Report on Youth homelessness

Running Head: YOUTH HOMELESSNESS 1
Youth Homelessness
Student’s Name
Institution
Instructor
Course
Date

YOUTH HOMELESSNESS 2
Introduction
Youth homelessness is an ongoing problem across the United States. Many youths are
bound to be homeless from as young as 14 years. Nearly 700,000 fugitive children annually
under the age of 18 lacking parental, fostering, or institutional care, according to research on the
national characteristics of these young people (MacDonald et al., 2018). Most homeless youths
suffer trust issues with the people they regard as the normal society. Despite the transitional
shelters offered by the federal government and faith-based institutions often, they are bound to
run away because they feel rejected and less understood.
A variety of factors causes youth homelessness. Their tales and circumstances are unique
to each individual. MacDonald et al. (2018) argue that more than 30 percent of homeless kids
had fled an abusive family, relationship, or foster care facility. Some youth become homeless
while having a job because of the low, which doesn’t allow them to pay their rent and basics.
Regardless of the differences in their backgrounds, they are nonetheless young people living on
the streets who want assistance. As a result, service providers ought to be aware of the
difficulties experienced by homeless youth (MacDonald et al., 2018). Many of these young
people also have problems at school. Homeless students who had to make a last-minute dash
across the city to get into a shelter the night before would have difficulty arriving to class and
staying awake. Frequently, homeless adolescents have to move schools so commonly that their
education suffers.
For many homeless adolescents, school holidays trigger are a time of anxiety and
uncertainty. Homeless teenagers, especially girls, consider school is a safe place to spend a few
hours throughout the day. However, they often find themselves in a difficult position during
school vacations. Many homeless adolescents face serious challenges out on the streets seeking a

YOUTH HOMELESSNESS 3
secure place of rest, child care, and job opportunities while their peers are at home. Access to
housing services, especially in adult shelters, is difficult for homeless young people. The
numerous vices that homeless adolescents attempt to avoid are present in adult shelters,
including the use of drugs and alcohol and fighting and sexual assault. Youth who are homeless
often have a hard time finding work that pays well. In addition to low education, many students
have difficulty acquiring personal hygiene supplies and decent clothing. It is common for them
to develop a low-paying job that doesn't even cover their basic needs. Many young people find
labor not disclosed to the government or engage in illicit activities like supplying drugs to make
ends meet.
The yearly approximate of 700,00 homeless youths translates to millions of children
living without a parent or guardian over the years (MacDonald et al., 2018). Like their adult
counterparts, these children are often ticketed, imprisoned, jailed instead of receiving the
assistance they need. Every year, police enforcement and the American juvenile justice system
contact one million young people, increasing their risk of ending on the streets (Morton et al.
2018). Improved outcomes for adolescents may be achieved via cooperation, creativity, and the
application of research and promising practices by youth justice authorities, youth homelessness
providers, and other relevant stakeholders. Because they stay with a colleague or relative who
lives far away, many young people are falsely accused of delinquency (Armstrong et al. 2018).
Homeless youths are often arrested for trespassing whenever they seek refuge in abandoned
buildings or even prosecuted with solicitation if they exchange sex for shelter. Regardless of the
underlying reason for the young person's incarceration, any arrest can make an already
precarious living position worse.