wong and her team analyzed data from the 2003 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey conducted by the McCreary Centre Society.

They captured self-reported results of about 3,000 Chinese, Korean and Japanese students between Grades 7 and 12. The researchers were unable to get statistics from the province but estimate there are 3,000 to 5,000 international homestay students in B.C. high schools.

Compared to immigrant or Canadian-born East Asian teens, they found that homestay students were twice as likely to be sexually active, and 23 per cent of homestay girls reported sexual abuse compared to nine per cent of their female peers.

Homestay students were also two to six times more likely to report using cocaine, half skipped school in the month before the survey -- compared to a quarter of peers -- and 20 per cent were smokers compared to five to nine per cent of peers.

"It really looks like a pattern that some of these kids may be sexually exploited," said UBC professor Elizabeth Saewyc, research director at the non-profit McCreary Centre which developed the survey.

"Are we taking care of other people's kids as well as we're taking care of our own?"

Vancouver SunJuly 14, 2010

Asian homestay students 'extremely vulnerable'

Almost a quarter of female high school students from Asia who are living in B.C. without their parents say they've been sexually abused, according to a University of B.C. study published Tuesday.

Key findings from the study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health:

- Twenty-three per cent of female homestay students reported having been sexually abused compared to nine per cent and eight per cent of immigrant and Canadian students, respectively, who live with their parents.

- A higher portion of both male (24 per cent) and female (25 per cent) homestay students reported having sex than the immigrant (about nine per cent) and Canadian-born students (12 per cent).

- They were more likely to smoke, binge drink and use cocaine.

- Fifty-four per cent of male homestay students spent more than four hours a day on the computer for recreation compared to 30 per cent and 35 per cent of immigrant and Canadian students living with their parents.

Gooverseas.com

The Pros and Cons of a Homestay Abroad

Homestays can be a rewarding experience and present an unrivaled opportunity for genuine cultural exchange.

1. Homestays can sometimes be the cheaper option.

2. Homestays can provide a more authentic cultural experience.

3. Homestay will force you to use the language with native speakers in a low-stakes setting.

Cons of a Homestay

1.     You must respect the rules and expectations set by your hosts.

2.     Exploring your new environment would difficult.

3.     Homestay may not be the best personal space to be 100% yourself.

International Student Guide to the USA

Choose a Homestay

1.     Information

Many schools in the U.S. keep a list of Homestay Agencies that they recommend to potential students.

If they do not, a student will need to search for one on their own. A simple Internet search will most likely yield a list of several agencies who offer placement. The job of the student and parents is to look for the agency that will work best for the student.

2. Communication:

From the get go, a student should feel that their questions, whether big or small, are being answered in a timely fashion. Typically, inquiries should be answered within 24 hours, keeping in mind an email sent on a holiday or weekend would be answered the next business day.

3. Contract

Books

Homestay Guide

There are hundreds of homestay programs across North America and thousands of students and host families taking part at any time. Participants range from 14-year-old high school students to 70-year-old retirees. The vast majority of high school students studying in the United States and Canada live with host families. As well, an estimated one-third of young adults attending ESL programs at colleges and private-sector language schools take advantage of homestay when it is offered.

"Most of them want to be in an environment where they can improve their English," says Katherine Macdougall, summer housing coordinator at the University of California in San Diego. "The second reason is that they want to experience American culture." A third factor, although not always stated, is safety.

Before the students even leave home, they may have totally unrealistic expectations about life with an American family. “They come here thinking that all Americans are very wealthy and that the houses are big and beautiful,” says Susan McKelvey, homestay coordinator with ELS in Philadelphia.