Homeless Children and Youth

Social exclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups makes them a nonproductive part of society in today’s globalized world. They can, however, be productive if given a chance. As noted in the literature, marginalized groups such as homeless youth, and young people working on the streets, are often stigmatized as vagrants engaging in deviant behavior. Moreover, the current scenario worldwide does not portray an optimistic view for homeless children and youth. Working children on the streets and homeless youth are neither the priority of the government in many countries—for example, in Pakistan, the focus of this entry—nor do many local governments show concern for them.

The phenomenon of homelessness among young people across the globe has given rise to many conceptual difficulties. First of all, there is ...