Victims of Violence: The Case of Homeless Youth

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Abstract
Especially in the media, young homeless people are frequently presented as posing a violent threat to other members of the public. However, the economic circumstances, living situation and age of homeless youth are consistent with factors identified in victim research with vulnerability to violent crime. The present research explored the nature and extent of violent victimisation of homeless young people after they had left home. Intensive interviews were conducted with 51 homeless youth who were under the age of 18. Almost two-thirds of these young people had been physically assaulted and half had been sexually assaulted in the previous 12 months. The perpetrators of this violence were predominantly male. There were major differences in the nature of the violent experiences of the young men and the young women in terms of the relationship to the perpetrator, the location of the assault and the motivation. The demand for sex was a factor throughout the experiences of the young women.

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