At Risk Of Teenage Homelessness

Teen homelessness is a problem that is often times overlooked. Many people don’t want to think about the fact there can be young children roaming the streets alone desperate for a place to call home and a plate of warm food. “Homeless youth are typically defined as unaccompanied youth ages 12 and older (up to age 17, 21, or 24) who are without family support and who are living in shelters, on the streets, in cars or vacant buildings, or who are “couch surfing” or living in other unstable circumstances” (Runaway & Homeless Youth, 2013)”. As I mentioned before, Many people tend to overlook this demographic but homelessness in people this young is more prevalent than most of us tend to realize. It is estimated that five percent of adolescents

This study did not take into account the reason in which these adolescents left their homes and grouped all homeless teens and youth together. Being homeless, especially for a teen, puts them at risk for things such as drugs, prostitution, disease, mental illness, incarceration and many other dangers. There is no one specific reason that teens become homeless but it is generally accepted that many if not most teens who are homeless or on the streets originated from as broken home, experiencing many forms of abuse (Whitbeck, 1999). At Risk youth do not fit into one specific cookie cutter definition. A huge reason that teens and youth may become homeless is because of family problems. Teens run away for many different reason but it seems as if physical, mental, sexual and emotional abuse can become a common theme in some of these adolescents household so when they do finally run away, they feel like the streets will be a safer place for them rather than their own homes. When teens and youth do run away from home, they tend to have nowhere safe to go and turn to a life on the streets to make ends meet. Since many of these kids do not have a good role model to teach them important life lessons, many will choose a life of crime or immorality to get by. Another reason that teens may become homeless is because of the difficult transition out of foster care and other public systems. In many situations if a teen ages out of the foster care system or runs away, they will have nowhere to go. If teens get backed into a corner like this, they have a lot less choices than an adult may have which can begin the cycle of homelessness in their lives. A huge reason for homelessness at such a young age is the lack of money or other economic problems that their family may face. Many times, even if a teen is living with their parents in a loving household there are many