Homeless Youth

Youth homelessness is a complex problem exacerbated by the lack of available information regarding the unique circumstances experienced by these adolescents and further by the fact that this population is often hidden and therefore unnoticed by the general public and researchers. In any given year in the United States, 500,000 to 1.5 million youth will run away or be told to leave their homes. Most runaways return home, but others go on to establish an intermittent or prolonged period of homelessness. The number of homeless youth is difficult to estimate, but one national survey found that 7.6% of youth (1.6 million) between the ages of 12 and 17 were homeless, with approximately 200,000 of these individuals living on the street. Regardless of the exact number, youth homelessness is a cause for concern because of the unfavorable outcomes many of these youth experience: heightened risk of involvement in delinquent activities, drug and/or alcohol abuse, and persistent homelessness hindering their ability to become productive community members or successful adults. Furthermore, information regarding youth who do not survive is scarce.

Community agencies dedicated to assisting homeless persons frequently contribute to what is known [Page 241]about this population. However, information from this source may overlook a substantial portion of homeless youth given that many choose not to access these resources. Moreover, youth with the most significant challenges can be rejected from such facilities due to histories of substance abuse or psychosocial troubles. Little is known about treatment needs or effective intervention strategies for these adolescents, because research efforts have primarily focused attention on the circumstances that contribute to a youth's decision to leave home. Knowledge about these variables may have implications for prevention efforts, but it is complicated by the variety of reasons adolescents choose to leave home. It is important to note that although some youth may be homeless along with their families, due to financial reasons, the focus of this entry is on youth who are separated from their families.