Dysfunctional Families and Homelessness

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how a dysfunctional or disrupted family represents a risk factor or cause for homelessness. It looks at how dysfunctional families are more often conflicting environments and how causes of conflict in such families range from relationships with stepparents, school problems, sexual orientation, pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, neglect and sexual abuse. It also discusses how other causes of homelessness in familial context include residential instability, broken ties with the family of origin, disrupted family histories, and substance abuse.

From the Paper:

"Martijn & Sharpe (2006) investigated causal pathways to homelessness and identified five different pathways. Each pathway is defined by the combination of precipitant factors for homelessness. Pathway one suggested that drug and alcohol, trauma with or without additional psychological problems are found prior to homelessness, pathway two emphasizes trauma and psychological problems (the absence of drug and alcohol) as precipitator factors for homelessness, pathway three reveals drug and alcohol and family problems, pathway four emphasizes family problems as a cause of homelessness, and pathway five focuses on trauma. The pathway four, focused on family problems revealed that the most important factors were neglect, physical and emotional abuse throughout childhood, and witnessing domestic violence at home."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Raffaelli M., Koller, S. H., Reppold, C. T., Kuschick, M. B. Krum, F. M. B., Bandeira, D. R. (2000) Gender differences in brazilian street Youth's family circumstances and Experiences on the street Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 24, No. 11, pp. 1431-1441
• Fitzgerald S. T., Shelley M. C., Dail, P.W. (2001) Research on Homelessness: Sources and Implications of Uncertainty, American Behavioral Scientist; 45; 121
• Martijn, C., Sharpe, L. (2006) Pathways to youth homelessness Social Science & Medicine 62 1-12
• Caton C. L. M., Dominguez, B, Schanzer, B., Hasin, D. S., . Shrout, P. E , Felix, A., McQuistion, H., Opler, L. A., Hsu, E. (2005) Risk Factors for Long-Term Homelessness: Findings From a Longitudinal Study of First-Time Homeless Single Adults, American Journal of Public Health, October; 95(10): 1753-1759.
• Sanabria J.J. (2006) Youth homelessness: Prevention and intervention efforts in Psychology Univ. Psychol. Bogota (Colombia), 5 (1): 51-67, Retrieved from sparta.javeriana.edu.co/psicologia/publicaciones/descarga.php?id=107

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