About Homeless Teens

Homelessness is something that does not discriminate against social status, financial status or gender status.The truly sad effect from homelessness is that it can affect humans in any age group, especially teens. Teens compose a silent community in the homeless world; they carefully blend in and frequently try to hide themselves from the outside world. The challenges homeless teens face as well as what needs to be done to prevent more teenagers from ending up on the street is something every person should be informed about.

Identification

Identifying a homeless teenager is not always an easy task. Many teens blend in with other teens at school and also at other social functions in which teens hang out, such as movie theaters, malls and even sporting events. Many teens live with their families who are also homeless and they stay at shelters or friends' houses at night and during the day they participate in ordinary events that other teenagers do such as going to school and hanging out at the park. Some homeless teens who are also runaways do not have the luxury of staying in a shelter and can be found sleeping on park benches, under viaducts and near buildings just to stay out of the elements of the weather. Some homeless teens have drug and alcohol addiction or may be running from a law enforcement agency. These teens may not appear to mainstream like the others do and may have more tattered clothes or even appear dirty or drained of their energy.

Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions surrounding homeless teens. Many people think that homeless teens may be less intelligent than a teen that is not homeless and this is not always the case. Many homeless teens still find the time to be at school on time and attend classes regularly while maintaining high grade point averages and turning in their homework. While many teenagers have fallen victim to the harmful effects of the streets such as drug abuse and prostitution, there are many who have worked hard to clean their life up or veer away from that type of lifestyle all together. With the help of organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club as well as the Salvation Army, many teens have found refuge and support from peer mentors and counselors who help guide them to leading more productive lives.

Effects

The effects of homelessness on a teen can be devastating and lead to such problems as violence, prostitution, drug abuse and severe depression. Because many teens who live on the street do not receive adequate medical care in a prompt manner, many health problems go undiagnosed or untreated, causing pain and sometimes a crippling illness which often times leaves them incapacitated or even dead. Depression is a major issue among many teens on the streets. Those with depression or mental illness before they landed on the streets many times are left without their medication. Dealing with the stress of being on the streets in addition to the ordinary issues teens face every day, can lead to violent outbursts at times, as well as suicidal tendencies.

Time Frame

Many teenagers often spend more than two years living alone on the streets. For many, they are seeking an escape from problems in their home life or school such as abuse and parental control issues. Many teens do not know about the resources that could help them get off the streets and into a foster home or juvenile assistance center in which other qualified adults can help them regain perspective and help them get back in school, deal with addiction to drugs or alcohol, receive proper health care and obtain a high school diploma. Most programs can help teenagers get back on track in a matter of only a few weeks so they can once again live a life they can be proud of.

Prevention/Solution

The best way that others can help homeless teenagers and keep them off of the streets is to first give back to community organizations such as Streetconnect.org who can put one in touch with local chapters that will guide them where to volunteer or donate money that will help out a teen in need or who is in dire straits. Talking to a homeless teen and telling her she can seek help through her local school district is also a good way to help. Schools offer programs that aid in transportation to and from school from shelters, as well as tutoring assistance, food assistance, clothing and school supply assistance and also after school activities to keep them busy. While programs vary county by county in the United States, if a school cannot be of assistance they will network with one that can.

Resources

• Resources for homeless teens
• Salvation Army
• Boys and Girls Club