ABSTRACT
One in every seven homeless persons is a child aged nineteen or younger, according to estimates from the National Health Care for the Homeless Program. Of these, approximately one-third are on the streets by themselves, while two-thirds are in homeless families. Most of those who are alone are teenagers, perhaps as young as twelve and thirteen. Males and females are found in equal numbers. Teen homelessness is generally linked to runaways and throwaways. If parents abuse or mistreat their children until the children finally leave home, the analysis of the situation focuses on the runaway. If teens abuse drugs and alcohol or otherwise make family life miserable so that parents cannot cope with them anymore, the focus is on the throwaway. In the United States, families are assumed to exist as independent, self-reliant units. The government takes a laissez-faire approach to child rearing, assuming that parents know best how to raise their children.
