New Study on Homeless Young People in Cork City Launched
Posted on: 30 June 2008
A new study conduced in Cork city, documenting the experiences of 37 homeless young people aged 14-25 years, was launched this week. The study, entitled Not Just Homelessness … A Study of ‘Out of Home’ Young People in Cork City, is co-written by Dr Paula Mayock, Lecturer in Youth Research at TCD’s School of Social Work and Social Policy and the Children’s Research Centre and Nicola Carr, Research Fellow also of the Children’s Research Centre.
The study documents young people’s pathways or routes out of home; their experiences of leaving home; the challenges they confronted once they became homeless; their physical and mental health problems; reports of substance use and misuse; and their experiences of interacting with services and service providers.
According to Dr. Paula Mayock: “This research demonstrates the complexity of the problem we call ‘youth homelessness’. Many in the study who left home prematurely reported problems and adversities from childhood, suggesting that early identification and assessment could have prevented many from becoming homeless. On reaching the age of 18 years, young people confronted specific challenges and the lack of provision for 18-25 year olds is a particular problem. Many were forced to access adult emergency hostel accommodation, settings which are most often not equipped to meet their complex needs”.
The study found that a large proportion of the young people interviewed had a history of State care. Many others were exposed to domestic violence during childhood or adolescence, either as witnesses or in tandem with emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse. Others exhibited ‘problem behaviour’, including substance use, which tended to escalate subsequent to becoming homeless.
Young people confronted many problems on leaving home. However, those who accessed the Adolescent ‘Out of Home’ Service, via Liberty Street (a Health Service Executive service) generally reported positive experiences. This finding suggests that services specifically tailored to meet the needs of young people play a crucial enabling role by providing appropriate accommodation and supports. However, for many over the age of 18 years, the main form of emergency accommodation was the adult hostel. Entry to this environment was associated with a sense of stigma and often served to confirm a homeless ‘identity’.
The majority of the young men interviewed experienced a range of difficulties exacerbated by mental health and substance misuse issues. In general, they had fewer accommodation options than their female counterparts and a number reported movement between psychiatric hospitals, prison, homeless services and sleeping rough. Reports of depression amongst the sample of young people interviewed were common-place, irrespective of gender, and an alarming number reported suicidal ideation and/or acts of self-harm. Young people had few positive coping strategies and their lack of access to mental health services is significant.
Young People’s Accounts of Homelessness
Sharon, aged 19, explained the problems young people confront on leaving care:
“… a lot of people that I was in care with, a lot of them are on the streets. Like they’re girls and guys and the youngest is only 17. And I think when you’re in care you don’t have a clue basically. Like I didn’t have any family contact really so, in a way, they’re kind of raising you and they’re kind of family to you. And then they say to you, ‘You’re 18, here’s the door, out you go’, kind of thing”.
She went on to describe the negative experience of seeking private rented sector accommodation:
“It’s very hard to get any suitable accommodation for rent allowance, no place takes it. Everything is a dive hole, do you know what I mean, and the landlords don’t want to do nothing for you”.
Darren, who was 21, did not want to stay in an adult hostel but had not option:
“I went to the Homeless Unit and I said, ‘Basically I’m homeless like’. And, ‘Is there anything you can do?’ She said, ‘You can go to a hostel’. And that hostel like has a really, really bad name for violence, drinking and drugs and so on and so forth. And I said to her, ‘I don’t want to go to that hostel’. And she basically said, ‘You’re homeless, you haven’t go a choice, it’s either that or live on the streets”.
Three young people, Marty (22), Donna (19) and Fiona (17) described their struggles with depression:
“I often feel depressed. I feel depressed all the time if you ask me” – Marty, 22
“I grew into depression. Everyone noticed that my self-harming grew worse at one stage. I did have to go to hospital but it wasn’t that bad because I’m a superficial cutter. I didn’t do it anymore. I managed to overcome it” – Donna, 19
“There seems to be a lot of people self-harming now … And that’s not being asked or being covered by anyone. In fact it’s being shunned” – Fiona, 17
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Not Just Homelessness … A Study of ‘Out of Home’ Young People in Cork City is published by Brunswick Press and is available to download from The Children’s Research Centre website: www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre
The research was funded by the Health Service Executive, South.