Street Homelessness Research - Literature review Example

Street Homelessness Literature Review Homelessness is descriptive of the condition in which an individual loses his or her home, as well as other related benefits such as feelings of belonging, personal identity and self-respect, and the experience of emotional wellbeing. When people first become homeless for different reasons, they are more likely to seek for help from relatives or friends, or even enroll themselves in hostels. It is only when they have no such options that they move to public spaces. In its most extreme form, homelessness can result in an individual sleeping rough on pavements or in the city street. In Britain, the number of homeless people who engage in rough sleeping increases every year. Rough sleepers in Britain usually carry their beddings to places such as car parks, stairwells, stations, streets, and derelict boats and houses. The longer an individual sleeps rough, the harder it is for him or her to make the decision to pursue a course of life that will help him or her to find decent shelter and progress in life. Rationale The research into rough sleepers in Britain is necessary because there are not many studies that have been conducted into determining how the needs of youthful rough sleepers differ from those of adult rough-sleepers. There are definite differences between the needs of these two groups. The aim of this literature review is to investigate the causes and effects of rough sleeping among youthful as well as adult citizens. There are usually multidimensional aspects that contribute to rough-sleeping. However, the factors that contribute towards adult homelessness and subsequent rough-sleeping are usually quite different from those that result in the same consequences among the youth. The study comes against a backdrop of increasing numbers of rough sleepers. According to a research documented by Department for Communities and Local Government (2011), in 2011 alone, approximately 2200 rough- sleepers slept in London’s streets every night. Other independent studies have suggested that the ongoing challenges faced by the British economy will only increase the numbers of rough-sleepers; however, these researches do not make distinctions between the youthful and adult rough-sleepers. The Causes and Effects of Street Homelessness According to St. Mungo’s report, which was documented by Department for Communities and Local Government (2011), nearly half of Britain’s rough sleepers have alcohol and drug dependency problems. In addition, most rough sleepers usually have physical or mental disabilities which could stop them from seeking help in government-run shelters. Sleeping in the rough is particularly dangerous for both adults as well as youthful homeless people because it makes them more susceptible to crime than the normal population. Usually, rough sleepers try to hide from local or civic authorities and so will sleep in different places within cities during the day or night (Ravenhill 2008). Youthful rough-sleepers are particularly vulnerable because they may not know how to look for help or even take advantage of the government support systems that are in place to cater to the needs of the homeless. According to May, Cloke and Johnsen (2005), the individuals who become rough sleepers are forced into such harsh circumstances by different challenges. Adult rough sleepers may be forced to sleep in the streets because of multiple problems such as family problems and joblessness along with drug or alcohol abuse. Many adult rough-sleepers also suffer from mental disorders that cause them to engage in irrational or self-destructive behaviours. While youthful rough-sleepers are also affected by these factors, they are more likely to resort to living in the streets due to physical, mental, or sexual abuse from family members, or divorce. According to (Jones and Pleace 2010), rough-sleepers choose not to go to shelters because they feel vulnerable to other more established members of society. Rough-sleepers know that they have to avoid bedding-down in conspicuous areas as they know from past experiences that this could result in them being molested or robbed by criminals and harassed by law enforcement authorities. The Consequences of Rough-Sleeping for Adults The biggest source of danger for rough-sleepers is the weather. Rough-sleepers are exposed to extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. In a nation like Britain which experiences a lot of rain, the dampness also causes unique challenges. Cold weather can adversely affect the health of rough-sleepers. This is why many rough-sleepers usually nurse severe undiagnosed respiratory diseases. Rough-sleepers also tend to suffer from different types of skin diseases because they usually do not have access to basic facilities such as warm showers (Seager 2011). To deal with all these challenges, rough-sleepers will abuse alcohol as well as drugs in order to prevent themselves from feeling the full effect of their harsh living circumstances. The excessive use of such substances, though, merely serves to worsen their situation as they now become dependent on illegal substances while also being homeless. Living in the streets also adversely affects the mental state of rough-sleepers. They tend to experience rejection from mainstream society, and mental abuse or harassment from their colleagues as well as law enforcement authorities. The Consequences of Rough-Sleeping for Children and the Youth Children and teenagers who engage in rough-sleeping are likely to experience more problems than adult homeless people. According to Jones and Pleace (2010) the biggest cause for children sleeping rough is family breakdown. Divorce or separation can result in children’s lives being turned upside down in more ways than one. In circumstances where the parents were not in the middle class bracket even when they were married, a divorce or separation can result in one of the parents living in the streets with the children, in the absence of helpful relatives. When forced to sleep in the streets, children tend to acquire developmental as well as psychological problems. They will also experience physical problems because they rarely have the opportunity to feed on a balanced diet. The exposure to adverse weather symptoms also means that children and teenagers develop serious respiratory ailments that may affect the rest of their lives. One of the reasons why the psychological well being of children as well as teenagers who sleep in the streets is compromised is because they usually do not have the opportunity to play or relate with their colleagues, sleep properly, or attend to their homework without having to deal with other issues like security. Teenagers and children who sleep or live in the streets are forced to grow up faster than their counterparts from more established families. They are saddled with adult responsibilities at a time when they do not have the psychological capacity to deal with such stresses (Department for Communities and Local Government 2011). This can result in the development of serious emotional problems. Teenagers and children who live in the streets are also not able to concentrate on their education because they have to deal with various illnesses caused by exposure to the elements, inadequate sleep, and living with the lack of privacy. According to a research documented by Crane, Fu and Warnes (2004), children who sleep in shelters tend not to graduate with GCSEs. This is because their emotional problems cause them to be less attentive to their studies. Children sleeping in the rough may not know where their parents are going to move to next. This causes them to develop a lot of depression, anxiety, and behavioural issues. According to Amore, Baker and Howden-Chapman (2011) homeless children are three times more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than children in established homes. Even in cases where homeless children manage to attain an education, they are more likely to score lower levels of academic achievement; which in turn results in them only having access to low-paying jobs. In the light of the fact that children living in the streets are forced to deal with such serious obstacles in the course of their formative years, they are usually unsuccessful in their attempts to catch up with their colleagues from more established homes (Whiteford 2008). This means that even in adulthood, they are more likely to remain in the streets or entertain thoughts of returning to the streets. The Rough-Sleepers in the UK According to Amore, Baker and Howden-Chapman (2011) the UK is a country with some of the highest numbers of rough-sleepers in the European Union. A research documented by Bevin (2004) also states that men between the ages of 25 and 45 make the largest percentage of rough-sleepers in Britain. Rough-sleepers also tend to be jobless men from minority ethnic backgrounds. According to Bevin (2004) the life expectancy of rough-sleepers is thirty years less than that of ordinary people in mainstream British society. Rough-sleepers of all ages are also more likely to suffer from serious health problems because they are less likely to be able to communicate effectively with medical personnel. According to Daiski (2006) secondary healthcare is usually much more expensive for rough-sleepers than ordinary citizens. Theories on Homelessness There are different sociological theories that can be used to investigate the phenomenon of rough-sleeping. These are the interactionist, functionalist, and conflict theories. Conflict theorists tend to concentrate on the inaccessibility of assets as well as the absence of social mobility which marks many societies. Similar to Karl Marx’s theories, they tend to assert that in many societies, endemic social stratification is a sign that working class individuals will not progress socioeconomically. Conflict theorists also hold that the richer classes can easily take advantage of the proletariat to achieve their own ends. According to conflict theorists, homelessness or rough-sleeping is an indication of the capitalist system’s power balance. The homeless are essentially the victims of the elite class which has created ways in which the community’s capital serves their purposes. For example, the richer classes can afford to retrench 10,000 employees in order to computerise operations and reduce costs (Daiski 2006). Such large scale decisions which do not take into account the lives of the workers who are losing their pay checks can easily result in homelessness for many of them. Interactional sociologists assert that the reason why rough-sleepers as well as other categories of homeless people are not included in mainstream society is because of social exchanges that take place between the rough-sleepers and other social classes. These exchanges tend to put the rough-sleepers in a disadvantaged position. For instance, even when rough-sleepers look to be employed in low-skilled jobs, the employers may not be ready to hire workers who do not have a permanent address and do not have basic academic skills. This then becomes seriously discouraging for people like rough-sleepers and discourages them from taking other chances from seeking for jobs again. Functionalists usually believe that society is made up of different parts. Every part is responsible for some function that contributes towards the maintenance of the whole. A functionalist is likely to hold the view that rough-sleepers can only experience a different reality if they choose to make serious decisions to change their own lives. This is because, according to the functionalist, society does what is necessary to make it possible for people to live decent lives. This means that the problems that are experienced by people living in the margins of society such as the homeless are of their own making. It can also be claimed that functionalists believe that all facets of society, including the homeless population, play a fundamental role in its sustenance. For instance, it could be said that the industry that is based on looking after the homeless, which includes sociologists, shelters, and social and community workers, provides employment for members of the society. According to a functionalist, even though the condition of homelessness is indicative of some type of dysfunction within the society, society has still been able to transform it into being a functional constituent. Research Recommendations Even though there have been a number of researches done on homeless people as well as the habits of rough sleepers, there are not many researches that have sought to point out to the differences between the experiences of adult rough-sleepers and youthful rough-sleepers. Children as well as teenage rough-sleepers typically leave homes in which they were economically as well as socially dependent on adult caregivers (Daiski 2006). Being forced to leave in the streets then becomes the loss of housing along with fruitful relationships. This can result in the incapability to maintain social relations with others even in future. This is why it is important for shelters or government sponsored programs to create different youth-based policies and structures that are different from those in the adult sector. Such schemes could be based on the ages of the rough-sleepers. In terms of development, there is a big difference between the circumstances and needs of 10 year olds and 17 year olds even though both could be considered as being a part the youthful percentage of the rough-sleepers. Conclusion While there are homeless youth from different ethnic backgrounds which makes them have different needs, what unites them is their inexperience in life, youthful age, and inability to work in respectable jobs in order to improve their circumstances. Youthful rough-sleepers are dependent on other people to improve their life and circumstances; this makes them much more vulnerable than adult rough-sleepers. While there are different common concerns- such as the lack of healthcare options and housing- that underline the homelessness experience, there are significant differences between the two groups in areas such as psychological, physical, and social development. References Amore, K., Baker, M. & Howden-Chapman, P. (2011) ‘The ETHOS definition and classification of homelessness: an analysis’, European Journal of Homelessness, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 19-37. Bevin, P. (2004) Biggest ever survey to problems of homeless people, St. Mungo’s, London. Crane, M., Fu, R. & Warnes, A.M., (2004) Building homelessness prevention practice: combining research evidence and professional knowledge, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, Sheffield. Daiski, I. (2006) Perspectives of homeless people on their health and health needs priorities, JAN Original Research Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford. Department for Communities and Local Government. (2011) Vision to end rough sleeping: no second night out nationwide, DCLG, London. Jones, A. & Pleace, N. (2010) A review of single homelessness in the UK, Crisis, London. May, J., Cloke, P. & Johnsen, S. (2005) ‘Shelter at the margins: new labour and the changing state of emergency accommodation for single homeless people in Britain’, Policy and Politics, vol. 34, no. 40, pp. 711-29. Ravenhill, M. (2008) The culture of homelessness, Ashgate, Aldershot. Seager, M. (2011) ‘Homelessness is more than houselessness: a psychologically-minded approach to inclusion and rough sleeping’, Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol.15, no.4, pp. 183-189. Whiteford, M. (2008) ‘Street homelessness and the architecture of citizenship’, People, Place and Policy Online, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 88-100. Read More