Factors Affecting Homelessness in Young People

This article examines the factors that contribute to homelessness in young people and the role of social support. It discusses the impact of parental care, emotional support, and social networks on the likelihood of homelessness. The study also highlights the importance of providing supportive social networks to prevent relapse into homelessness.

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Annotated Bibliography
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1ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tavecchio,L.W., Thomeer, M.A.E. and Meeus,W.,1999. Attachment, social network and
homelessness in young people. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal,
27(3), pp.247-262.
In this article the author has explained with the help of a research and attachment theory
the factors that affect homelessness of the young people. He wants to provide an explanation to
the reasons for why the young adults go homeless. In his article he takes the help of quantitative
research methodology to carry out a study in a group of youths who are homeless and between
two groups namely youths who are residential and a large group of youth who belong to the
normal population. He has also collected the data regarding the impact of social support for the
homeless people. In order to conduct this research, the author has used the socio economic
development model of problem behavior. He wants to find answers to whether there is a
difference between the youths who are homeless and the other youths, which characteristics can
be regarded as backgrounds of homelessness and whether the social network apart from the
family be of any help to the homeless adolescents.
After conducting a thorough research, the author was able to find out and conclude that the
young adults who were brought up in a family consisting of parent who are divorced, and the
lack of emotional and mental support and parental care and responsiveness have resulted in the
homelessness of these adolescents. However, he has also found out from the results that the
social systems often act as a protective cover for these young adults and help to prevent the
further development of this behavior. He claims that the problem of homelessness and staying
away from the home for a longer period of time is not just merely because of the negligence of
the parents and the direct consequence of a conflict with them. According to him, the problem is
deep rooted psychological problem , that has aroused from the unavailability, trust issues and the

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inaccessibility of a caregiver. However, to support this claim and to validate the theory of
attachment his research has been conducted on the basis of the attachment theory variables with
a set of questionnaire for the three groups. The results from the study support the authors’ views
that the genesis of homelessness and the absence of the parental care and the risk factor of
negligence can adversely affect the mental health of the children. They are unable to engage in
and maintain their social life. They do not feel comfortable with the social contacts. However,
the authors also claim that with the provision of supportive social networks do possess the ability
to recompense for the parents’ role and the restoration of contacts with the lost ones, would help
to regain the positivity among the young adults and reduce the relapse into homelessness to a
great extent.
This article differs from the others in the context that it explains the factors that lead to
homelessness and does not involve the scenario of transition from youth homelessness to stable
accommodation.
Hiscock E., Wilks, N., Stafford, M., Joseph, M. and Lemin, R., 2008. Exit this way: young
people transitioning out of homelessness. SocialAlternatives, 27(1), p.65.
The main purpose of this article is to identify the factors that are responsible for the
homelessness of the youth in the city of Brisbane. The article also aims to analyze the services
that have been creating realistic, accessible and sustainable exit points for the young people who
leave their homes. The research that have been conducted includes survey of the individuals,
which has helped the authors to identify the factors that have been significantly acting as barriers
to the transition process and which may be directed to the future service initiatives to act
effectively.

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Since the youth homelessness is considered to be a serious issue and is in constant
expansion in the Brisbane by a number of stakeholders, the author had decided to research on the
factors that have influenced the youth to be homeless. In order to validate his research the author
has take the help of quantitative research methodology and has conducted semi structured
interviews with the former homeless people. The participants of the interview included the
people who had successfully made a transition from the state of homelessness to the state of
stable accommodation. Since they were difficult to be located, the authors had to seek help from
the local youth and the homeless service providers, via letters or emails as well as media
broadcasting in order to invite them for successful and effective participation in the interview
process. From the results of the interview, it was clear that there were enough gaps in the
provision of services. The youth feedback helped the authors to analyze the need for effective
service providers, uninterrupted support from the caregivers and also stable accommodation.
Unavailability of these factors had facilitated the homelessness among the young people of this
generation. The results thus have been designed by the authors in a manner that they inform the
service providers t fill in the gaps and help the youth out there. The authors have found out that
motivations to exit homelessness, effective and inspirational and supportive relationships,
accommodations, accessibility and connectivity seem crucial in the successful transition out of
the homelessness. In this context, the authors have provided the readers with a number of
recommendations which include that the service providers must pursue effective initiatives to
increase the access to stable accommodation to the affected groups. The services they provide
must be achieved through different mentor programs and through the peer support. Also they can
build the feeling of support by including the society and a lot other people and by suggesting the
formation of connected local groups, links along with community organizations. They should

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have also increased their connectivity with the formation of a support web for those youth who
are undergoing transition.
This article differs from the next article in the context that it explains the transition from
youth homelessness to stable accommodation but not the transition of the former to adult
homelessness.
Johnson, G. and Chamberlain, C., 2008. From youth to adult homelessness. Australian
Jouranl of Social Issues, 43(4), pp. 563-582.
The main aim of the paper as the title suggest sis to identify what happens to the youth
who turn homeless and how the initial intervention programs on the behalf of the government act
to help in the transition of the young homeless people to adult homelessness. The paper
investigates the lack of clear outcomes of the intervention strategies that affect the young people
to progress to adult homelessness.
The authors use the theoretical argument of the effects of that prolonged exposure of the
youth to homelessness on the analysis of their research. There needed to be the validation of the
fact that more the youth and the people remain homeless for a longer time, the more they get
used to the way of life and they find themselves comfortable to such living. He uses the account
of social adaptation which states that once the people experience homelessness, they start
developing friendships and acquaintances and a sense of belonging. In order to analyze their
findings, the authors have collected the information from the high volumes of services in
Melbourne. One of the agencies serve for the homeless people and the other serves the one who
are on the verge of being homeless. There has been an examination of a sample of over 1677

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young people who are already homeless. The three quarters of these young people were of the
age of 25 or older and the other quarter of the sample were aged between the ages of 19 – 24.
The authors have also focused on the consequences for the people who have transitioned
to adult homelessness from the youth homelessness. Using qualitative data , they have illustrated
with the help of examples the importance of the new friends and acquaintances in the
homelessness journey. With qualitative data, the author’s research supports the fact that when the
young people leave their home permanently, they start to have sustained connection with the
other people who are homeless. Another factor that the authors have analyzed for homelessness
is the use of drugs. The people who take drugs often walk on a permanent break because they
have issues which are inter related like raising money, and scoring. The results spoke that the
longer young people remain homeless the more they tend to get involved in social practices that
propagate homelessness. The authors found that 65 per cent of those who were in the adult
population had developed substance abuse issues. The authors then provides recommendations
to the policies of intervention, which should aim at family reconciliation and must strive to
connect the young people with their families. The second intervention policy should target the
young people who are at a risk and effective strategies must be implemented to prevent
homelessness. The third policy should be aiming to provide long term support to the people who
have transitioned to adult homelessness.
This article differs from the next article in the context that it explains the transition from
youth homelessness to adult homelessness but does not involve any case study analysis of a
mental service provider hospital that aids the psychological disorder of the youth who are
homeless.

6ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dixon, C., Funston, L., Ryan, C. and Wilhelm, K., 2011. Linking young homeless people to
mental health services: An exploration of an outreach clinic at a supported youth
accommodation service. Advances in Mental Health, 10(1), pp.83-91.
There have been researches that have found out that there is a tendency of the young
people who become homeless to be experiencing high rates of psychological and mental
disorders. There is lack of access to the mental health services due to a number of reason. The
authors say that there could be an increase in this access to mental health services and there
could have been greater collaboration, and better cultural capability. The St Vincent’s Hospital
Program for Early Intervention and Prevention of Disability (PEIPOD) has taken into
considerations the recommendations and with the help of its clinic at Oasis Youth Support
Network in Sydney, it reached out to the people who are homeless. Thus the article aims to
define the clinic and present the outlooks of these mental health service providers. In order to
achieve its aim, the authors have taken the help of quantitative data analysis which involves the
survey of the interviews held with the staff members of the Oasis.
As discussed by the authors in this article, the workers provide a positive experience of
mental health services to the people. They facilitate access to mental health services as well.
The findings that this article uses consists of the reports of an audit file consisting of all
case notes of the 29 clients who were present at the clinic in the period between January 2010
and January 2011. According to the results the authors suggest that the highly temporary
behavior of the Oasis clients is highly challenging for building a linkage between young people
and mental health services, and motivating them to access the services. This article further

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discusses the numerous service strengths, including the close enterprise between PEIPOD staff
and Oasis, and the accessibility to the services of mental health problems of the youth at a youth-
friendly location.
The findings of the results have also analyzed the barriers that the clinic faces in reaching
out to the young people. The staff members have also highlighted the complexities that reside
among the young people include their state of intoxication and their inappropriate behavior
because of what they are not comfortable to attend the clinic. The authors have also suggested
various recommendations which include expansion of the clinic model to various other service
sites, improvement of the youth support staffs of Oasis and involvement of the staff who would
provide medical aid, in the clinic.

8ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
References:
Dixon, C., Funston, L., Ryan, C. and Wilhelm, K., 2011. Linking young homeless people to
mental health services: An exploration of an outreach clinic at a supported youth accommodation
service. Advances in Mental Health, 10(1), pp.83-91.
Hiscock E., Wilks, N., Stafford, M., Joseph, M. and Lemin, R., 2008. Exit this way: young
people transitioning out of homelessness. SocialAlternatives, 27(1), p.65.
Johnson, G. and Chamberlain, C., 2008. From youth to adult homelessness. Australian Jouranla
of Social Issues, 43(4), pp. 563-582.
Tavecchio,L.W., Thomeer, M.A.E. and Meeus,W.,1999. Attachment, social network and
homelessness in young people. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 27(3),
pp.247-262.