The Causes of Homelessness

"People become homeless for a wide variety of reasons – loss of job, marital breakdown, mental illness, and alcohol and drug addiction. But when it comes to youth and children, the reasons tend to revolve around the family. "

Overall, were classified as runaways.

Over half of these children report they were “thrown out” by their parents. When youth were asked whose decision it was to leave home, others noted it was “their decision”, others said it was the decision of one or both parents and indicated it was a joint decision by themselves and their parents.

Abuse in the home
Ultimately, experts say that the vast majority of youth or children rarely leave happy homes for the streets. Several studies have indicated that youth have experienced some form of sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Many of the rest simply felt neglected.

One study showed that girls and boys left home because of sexual abuse. Physical abuse was a factor among females and males. Violence and parents’ drug and alcohol abuse were also huge factors.

Substantiated cases of physical abuse, cases of neglect. The increase in cases of emotional maltreatment, largely as a result to exposure to domestic violence.

Social factors
Various studies have identified some key social factors besides sexual and physical abuse.

Many children simply have a poor relationship with their parents. Youth characterized their relationship with their mothers as poor or fair, and said they had a poor or fair relationship with their fathers. Other of street youths said they had no contact at all with their fathers, had a poor relationship.

A higher-than-average portion of the youth come from single parent homes, from homes where one parent is deceased and from homes where the parents have split up.

Possibilities indicates that street youth are much more likely to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered than the general population .

A staggering portion nearly have had some involvement with the child welfare system. In other words, a huge number were once wards of state, living in foster homes or youth shelters and have now fled to the streets.