Youth Homelessness in US: Prevalence, Correlates & Prevention

In the article "Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Homelessness in the United States," the authors explain that youth homelessness is a weighty state challenge and discloses specific subpopulations at disproportionate risks. Since the scale of homelessness experiences among the youth is high, the article stresses the purpose of applying prevention systems and services, together with stratagems of addressing the issue. It was a qualitative study conducted by a team of seven researchers.

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The authors used purposive sampling by selecting a representative sample of adults within the ages of 13 and 25 years over the preceding 12 months (Morton et al., 2018, p.16). The study included a sample size of 26,161 engaging participants in two groups (Morton et al., 2018, p.16). The first one was adolescents between the age of 13 and 17 years, and the second category comprised young adults between the age of 18 and 25 years (Morton et al., 2018, p.16). The study methodology included soliciting household reports of the participants and performing follow-up interviews using a subsample of 150, which the researchers used to provide supplementary information on youth experiences enabling them to adjust the inclusion errors (Morton et al., 2018, p.16). The authors first determined the demographics of the participants in the study, which includes sex, ethnicity, income, and employment.

According to Morton et al., the prevalence of homelessness among the youths living in rural areas was equal to those in non-rural zones. The authors thus elucidate that people require tailored policies and programs in addressing some rural challenges. Examples of such difficulties discussed include lack of facility infrastructure as well as low perceptibility that results from the absence of urban attraction points that fascinates the youth.

Additionally, the authors of this article find that majority of the young participants who reported explicit homelessness conveyed couch surfing too. According to these researchers, such reporting indicates how young people have mutable measures over time. They present the idea that countless youths are not fit squarely into a particular single form of homelessness experience. A considerable portion of the entire prevalence rates encompasses couch surfing that is devoid of innocuous and stable living arrangement. With such convolutions, the authors go on in elaborating that it is crucial to regularly assess youths' conditions to determine their risk levels.

The researchers also found that there is a growing suggestion of increased risk of being homelessness among LGBT youth. The authors also note that there is documented disproportionality of homelessness involvements seen among black youth mirroring racial disparities. These experiences are recorded in-school suspensions, juvenile justice participation and sentencing, and adoptive care placements. Additionally, Hispanic youth are at a higher risk of experiences homelessness than non-Hispanic youth.

The authors further disclose that the toughest risk correlating to homelessness is lacking a high school diploma. The idea raised here in support of this finding is that it buttresses the level to which education, together with the underlying aspects supporting educational accomplishment, may prevent youth homelessness. The researchers also find that young parents are at a higher risk of homelessness.

In conclusion, Morton et al. present mainly four key findings in the article. First, youth homelessness in both rural non-rural areas is equal. Secondly, the majority of homeless youths conveyed couch surfing. The LGBT youth are at more risk of homelessness, and lack of high school diplomas triggered homelessness too.

Reference

Morton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chavez, R., & Farrell, A. F. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of youth homelessness in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(1), 14-21.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.10.006