The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (2017) reports that 553,742 people spend the night without a home, which is a 1% increase from 2016 to 2017. Of these, 21% were children under the age of 18 (The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2017). Homeless youth, when compared to housed youth, are at an increased risk of participating in risky sexual behavior (Kennedy, Tucker, Green, Golinelli, & Ewing, 2012). Risky sexual behavior is defined as sexual behavior at a young age, sexual acts with multiple partners, participating in unprotected sex, and sexual behavior while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Risky sexual behaviors can have profound effects on the lives of those who participate in said behaviors including, but not limited to an increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI) and unplanned pregnancy (Kennedy, et al., 2012). …show more content…
Moreover, protective factors for preventing participation in risky sexual behaviors include spirituality, having the resources to obtain condoms and/or contraception, youths living in stable home environments with both parents, and youth that feel safe (ACT for Youth, n.d.). Additionally, contact with certain family members or childhood friends serve as a protective factor for homeless youth, as this engagement has resulted in fewer risky sexual behaviors (Tyler,
Furthermore, facilities frequently concentrate on “quick-fix” interventions instead of focusing on their qualities that empower them and concentrating on long-term aspirations (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). For the most part, it is extremely hard to access health care for the youth population because they face various restrictions. It is not surprising that many homeless adolescents do not have a way of seeking services even if they are the population that needs it the most. Homeless youth are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes such as not being able to further their education, getting incarcerated, developing a mental health disorder, and engaging in alcohol dependency and unsafe sexual behavior (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). Children without a home are more prone to live in inconsistent and harsh living conditions categorized by family and school issues. Although; many homeless youths do not experience desirable outcomes housing programs and similar services serve a primary support system to help reduce homelessness. Services that promise better living conditions are shown to enhance lifestyles and a positive development into adulthood.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/526/homeless-facts.html>. Johnson, Regina Jones, Lynn Rew, and R. Weylin Sternglanz. " The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and sexual health practices of homeless adolescents/Adolescense." BNET - The CBS Interactive Business Network. Adolescence, 22 June 2006.
... remains homeless. With a greater than 10% prevalence rate among street youth, which is about 10 times (less than 1%) the reported prevalence among the general youth population, is an easily curable STI called Chlamydia (Health Canada, 2006). This is a disease that could be spread through sexual contact with an infected partner either orally or anally. Between 1999-2003, there is a consistent increasing prevalence in street females than in males that is on the low (Health Canada, 2006). Gonorrhoea is another sexually transmitted disease that is common to street youth. The prevalence of gonorrhoea like Chlamydia is high in the street youth population as well as it is 20-30 times higher than that of the youth population in general. Also, just like the Chlamydia infection, the prevalence rates have been much higher in females than in males Health Canada, 2006).
Abuse and neglect are one of the top three leading causes of youth homelessness. “Studies show 70 percent of homeless youth have suffered some form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse”
Homeless Youth: Characteristics, Contributing Factors, and Service Options. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 20(2), 193-217. doi:10.1080/10911350903269831
The youth homelessness population is increasing because of the many challenges that these children or teens face in everyday life; It also continues getting larger every year because of the many youth who are getting into dangerous situations that force them to be homeless or thru their own choosing. One third of the homeless population is between the ages of 16-24, which is incredibly young and it is the prime years for an adolescent or young adu...
Homelessness….. Many assume those who are homeless took part in some type of drug or alcohol abuse which lead them to become homeless. It is an ongoing situation that has not been fully resolved in order to lower the risk of individuals of the youth population becoming homeless. The age group for homeless individuals who qualify as youth is nineteen years of age and under. In the United States, dysfunctional families are occurring more frequent, which is a vital reason adolescents are running away from their homes. This alone puts many of our youth at risk of becoming homeless. When adolescents leave their homes, it decreases their chances of having a smooth transition into adulthood. Some adolescents may leave their home because
Based off the attention from modern media, youth homelessness has been on an unfortunate upslope in the United States within the past decade. Various factors tie into why this issue is becoming more prominent such as low income households being unable to afford children, LGBT youth rejection, and domestic abuse leading to children leaving home. Now, vagrancy has a severely negative impact on the development of young people as it inhibits them from developing academically, socially, and mentally and can also expose them to diseases and potentially various types of abuse, such as sexual and substance abuse. This is an issue that should be addressed, for the rising generations are America’s future, and so investing in the overall well-being of the
Grant, R., Gracy, D., Goldsmith, G., Shapiro, A., & Redlener, I. E. (2013). Twenty-Five Years of Child and Family Homelessness: Where Are We Now?. American Journal Of Public Health, 103(S2), e1-e10. doi:10.2105/AJPH. 2013.301618
Youth become homeless for a number of reasons, including: family violence and neglect, rejection due to sexual orientation or gender identity, the overwhelmed child welfare system and extreme poverty. These youth almost always have experienced unimaginable abuse and trauma, in their homes, their communities, and on the street. It is the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)-funded services and programs that help to rectify the deep injustices that homeless youth experience on a daily basis.
These stunning factors are caused by job losses, financial situations, depression, family breakdown, mental illnesses, and isolation. Approximately 28,700 of those people are under the age of 18, and around 50,000 people under 25. The challenges these people face are extremely severe compared to Billy's challenges of homelessness. Within 2-3 days of being homeless, youth are sexually abused, and within 5 days, are using drugs and smoking.
With nearly 3.18 million people in the United States, there are 610.042 individuals who are homeless which calculates to about nearly one in five individuals (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and HUD/US, 2013). At any time situations can change that can render an individual’s homeless. There are no qualities that exempt individuals from the chances of becoming homeless. However, there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless. Homelessness can be contributed to a number of situations such as occupational stress, financial stress, mental health issues, substance use, gender, age, race, disabilities, incarceration, chronic illness, and family stress.
Hudson, Angela L., and Karabi Nandy. "Comparisons of Substance Abuse, High-risk Sexual Behavior and Depressive Symptons Among Homeless youth with and without a History of Foster Care Placement." EBSCOhost. EBSCO, Oct 2012. Web.11 Dec.2013.
As previously discussed, homelessness among youth in the Houston / Harris County area is a growing population with far reaching consequences for this group. They can be identified as a cultural group as they identify with others who have shared experiences and commonalities. Some of the serious struggles, identified in part I, homeless youth face are the increased probability of becoming victimized on the streets, higher risk of being infected with a STD or HIV, becoming pregnant, entering the criminal justice system, not having access to medical treatment, employment, housing, or education and job training. Without resiliency, the bleak outlook on life has the power to destroy their self-efficacy leaving them with low self-esteem. Both tangible, as well as, intangible resources have been identified to assist youth facing homelessness. Likewise, many studies have been conducted regarding intervention plans and their effectiveness that show great promise. Specifically, this intervention plan will look at a strengths based method, an out-reach model, and an alternative approach to formulate an intervention method.
The social problem that the research addresses is the outrageously high rate of unprotected teenage sexual engagement and encounters. The problem was made apparent due to a survey that disclosed that not only had “three quarters of the 2,439 participants engage in sexual intercourse by their senior year, half of the participants reported that they did not use condoms and one third of the population failed to allocate the use of birth control at all; drastically increasing their exposure to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy”. (Steele, 1999, p. 339). The research is most guided by a theoretical framework called the Grounded Theory Approach. The Grounded Theory Approach (GT), first described by Glaser and Strauss in 1967, is an inductively formatted, general method of research that is aimed towards theory development through the data collection process and constant comparative analysis of that data. (Cohen and