Essay about Alone Without a Home Homeless and Runaway...

Alone Without a Home: Homeless Runaway Youths Across the country, there are children who leave home to avoid the dangers of home only to face the dangers of living on the streets. For some the urge to leave is short lived and they return home. For others it can be a lifetime of struggle as the situation they once thought was a good solution suddenly becomes a never ending nightmare as they fight to survive and face the harsh reality that they have no place to turn to. Homeless runaway youth are on the rise in the US and is a serious issue. One in seven youth between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away and never return (National Runaway Switchboard, 2010). A homeless runaway youth refers to those individuals under the age of 18 that†¦show more content†¦Other contributing factors to homelessness among youth are lack of affordable housing, low education levels, unemployment and even mental health disablities. Homelessness among youth can also be the cause of a youth being discharged from foster care or juvenile detention and treatment facilities and them being unable to find affordable, stable housing. The fact is that regardless of how the child became homeless they are inadequate to survive on their own on the streets. There are many dangers and challenges that can arise and cause more problems for them. They are at significant risk of violence, crime, drugs, prostitution, HIV and other STDs, and other health problems (Pergamit Ernst, 2010). Instead of finding the refuge they seek, once on the street they are further exposed to a multitude of risks including rape, sexual victimization, prostitution, and commercial sexual exploitation (WCSAP, 2004). Most youths will even result to what’s called â€Å"survival sex†, the selling of sex to meet subsistence needs (Green, Ennett, Ringwalt, 1999). Of the youth who engage in survival sex: 82 percent trade sex for money; 48 percent trade sex for food or a place to stay; 22 percent trade sex for drugs (National Alliance toShow MoreRelatedThe Main Reason For Runaway And Homeless Youth Essay1409 Words   |  6 Pagesreason for runaway and homeless youth in the U.S. is because of the lack of freedom within their homes. Runaway youth are usually teenagers and are perfectly capable of thinking rationally about short term and long term effects of their decision to leave home. Therefore, runaway youth leave their homes and lead a successful life out in the real world. Agencies like WaveC.R.E.S.T enable teens to think running away is fine. â€Å"Thousands of children, dirty, malnourished and alone, boarded theRead MoreThe Effect of Homelessness on the Youth of America1086 Words   |  5 Pages There are millions of homeless youth in America. 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They are called the homeless, as if that defines who they are, but we too often neglect to add the unspoken word in that title; people. It seems today that the more fortunate citizens of America who have a roof over their heads have forgotten their innate responsibility to watch over those in this world whom are incapable of caring for them-selves. The fact is, that there are millions of homeless in AmericaRead MoreAnalysis of the Song Runaway Love Essay1527 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Runaway Love† Ludacris does a remarkable job of portraying his message about the struggles that some adolescents are faced with. â€Å"Runaway Love†, by Ludacris, featuring Mary J. Blige (2007), represents the theme of struggle through hip-hop and rap music. It is about little girls who are â€Å"stuck up in the world on their own.† They have to take care of themselves because the people they are around do not care about them. They range from nine to eleven years in age, and their goal in life, at such aRead MoreHuman Trafficking : The United States1250 Words   |  5 Pagesthings that I came across was runaway children of America. Most runaways leave their home due to abuse, manipulation by others or their own parents kicking them out of the house. In an article on the Huffington post, it states that â€Å"the average age at which a teen first becomes homeless is 14.7 years old. The homeless youth population has more than doubled since 2007.† Young teenagers are running away from bad situations and have nowhere to turn. Since most of the runaways have been either sexually orRead MoreTeen Delinquency And Its Effects On Society963 Words   |  4 PagesIn modern society juvenile delinquency has been an issue engaged in by minors. More and more adolescents are committing delinquent crimes. Delinquency can be seen as the direct result of negative affective states. 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