Homelessness is defined as a form of isolation from society as a result of a loss of an affiliate bond, such as employment or housing, which links the individual to society (Ravenhill 2008, p. 6). Homelessness can also be divided into three categories; primary, secondary and tertiary (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Primary homelessness is experienced by individuals who do not have appropriate housing (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Secondary homelessness is experienced by individuals (most commonly youth) who regularly move from temporary housing to another (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Tertiary homelessness is described as individuals residing in housing, which is considered below public standards (Limbrick 2006, p. 17). Over 36, 000 youth (between the ages of fourteen and twenty five) are homeless (Lawder 2001, p. 5). It is important to take into account there could be a larger number of homeless youth, as some individuals are not accounted for (Lawder 2001, p. 5).
Qualitative research is subjective data and is often used in the social sciences (Sarantakos 2013, p. 48). Qualitative research is devoted to gathering facts; this can be completed through personal experiences, behaviours, and observations (Sarantakos 2013, p. 46). The purpose of qualitative research is to gather an in depth understanding of human behaviour and the explanations for the behaviour (Martijn & Sharpe 2006, p. 1). An issue with only using a qualitative method is efficacy; qualitative studies cannot address relationships between variables with the degree of accuracy that is required to establish social trends (Sarantakos 2013, p. 46). Therefore, the data collected is not representative as it is based on small sample sizes. Thus, the information collected from this method canno...
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...roach would provide the best results for a research study based on homeless youth’s experiences. The information gathered from a qualitative approach can help construct a solution to the issue of youth homelessness.
Works Cited
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Lawder, N 2011 'Homelessness Australia April 2011 Update', Parity, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 5.
Limbrick, D 2006, 'Exploring the needs of homeless people: Accommodation and/or support', Parity, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 17.
Martijn, C & Sharpe, L 2006, 'Pathways to youth homelessness', Social Science & Medicine, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 1-12.
Ravenhill, M 2008, The Culture of Homelessness, Ashgate Publishing Ltd, Farnham.
Sarantakos, S 2013, Social Research, 4th edn, Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, New York.
Finkelstein, M. (2005). With no direction home: homeless youth on the road and in the streets. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Above all, this research study in homeless youth strives to improve the effectiveness of programs by asking for feedback to produce better quality interventions. Therefore, The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act took into consideration
...cher can conduct interviews and/or immerse themselves in the world of youth homelessness. This type of research will allow for complexities, and garner a better understanding of the participants' perspectives. The researcher may choose to use a mixed methods approach with a strong qualitative bias, if they were also looking to collect statistics on the participants in order to have an understanding of the demographics of the participants in the study.
Tunstall, L. (2009). Homelessness: an overview. EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?hid=119&sid=d5f751fa-0d0d-4ed1-8deb-483e701af50c%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu#db=p3h&AN=28674966
Homelessness is a condition of people who lack regular access to adequate housing. As this condition becomes a growing problem in Canada people are forced to deal with the issues. Who are the homeless? They range from children to adults and even in some cases, families. Why are they homeless? Poverty, lack of jobs or well paying jobs, decline in Social Services, domestic violence, mental illness, and chemical dependency contribute to the majority of the homeless within our society. What effects does being homeless have on members of the family? It contributes to many physical and mental health problems for both parents and their children. Homelessness is a world-wide issue, yet zeroing in on Canada, the majority of the homeless live on the streets of Toronto and Vancouver where they seek shelter anywhere from a park bench to dark alleys. The fact remains that homelessness will always be a problem yet over the years, the number of homeless people has been on the rise and something must be done. Homelessness, specially in families, is a devastating experience. It disturbs nearly all aspects of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of family members. In addition, it interferes with children's education and development and often results in the separation of family members. It is hard to say exactly who the homeless are because it is usually a temporary circumstance and not a permanent condition. -2- Therefore more appropriate manner of estimating homelessness is to look at the number of people who are currently experiencing homelessness rather than the number of "homeless people". WHO ARE THE HOMELESS Homeless people range anywhere from 11 to 65 years of age. Most studies show that homeless adults are most likely to ...
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...
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
Many believe that a common thread among the homeless is a lack of permanent and stable housing. But beyond that, the factors leading to homelessness and the services that are needed are unique according to the individual. To put them into one general category ? the homeless- suggests that people are homeless for similar reasons and therefore a single solution is the answer. Every homeless person shares the basic needs of affordable housing, adequate incomes and attainable healthcare. But a wide range of other unmet needs cause some people to become or remain homeless which include drug treatment, employment training, transportation, childcare and mental health services (Center 8.)
Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...
Giffords, E., Alonso, C., & Bell, R. (2007). A Transitional Living Program for Homeless Adolescents: A Case Study. Child & Youth Care Forum, 36(4), 141-151. doi:10.1007/s10566-007-9036-0.
It is logical that there are numerous health, nutritional, developmental, and psychological problems that are associated with being homeless as a youth. Health problems start even before birth if a mother is homeless and pregnant then her baby is more likely to be born with a lower birth weight than compared to normal children (Rafferty, Y., & Shinn, M., 1991). Children who are born into homelessness have higher death rates (1991). This could be due to the lack of prenatal care for homeless pregnant women. Furthermore, homeless children are more likely to have “upper respiratory infections, minor skin ailments ear disorders chronic physical disorders and gastrointestinal disorders” (Rafferty, Y., & Shinn,
“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)
This source is an ethnographic study to explore the culture of homelessness in youth. Data for the study were obtained from nineteen homeless adolescents from the northeastern part of the US. Oliveira and Burke (2009) identified some of the cultural features of homeless youth including material possessions such as musical instruments and equipment, relationships with other homeless individuals to create a street family, selling drugs and panhandling as well as a street language. They found that the decision to make the streets their home was a rational option to staying unsafe and harmful home environments.
Hopper, Kim. “Housing the Homeless.” Social Policy 28.3 (1998): 64+. Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.