Teenagers ranging between the ages of 12-18 have been using illegal drugs, prescription drugs, drinking alcohol, are being verbally & physically aggressive towards authority figures. Hartford, like many of the bigger cities in the United States, has had a problem with Youth homelessness, pregnancy, drug use, alcoholism, fighting and other youth delinquencies. It is estimated that because many of the problems listed above over 2,500 youth a year are susceptible to the homeless problem in Connecticut (Partnership for Strong Communities, 2016). This is not to say that because of the problems listed above all of the youths are out on the streets, some youths that are homeless have been going from family to family homes. Others from friend to friend homes, or from couch to couch. They have been doing this all the while, with no one ever knowing that the youth has been in crisis. There are multiple reasons why youths have been profoundly affected by homelessness. Some teens have chosen to leave their homes in an attempt to ease the burden to their family during the economic …show more content…
between the ages of 12- 17. Although it is more noticeable in larger cities, than elsewhere throughout the nation, it is estimated that 5 percent are between the ages listed above. There is a multitude of problems why homelessness is prevalent, ranging from medical, mental, emotional, and substance abuse problems. These youths are out on the streets finding themselves in harm's way by either selling or using drugs, becoming ill due to obstacles or lack of care, committing crimes, or becoming susceptible to offenses such as rapes, assaults, and death, or finally running the risk of becoming incarcerated. The review suggests that when it comes to addressing the problem of homelessness a more tailored approach be taken to meet the needs of the youths who are at risk of becoming, or are already homeless. (Robertson, Toro,
Even with the daily struggle faced by youth in obtaining shelter and homelessness becoming a reality for a growing number of Canadians, Canada, with its high quality of life is one country that has always had a global long-standing reputation. This paper will be working towards giving the reader a better understanding with regards to homeless youth. It will be focusing on the reasons why they leave home, their lives on the street and steps they are trying to take to be able to leave the streets. An important finding from this research suggests, “the street youth population is diverse, complex, and heterogeneous”. According to Karabanow, made up of a number of subcultures including hardcore street-entrenched young people, squatters, group home kids, child welfare kids, soft-core twinkles, runaways, throwaways, refugees and immigrants is the generic term ‘street youth’.
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...
Gattis and Larson suggest, “interested parties could benefit from an improved understanding of the mental health needs of homeless adolescents. This knowledge could be used to identify youths at risk of becoming homeless and to provide appropriate services to those currently homeless” (p. 87). In short, education and knowledge regarding the homelessness in itself can do wonders. The homeless face many hardships including depression, anxiety, PTSD, discrimination, and suicidal thoughts. These are just a few things that homeless people face that the general population don’t take into consideration on a first glance or thought. Intervention and world of mouth will also help, because this is a topic society doesn’t necessary publicize, we don’t know much about it. If this is publicized in a positive way, the motivation and self-esteem from homeless people will also rise. The increase of access to insurance would also help prevent this. In order to get treated for any mental illness they have, they need insurance. With active treatment for a mental illness, this will heighten the likelihood of obtaining a reliable job. Which in turn, will essentially help prevent the homeless from being
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 can result from children running away, being abandoned by parents, extreme poverty within the family and/or unsafe/unstable living conditions. Being in situations where a child has worry about where they are going to sleep or where there next meal may come from gives them little time, if any, to focus or even think about attending school. In addition, attending school means a need for the upkeep of personal hygiene, having clean clothes and most importantly transportation to and from school, which can add more stress to a child outside of the fact they are homeless. Not having these things causes high levels of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Th...
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.
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.
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.
There are about 3.5 million people in America alone that are homeless; half of these people are children between the ages of 10-17. Neglect, Physical, and Sexual abuse are some reasons most teens are on the streets. 20% of children every year are experiencing physical and emotional neglect by their parents, families, and best friends. They feel as if their not appreciated, wanted, or even loved. Most teens feel like they would be better without their parents and decide to run away. The crime rates are outrageous on the street! As a result, 5000 teens die every year due to high risk anxiety, depressions, post traumatic stress, and disorders. The growth of homelessness was increasing 8.5% per month each year. Causing the Government to loose over 4 million dollars. Lots of teens are often beaten and raped everyday. The majority are female. 96% of females on the streets are often fatherless and easily taken advantage of by older and younger men. Because they are fatherless, they don’t know how to be treated, and allow men to beat and have unconsensual sex with them. For awhile these teen girls feel like these men are doing this out of love and care, until the beatings and forced relations get WORSE! When these teens find a way to escape from their abusive relationships, they find themselves on the street selling their bodies for survival. Studies show that 3 out of 4 female teens under the age of 15 are forced into prostitution while living on the streets. These teens deal with the risk of kidnapping, Aids and STDs. According to the justice system of missing persons, 1 out of 4 teens are abducted everyday trying to steal, trespass, and sell their bodies. Living on the streets and catching viruses and Aids is commonly fo...
According to the McKinney Act, A person is considered homeless who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006). There are facts and myths the troubles our displaced citizens, as a result of these beliefs the homeless youth population as has been stereotyped and/or ostracized based on their circumstances. We will explore these myths to alleviate the misbelief or misunderstanding of this exclusive population of communal and societal members. There is a misconception that the homeless youth are solely blamable for their own circumstance. The fact is many homeless individuals have survived as victims of violence, child abuse, natural disasters, deficiency in employment opportunities
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 have almost always experienced unimaginable abuse and trauma, in their homes, their communities, and on the streets. 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. RHYA specifically funds three different programs for homeless youth: street outreach, which aims to transition youth off the streets; basic centers, which provides youth temporary shelter and services; and transitional living programs, which provides longer term housing and support to youth 16-21 years of age.
How a social issue is addressed by policy makers is very much dependent on how many people are affected by the issue and whether the problem is seems to be increasing or decreasing or remaining stable. Unfortunately it is very difficult to obtain an accurate statistic of youth homelessness as homelessness among the young can often be ‘hidden’ and statistics can be deceptive (Mayock & Vekic, 2006). ‘Hidden homelessness’ refers to those homeless people who do not make contact with homeless services and thus can be unaccounted for in available statistics (Mayock & Vekic, 2006). Many young people may be living in unfit or overcrowded accommodation, may be under the threat of eviction or may be staying in friends’ or relatives accommodation making it very difficult for researchers to obtain an accurate account of size of the youth homelessness problem. However, statistics on young homeless people who have become known to services do suggest that there has been a decline in youth homelessness since the 1990s (Mayock et al.,2014). It is reported that in 2006, 336 children presented to the Crisis Intervention (Out of Hours) Service (Mayock et al., 2014). However, there has been a huge decline in the number of children presenting to the OHS in recent years with 157 children presenting in 2012 and 173 in 2013 (Mayock et al.,