'Traumatic' childhood leading to homelessness

A history of State care, problem behaviour, household instability and family conflict are the main pathways to homelessness among young people in Dublin, a new study has found.

Half of the 40 young people interviewed for the study were abusing heroin and 45 per cent had spent time in jail or juvenile detention. For most of those taking heroin and all of those injecting the drug (25 per cent), the drug abuse started after they first became homeless.

Young people do not suddenly become homeless, according to authors Dr Paula Mayock and Krizan Vekic of Trinity College Dublin's Children's Research Centre; rather, the process can be traced back to traumatic life events in childhood, such as parental illness or death, family conflict, parental drug or alcohol abuse and/or experiences of violence or abuse.

The average age of first drug use in young men was 11.5 years; for women, it was 13.5 years.

"The risks that homeless young people face can be unimaginable. Homelessness is a chronic cause of stress, a dehumanising experience and can have serious negative consequences for young people," Dr Mayock said.

Forty per cent had a history of State care, characterised by successive care placement breakdowns. This made them vulnerable and resentful about their separation from parents.

Young people whose families moved about frequently when they were children said they found this disruptive and distressing, and tended to have difficulty forming lasting friendships and relationships. Four of the 40 young people reported witnessing violence against a family member and another seven said they had suffered physical abuse.

Sylda Langford, director general of the Office of the Minister for Children, which commissioned the research, said youth homelessness was a complex problem not amenable to simple solutions. "For this reason it requires constant attention and flexible policy solutions."

Few of the younger children in the survey reported health problems, but the situation changed dramatically for those over 17 years of age. Those sleeping rough were prone to infection and reported numerous mishaps and accidents that led to broken bones and serious cuts. Five young people had hepatitis C.

The report describes a cycle of movement between various emergency accommodations and other sleeping places, including the street, friends' homes and the homes of relatives. One-third had stayed in an adult hostel and 60 per cent had slept rough.

Bullying was common on the streets and violence was frequently witnessed. Many of the young people became immersed in a routine of survival involving crime and law-breaking.

Some 35 of those interviewed were born in Ireland, two were from Nigeria and the remaining three came from Romania, South Africa and Bosnia.