Alexis Merz

Professor Louise Bown

English 2010
22 February 2015

The Trouble with Teens

Homeless shelters are refuge to those who find themselves in unfavorable
circumstances. Running from abusive situations, running out of familial resources, or
simply overwhelmed with debt, people seek a moments peace: somewhere safe to spend
the night. For a lot of Utahs adolescent homeless population, The Road Home doesnt
offer much. Lumped together with older men and women, there is no protection from
being controlled or abused.

Both the Midvale and Downtown homeless shelters dont have any specific set up
for homeless youth. In the Midvale shelter, everyonesingle or within familiesis all
in one warehouse, cots lining the floors and no sense of privacy. The Downtown shelter
receives more funding and is more adept in allowing families their own rooms and
providing numerous programs to help people get back on their feet, but how do they help
the youth?
Utah laws prevented shelters from housing youth overnight, and shelters were
instructed to call the police (Homeless Youth). Typically, these teenagers are runaways,
trying to escape abusive families, neglect, parents with substance abuse issues, or
families who simply cannot afford to take care of that child. A survey in 2009 found of
131 street kids surveyed this winter by Volunteers of America in Utah, 82 percent said
they were sexually, physically or emotionally abused before becoming homeless (Lyon).
Most kids who show up looking for shelter are sent away with a blanket or sleeping bag
if theyre lucky. An article from the Salt Lake Tribune stated although state officials
have made reducing chronic homelessness a high priority, the focus has been on adults
and seniors (Lyon). The problem is that the youth simply have no refuge, other than
safety in numbers. Hometo themis on the street.
A possible solution to this problem has recently been featured on KSL, Fox News,
and Facebook. It is a homeless shelter opening in Ogden specifically for the youth. This
shelter was set to open January 1, 2015, becoming the first overnight youth shelter in
Utah. Recent legislation has changed the law regarding homeless youth, allowing
shelters to house youths between ages 12 and 17 overnight . . . [However] shelter workers

and volunteers will still have to call a teen's parents within the first eight hours. After 48
hours, they will have to notify the Utah Department of Child and Family Services but can
still house youths afterward under certain conditions (Anderson). Kirsten Mitchell and
Scott Cattucio are the founders of this new shelter, and have high hopes for its success.
Cattucio spent approximately half a year homeless when he was younger, making this
project very important to him (Anderson).
The other foundation working to alleviate the homeless youth epidemic is Youth
Futures Utah. Their goal is to provide unaccompanied, runaway and homeless youth
with a safe and nurturing environment where they can develop the needed skills to
become active, healthy, successful members of our future world (What We Do). These
adolescents need much more than just food and shelter. It is a hard time for everyone,
especially for those struggling with basic survival. Homeless adolescents often suffer
from severe anxiety and depression, poor health and nutrition, and low self-esteem. In
one study, the rates of major depression, conduct disorder, and post-traumatic stress
syndrome were found to be 3 times as high among runaway youth as among youth who
have not run away. Furthermore, homeless youth face difficulties attending school
because of legal guardianship requirements, residency requirements, improper records,
and lack of transportation. As a result, homeless youth face severe challenges in obtaining
an education and supporting themselves emotionally and financially (Homeless Youth).
Other States are struggling with their own homeless adolescent population,
especially those abandoned by families after revealing their homosexuality. New York
estimates that as many as one-half of youth on the streets are gay or lesbian (Slesnick).

This isnt as much a problem in Utah, but the feelings of rejection and abandonment only
increase the likelihood of runaways and suicide. This particular problem also raises
questions about the spread of STDs, which is common among the youth populations in
big cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago. One possible solution is a
standardized assessment taken when teenagers are received in shelters. Standardized
assessments should include questions for all homeless youth regarding their sexual
behavior, sexual orientation, and gender identity. LGBT homeless youth should then be
carefully screened for risk of developing depression and anxiety, PTSD, substance use
disorders, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, violent victimization, and HIV risk
behaviors (Keuroghlian). This would enable authorities to understand each individuals
situation and work to help on a much more personal basis.
Homelessness is more than just veterans and substance addicts, it is widespread
and affects the youth just as much as any other group. They are still trying to figure out
who they are in the world and that is drastically influenced by the uncertainty of the
upcoming week, let alone the future. How are adolescents supposed to set themselves up
for success when they are dealing with such tremendous stress? The community outreach
is exactly what will help alleviate the problem. Teenagers on their own need to realize
that there is help available and people who are genuinely concerned for them.

Works Cited

Homeless Youth. National Coalition for the Homeless. Web. June 2008.
<http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/youth.html>
What We Do. Youth Futures Utah. Web. 2014. <http://www.yfut.org/#services>
Anderson, Michael. Utahs First Overnight Youth Shelter Coming to Ogden. Deseret
News. Web. 17 November 2014.
<http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu/eds/detail/detail?
vid=5&sid=a56d54bf-777f-488d-b9ba04bc5a820168%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4203&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpd
mU%3d#db=nsm&AN=APf8eec3c25bd14a01a5212e78ea62dd52>
Keuroghlian, Alex S., Derri Shtasel, and Ellen L. Bassuk. "Out On The Street: A Public
Health And Policy Agenda For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Youth
Who Are Homeless." American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry. Web. 4 March 2015.
Lyon, Julia. Life on the Streets for Utahs Kids: A Growing Problem. The Salt Lake
Tribune. Web. 13 September 2009. <http://affirmation.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/01/2009_09_13_sltrib.pdf>
Slesnick, Natasha. Our Runaway and Homeless Youth: A Guide to Understanding.
Westport, CT. Web. 2004.
<http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu/eds/detail/detail?
nobk=y&vid=3&sid=c0d34282-b780-442f-af8ff756a81229e1@sessionmgr198&hid=103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU=#
db=nlebk&AN=300389>