{"id":3337,"date":"2019-08-16T15:24:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T05:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/?p=3337"},"modified":"2019-08-16T15:25:52","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T05:25:52","slug":"homelessness-and-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/2019\/08\/16\/homelessness-and-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Homelessness and violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

For young people experiencing homelessness, violence and its threat can become a daily issue of survival and protection.<\/h4>\n

By Dr Jess Heerde, University of Melbourne (Honorary Fellow, Centre for Adolescent\u00a0Health) and Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Deakin University<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe longer you spend homeless the more damaged you become.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emily* is a 21-year-old woman experiencing homelessness in Melbourne. We\u2019ve met her at a youth homelessness support service, and she is talking with us as part of our research into the experience of violence among young people experiencing homelessness, both as victims and perpetrators.<\/p>\n

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Young people experiencing homelessness face an environment where the threat of violence and the need to protect yourself become constant concerns. Picture: Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She holds a cushion close to her as we talk. She tells us about not having a home to go back to, a bed to rest in, a kitchen to cook in, a shower, a toilet or a space to call her own.<\/figure>\n

Experiencing homelessness is exhausting, it\u2019s difficult and ultimately, dangerous.<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a02017 Mission Australia Youth Survey<\/a>, more than 15 per cent of Australian young people (aged 12 to 24 years) experienced homelessness in 2016.<\/p>\n

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Australian research investigating the level of violence these young people are exposed to is scarce, however\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0on violence internationally suggests that up to 54 per cent of homeless young people have been physically assaulted, and 45 per cent have physically assaulted someone.<\/p>\n

For homeless young people, the need to protect yourself is as much a priority as finding something to eat, keeping warm and obtaining shelter. The search for security, day and night, doesn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got surprised and shocked just by the amount of shit that goes on,\u201d 23-year-old Shaun* tells us.<\/p>\n

The raw daily experience of what it\u2019s like to be homeless, and the damage it does to these young people, often gets lost in debates over providing social housing.<\/p>\n

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Homelessness isn\u2019t only about people forced to sleep rough, and includes people forced to couch surf or stay in crisis accommodation. Picture: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But, the recent horrendous\u00a0bashing and murder\u00a0of a 25-year-old homeless woman in Melbourne, for which a 27-year-old homeless man has been charged, is a stark reminder of just how vulnerable these young people in our community are.<\/p>\n

Homelessness is more than \u2018rough sleeping\u2019 where young people may be sleeping in a park or building, or directly on the street. It includes young people who are \u2018couch surfing\u2019 or sleeping in their car, as well as those accessing crisis or temporary accommodation. These young people become independent much earlier than housed youth, because they must.<\/p>\n

Our\u00a0research<\/a>, with homeless young people aged 16 to 25 in Melbourne, is looking to understand how and why young people become homeless, what they go through while they are homeless and how we can support the transition out of homelessness.<\/p>\n

To date, we have interviewed over 60 young people who are accessing youth homelessness support services.<\/p>\n

In an environment where young people\u2019s possessions can easily be stolen and where they can be pushed out of a dry sleeping place just because someone else wants it more \u2013 violence and the threat of violence is simply about survival and protecting yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t like I\u2019m going to beat this person until they can\u2019t breathe, I was like I\u2019m going to beat this person until they can\u2019t beat me anymore,\u201d 20 year-old Amy* tells us.<\/p>\n

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The experience and threat of violence as something that is \u201cnormal\u201d takes a psychological toll. Picture: Jonathan Rados\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In encouraging homeless young people to talk about their lives, we find that no two young people have the same experiences. But what is universal is young people\u2019s need for self-protection and security.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather injure somebody else than get injured or hurt or have somebody do something awful to me again,\u201d 20 year-old Mia* tells us.<\/p>\n

The homeless young people we interview are a picture of resilience in many ways. They navigate instances of violence, day in and day out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a daily occurrence,\u201d says one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watch my back 24\/7,\u201d says another.<\/p>\n

The psychological impact of this regular exposure to violence is a major concern. Most of the young people we talk to display a veneer of defensiveness, and tend to play down the seriousness of the violence they are exposed to. But their tone, expressions and body language express vulnerability and, often, shame about their actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really want to threaten anybody,\u201d says one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never wanted to hurt them,\u201d says another.<\/p>\n

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Young people experiencing homelessness can feel they are being judged by medical professionals. Picture: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/figcaption>These homeless young men and women describe violence as a \u201cnormal\u201d part of life, and when they seek help for injuries they feel health professionals are often quick to judge, blaming them for their own hurts.<\/figure>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t understand why it is someone can be in that position or why they can\u2019t help themselves. I wasn\u2019t a derelict, I was just homeless. Often you get looked like a derelict though,\u201d says Emily*.<\/p>\n

What our interviews show, is that this judgement can deter young people from seeking help despite a recognised need for assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just bit down on a tea towel and I set my finger back in place,\u201d 18-year old Gary* tells us, describing the way he managed an injury on his own after being involved in a fight.<\/p>\n

In a world where homeless young people are exposed to serious violence, as victims and as perpetrators, where they lack support from trusted adults and distrust support services, it\u2019s not surprising that these young people feel they have to depend entirely on themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou learn to not be scared anymore,\u201d says 20-year old Kate*.<\/p>\n

For these young people, survival and securing their personal safety is paramount in an environment where violence is considered normal. Just surviving requires immense strength and resilience.<\/p>\n

Reducing exposure to violence among homeless young people requires proactive strategies, which focus on both prevention and early intervention. And we need strategies that address these young people\u2019s feelings of shame, vulnerability, and disempowerment.<\/p>\n

Homeless young people shouldn\u2019t feel they are, as Emily* describes it, \u201can outsider of the real society.\u201d<\/p>\n

* Names have been changed to protect anonymity.<\/p>\n

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This article was first published on\u00a0Pursuit<\/a>. Read the\u00a0original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For young people experiencing homelessness, violence and its threat can become a daily issue of survival and protection. Read more about Dr Heerde and Dr Pallotta-Chiarolli’s work. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":3344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5270],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3337"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3343,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3337\/revisions\/3343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/cah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}