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Homeless Youth

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Homeless Youth
I was surprised to learn that so many youth in America don’t have a home to go to every day and night. I decided to look up some statistics on homeless youth; I got my information from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Considering the statistics of how many youth are homeless is from 2002, there is about over one million homeless youth in the US. Pregnant and homosexual, bisexual, and transgender teens account for the highest percent of homeless youth. That doesn’t really surprise me because when most parents find out that their daughter is pregnant or a sexual orientation they don’t approve of they’ll get angry or not accept it so ultimately they’ll kick them out. With the economy today a lot of teenagers don’t have jobs, so if their parents kick them out then they don’t really have a choice but to slum in the streets or if possible find a shelter. Although, most teens don’t experience long-term homelessness; they usually find a relative or find a way to make it on their own. The National Coalition of the Homeless says that the three major causes of homelessness are family problems, economic problems, and residential instability. None of this information surprises me because of physical and sexual abuse within families and the economy downfall and homes being foreclosed on.
Since most youth can’t afford to sustain themselves on their own they turn to other means to make money. Some of these ways are selling drugs and selling their body. I believe that by getting themselves involved in such risky behavior at a young age that they ultimately set themselves up for failure in the future. Most homeless youth will experience post-traumatic stress disorder and often have high anxiety and suffer from depression. Another way that homeless youth set themselves up for failure in the future is that most are unable to attend school or

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