Youth homelessness
Youth homelessness is the problem of homelessness or housing insecurity amongst young people around the globe, extending beyond the absence of physical housing in most definitions and capturing familial instability, poor housing conditions, or future uncertainty. Youth Homelessness affects people globally, transcending borders. Policies to alleviate this challenge have been implemented in nations worldwide, yet the challenge of keeping young people off the streets persists. Foundational struggles involving addiction, familial unrest, or abuse often lead to young people choosing to leave or being forced out of their homes before they are adequately prepared to be on their own.
Definitions
The definition for youth homelessness varies widely across national borders, and many developed nations acknowledge hardship leading up to homelessness in addition to an individual being physically unhoused, capturing a wider swath of the population. The term "Youth" itself is defined by the United Nations as an individual between the ages of ten and twenty-four, and most states' definitions fall near this categorization, yet flex slightly. In the United States, a person deemed to be a member of the "homeless youth" is someone who is under the age of 21. They are also unable to safely live with a relative or any other safe alternative living arrangement. In Australia, there are three categories of homelessness which include those who live from one emergency shelter to another, as well as those living in accommodation that falls below minimum community standards. In the European Union, anyone between the ages of 13 and 26 who lacks a physical structure to reside in, or who struggles with housing insecurity as a result of fractured caregiver relations falls into this category of "Youth Homelessness".Youth homelessness is prevalent both in developing countries and many developed countries. Less developed nations sometimes refer to homeless youth as "street children" which encompasses not only true homelessness, but also street workers who are not homeless but who work in the informal sector. In 1986, UNICEF established two varieties of "Street Children": half of whom return home after their days of work, and those who reside without permanent shelter. There is a challenge to acquiring official data or research on these "street children" given the lack of permanency in their work or housing, all of which goes without the official awareness of the state in which the children reside.
Targeted Challenges for Youth Populations
Criminal, Familial, and Addiction challenges are difficult to separate. In many scenarios where young people voluntarily leave or are forced out of their homes, there is some combination of these three challenges. Substance abuse, sexual or physical abuse, and familial dysfunction are often related.Crime
, and homeless organizations, are sometimes accused or convicted of fraudulent behavior. Criminals are also known to exploit homeless people, ranging from identity theft to tax and welfare scams. These incidents often lead to negative connotations about homeless youth. There is a cyclical nature to such charges. Once an individual has become homeless, it naturally becomes more challenging to fit within societal norms to gain employment and ultimately become housed again. A homeless youth will be unable to gain the education to prepare or qualify them for future employment. Some programs help individuals facing youth homelessness gain peer support to cultivate rich relationships and mentorships with peers to curb the mental health challenges that come as a bi-product or cause of youth homelessness.Violence and abuse inflicted on children or young people often leads to youth homelessness. Abusive behaviors inflicted upon young people during their adolescence can encourage them to leave home at an earlier age either by force or by choice. Criminal activities by a young person's parents can set the precedent that such activity is acceptable, driving children to replicate these illegal behaviors. The transition out of juvenile detention centers can also encourage youth to be unhoused. For survival, stealing food or money, or resorting to prostitution can be a tool used by street children or homeless youth as well.
Family
Across the globe, youth homelessness is bolstered by young people's tendency to leave home as they near adulthood leaving them to support themselves through limited resources. Young people are sometimes forced out of the home as they near adulthood, or leave at will if conditions are not desirable for conditions such as sexual or domestic abuse, divorce or subsequent remarriage. Some nomadic youth, specifically in the United States, who would be technically categorized as homeless or lacking in a permanent home might embrace the freedom to move at will, and call themselves by other names such as "travelers" or "explorers" further complicating the definition and understanding of Youth Homelessness.Children are naturally disposed to repeat the behaviors of their elders during their formative years, even at the micro-level. This feature of human development becomes dangerous when abuse or mistreatment surrounds children in their household. Over half of homeless youth have experienced abusive caregiving behaviors in some way.
Some children also enter the foster care system during their childhood when conditions of abuse or neglect become extreme, and the state is forced to intervene. Foster Care can cause children/teens to run away if the living conditions or foster family are undesirable to them, and as a result of sometimes frequent changes in their living situations.
Substance use
Alcohol or drug use can motivate parents to force children out of their homes before they are financially prepared to do so. In Russia, alcohol and drug addiction amongst youth permeates society, and contributes to the number of orphans or unhoused children within the nation. Children whose parents are affected by substance abuse behaviors are more likely to also become affected in later years. Additionally, many children engage with risky sexual behavior under the influence of drugs or alcohol which can result in pregnancy or Sexually Transmitted Diseases.Mental health
Very closely related to the other topics, pre-existing Mental Health conditions can increase Youth Homelessness. In the COVID-19 Pandemic, Canada saw a stark decline in Mental Health conditions as a result of loneliness. Many young individuals shifted to substances to help curb this loneliness, which further exacerbated the crisis. Breaks in routines which had helped combat addiction, or even changes that caused addiction occurred in the pandemic. Additionally, amongst street children across the world, and particularly in Latin America, children may add to the already negative outlook on their lifestyles as a result of exterior judgment. Negative public and governmental perceptions of these children can make accessing resources to remove themselves homelessness more difficult.Economics
Across the world, income distribution is skewed towards the wealthiest populations. Pre-existing inequalities also exacerbate the already unequal distribution of wealth, making it difficult in many societies for the poor to mobilize and gain access to new employment opportunities. Additionally, there is a substantial barrier in generational economic mobility, particularly in the US, but also in many regions of the world. Children tend to naturally fall into a similar economic range as their parents do as a result of birth age, and educational milestones, however this varies regionally. Racial disparities further diminish economic mobility at a community-level.Case studies
Australia
is a significant social issue, affecting tens of thousands of young people. In 2006, the Australian government estimated, focusing on homeless school children, found some 20,000 homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 18. Another estimate found approximately 44,000 homeless Australians under the age of 25.Activists maintain that the majority of young people leave home because of family breakdown, often caused by domestic violence and abuse. Swinburne University researchers found that over $600 million is spent each year on health and justice services for homeless youth.
Researchers have studied the prevalence of psychological distress and mental illness among homeless youth in Australia.
Some experts argue that early intervention services are an effective way to curb youth homelessness. Specifically a study was done in Australia that found a great way to help curb youth homelessness is through mentoring of the youth. Other researchers have examined the potential solution of youth foyers.
Canada
In Canada, youth homelessness is recognized as a significant social issue, however, no nationwide strategy or study has been conducted. Research has focused on various factors that challenge Canadian youth, leading to homelessness including sexual identification, mental health, and physical health struggles prior to and during periods of homelessness. Under the COVID-19 Pandemic, Canada saw an uptick in Youth Homelessness, and a decline in homeless shelter morale as a result of mental health, economic, and racial challenges in its wake. The challenge of Youth Homelessness in Canada is often overlooked, and the definition of "homeless" is kept far too narrow for many of the Youth members to be encompassed within state assistance programs. Many young people experiencing homelessness expressed irritation with the late intervention rather than with preventative steps prior to the outcome of total homelessness. Additionally, when assistance was requested, many reported denial or barriers that would exacerbate pre-existing mental health challenges and result in self-esteem reduction. A study done to help curb these issues found that it is best to help them while they are in the education pipeline before the problems worsen.In 2018, a study was conducted to gain a new perspective on youth homelessness, resulting in the development of three avenues of prevention to target all levels of the issue. The three levels of prevention are:
- Structural prevention — helps alleviate poverty, discrimination, and expands acceptance in societal beliefs.
- System prevention — education, healthcare, and criminal justice.
- Individual and Relational causes — family conflict, family crisis and social isolation.