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The Streets Are Not a Home for Youth

In: English and Literature

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The Streets are not A Home for Youth

Carlton Crayton

English 147

August 31, 2015
University of Phoenix

The Streets are not A Home for Youth

The United States of America; the "Land of Milk and Honey," also known throughout the world as a place of prosperity. While this may be true for some, there is a significant percentage of the American population who lives in poverty. There are many who are so impoverished that they do not even have a place to call home. While homelessness has always existed in America, never before has this nation seen such a high percentage of its youth population living on the streets. Even though Young people often become homeless due to family conflict and substance abuse, youth is at a higher risk for homelessness than adults ("Starry Children At Heart Ministries, Inc.", 2015). In order to reduce the number of homeless youth, society needs to address the high rates of substance abuse, mental illness, and sexual trauma that is experienced by today's young adults.

Substance abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs are prevalent amongst homeless youth. Many, young adolescent young people who became or on the verge of becoming homeless, were brought up in households where drug and alcohol were being used on a regular basis by parents or guardians. Domestic violence and some form of abuse within the home was present. Therefore, prompted the youthful pre-adult youth, encountering a horrible and traumatic adolescence. Subsequently; a high rate is brought up in foster homes, mental organizations, or detained before the age of 16. Many use drugs or alcohol as an expedient to self-medicate so they can deal with the harsh reality of homelessness, not to mention the experiences and abuse they face living on the streets. ("Facts about Youth Homelessness", n.d.). Under these circumstances, self-medicating helps them survive and maintain an awareness of their environment to the potential dangers of life without a home, on the streets. Accompanying substance abuse. Mental health is another key factor that leads to homelessness and poses additional problems to the survival of living on the streets. Mental issues limit problem-solving abilities needed to survive; therefore, mental problems can be crippling to youth, preventing them from the capacity to think with a clear mind that can compromise sustaining the life of homelessness. Mental health also adds to drug abuse as a form of self-medicating that can lead to the lack of mental stability, making it harder for youth to get off the streets. As a result, these young people can suffer from; suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In effect can become easy prey and fall victim to violence, prostitution, and gang affiliation, pregnancy from being molested or raped, and even survival sex. To the stronger and more streetwise youth on the streets. Another source of sexual trauma is due to sexual orientation. According to "United States Interagency Council On Homelessness" (2013), " A disproportionate number of youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) and may experience homelessness as a result of family rejection” (para. 1). Many of these youth find themselves at risk of living without a place to call home, unexpectedly. Managing the strains and difficulties of disregard, physical and enthusiastic dismissal. Social stigma, discrimination, sexual abuse at home, or aging out of the foster-care system play a meaningful part in their unexpected homelessness issue.

Prevention and intervention strategies need to be implemented to help stop youth from becoming homeless. It is not very healthy or safe for communities to have so many fragile adolescents experiencing, their young lives growing up and living on city streets. In fact, Society needs to be more accountable for the way it treats and disregards all homeless but especially the young. Furthermore, we need a more collaborative approach joining with service providers, children services, and law enforcement to prevent future increases in youth homelessness. Not to mention, a more positive social recreation, greater availability of affordable housing, medical facilities and schools to improve the quality of life for these youth. These structures need to be put in place not only to have a positive impact on reducing the number of young people on the street today but also to help our future youth from becoming homeless. There has been lots of research and data gathered regarding youth homelessness. There are still so many unanswered questions that need further research. Society needs to examine the best effective interventions strategies that can be used to prevent more young adolescent homelessness. More importantly, we need to learn why homeless youth does not take advantage of all the available services that are open to them. With this in mind, learning and developing more intervention and prevention strategies, so that there is a clearer understanding of what causes and what will prevent future homelessness of our young adolescent youth.

References
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2013). Retrieved from http://usich.gov/population/youth
Starry Children At Heart Ministries, Inc. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.childrenatheartministries.org/STARRY-Runaway-Month

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