Each year, a pool of thousands of homeless youth get commonly overlooked and misjudged throughout the United States. “In the 2013-2014 school year alone, it was reported that there were approximately 1.3 million homeless youth enrolled in the public-school system” (United States). Despite the enormous number of children homelessness affects, the public eye remains ignorant on the topic. Some people try to go blind to the number while others decide to look down upon those it hurts, rather than assessing and improving the situation. Until society gains knowledge of both the causes and effects these adolescents face daily, the ever-growing epidemic will continue to show no signs of improvement. In recent years, complications relating to the child welfare systems and justice programs have led to a rise …show more content…
While homelessness is never an ideal experience, youths that experience this while remaining intact with their family unit are far less likely to experience the common hardships that a youth without family guidance would. Many of these homeless circumstances are temporary as families receive assistance through programs and shelters until the time that they can get back on their feet (National Center). Being a homeless youth in a society that lacks knowledge or apathy on one’s situation raises an abundance of hardships for adolescents that experience this type of lifestyle. Often, when a youth first experiences vagrancy, they attempt to carry on the routine they once practiced daily. A large component of this is their schooling. In 2016, the United States Department of Education released the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA) with high hopes of assisting the homeless youths. The act’s goal is to guarantee the educational rights and privacy of all homeless youths in the public-school system (United
Homeless youth are always dealing with poor nutrition, victimization, substance use, and abuse. Unfortunately the services provided are very limited and cannot help a huge chunk of the homeless youth. Homeless youth experience more substance abuse and drug addiction than non-homeless youth, this causes them to be mentally unstable and unable to be a functioning member of society. There are many temporary services provided such as shelters, drop-ins, meal programs, literacy improvements, and counselling programs; although these are available and there to help the youth, they are all flawed in their own ways. What the government does not take into consideration is the long term solutions to put youth in poverty to an end.
Homelessness on Campus “Over 58,000 students identified as homeless on the 2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) , a 75 percent increase over the last three years”(Dunning). Homelessness on college campuses is damaging to the individuals who are affected by it. Homelessness is damaging to the individual because it makes graduating from college difficult. To find a way to solve homelessness we need to figure out what the causes of homelessness are.
Currently, homelessness has become one of the major social problems in Australia. It is common to see homeless people sleep at street sides in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. According to the latest statistics from the ABS Census of Housing and Population, there are 105,237 people in Australia who are homeless at present (Homelessness Australia, 2016). In other words, there is one person who is homeless in every 200 people in Australia. What is worse, the rate of homelessness has been growing in most states in Australia in the past few years.
The majority of teachers are not aware immediately when a child is homeless, but through positive communication and relationships, students will open up to teachers about their home conditions. Since homeless children experience isolation, an educator must be sure to establish positive relationships with these students from day one. The child must have feelings of trust and respect for his or her teacher. These students may already feel shameful and embarrassed about their situations, so the positive student-teacher relationships are pertinent to the child learning to trust and open up to teachers. Homeless children are bound to be more internalizing with depression and externalizing with aggression and physical harm than the average student because of the lack of stability.
America’s homeless population is increasing every year. According to the article “Foster Care and Homelessness,” “50% of America's homeless population spent time in foster care.” As children reach their teen years it is less likely that they will be adopted. This creates the possibility of aging out of the system. When a child ages out of the system they have to create a life for themselves.
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” and “45.7 percent of street
It is indiscriminate and has no concern for one’s status, race, ethnicity, background, religion, and so on. Therefore the fear of homelessness is the fact that it can happen at any time.. As a result of the United States economic situation, there is a lack of jobs and livable wages provided for growing communities. The insufficient provision of financial aid is among the factors that cause homelessness. Unable to be financially independent, the homeless tend to meet their financial needs through illegal avenues. These avenues involve the interaction with drugs and
Also, it can lead to juvenile delinquency, troubles with school, and “a greater risk of experiencing mental health problems” (Aratani, 2009, p. 7). When determining what programs and other resources are best fit to help end youth homelessness, it is important to understand the causes and impact of homelessness among youths in the United
(Koegel, Melamid, Burnam, 1995) For example, family homelessness has been increasing in the United states in Recent years. Now, more schools and communities are challenged to serve students whose lives are touched by the uncertainty and instability that homelessness brings. (Miller, 2015) People are forced to live destitute without daily necessities like healthy or sanitary food, housing or substantial clothing.
Children are becoming victims of homelessness too and this puts pressure on them because their peers might have nice homes, luxurious items, and name brand clothes; meanwhile they might have to wear the same outfit every
The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.
Homelessness is a serious issue that people, whether individually or as a family, in America face every day no matter your background or your nationalities. The National Coalition for the Homeless believes that there are two theories to the causes of homelessness. The first theory is the cause of social-based conditions with an individual’s life. These include employment minimum wage, lack of mental health services, and lack of public assistance service. The second theory is personal problems with the person lacking money management skills, excessive abuse, and being lazy (Scheidies).
But why is it that we look down on them? Stephen Gaetz, Professor at the Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, Canada and Director of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Homeless Hub, in his article “How We THINK about Homeless Youth Matters,” explores this situation and attributes society’s erroneous perception on the homeless to the media. Gaetz, states, “Many of us will have friends who tell us they know someone who left home for this reason or that reason, but such stories may not get to the bottom of why people actually leave
Homelessness can have a devastating effect on children. Homeless children are hungry and sick more often, and worry about their family’s situation and future. Even though it’s extremely hard to estimate the amount of homeless children, about 1.4 million students students in the U.S were homeless at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. As expected, homeless children and youth are difficult to count because their living situations frequently change. Some have tried to estimate the extent of the homeless problem in the United States using many methods but they all have their limitations.
Lai’La Wilson Mrs. Major PAVCS Graduation Project 12 January 2023 How do economic and political factors affect homelessness in the US over the past five Years? Economic and political factors have many effects on homeless people in the US because of unaffordability of housing, lack of job opportunities, poverty, lack of affordable housing, uncertain physical and mental health, addictions, community, and family breakdown, and lack of adequate income, access to affordable housing and health supports and experiences of discrimination. Economic and political factors have had a huge impact on homelessness in the US over the past five years, with unemployment, rising rents, cuts to social welfare programs, and lack of affordable housing all contributing