Homeless Teens - Causes of Teen Homelessness

Homeless Teens

Introduction

Within the last two years, government officials and experts have seen a rise in teens exchanging a life at home for a life on the street. Foreclosures, job losses, inflation of food and fuel prices, and low availability of low income housing have pushed families to the extreme, and the pressures have affected the teens and preteens (Urbina, 2009). Although it is impossible to get an accurate number of homeless teens in the United States, it is estimated that there is a million to a million and a half teens without a place call home. This number is rapidly increasing every year. Homelessness does not discriminate against race, gender, or age, it can happen to anyone. Homeless teens are in survival mode daily, roaming the streets searching for food, shelter, money, and warm clothing. Some teens become homeless because of poor choices; however, many are homeless because of circumstances beyond their control. Families, communities, and local government have to come together and get a plan to prevent more teens from becoming homeless and help those currently homeless.

Causes of Teen Homelessness

Many homeless teens are victims of divorce, and they runaway because their parents are going through a bitter divorce. They are sometimes around to hear the constant fighting and arguing and often think they are the reason. Teens also decide to leave home because when the parents split up they believe they have lost a parent and the family unity. When children have to transition from a two family household to a single parent household it can cause the child emotional stress and they make the choice to leave the home. When parents decide to divorce, they should make the transition as easy as possible for the sake of the children and reassure them that they will always be there for them.

Many families lose or give up their homes because they can no longer afford them because of the current economic crisis. Companies have downsized or went out of business, leaving many families without an income. Teens are homeless with their family because their parents could no longer provide a permanent place for the family to live. Because of the financial situation, it leaves families to live with family members, in shelters, or on the streets. When either or both parents lose their job, it causes financial hardship and they are no longer able to provide stability. In this case, teens are homeless because of circumstances out of their control and they tend to keep their living arrangements from their friends and they try not to have their living conditions affect them and continue to live their lives as normal as possible.

Neglect and lack of emotional support can be a reason some teens choose to runaway ("Background- 11 Causes of Teen Homelessness", n.d.). Some parents fail to show