THROWNAWAYS

Teenager with family´s issues

Young people who become homeless are depicted in the media in different ways.  Sometimes they are portrayed as coming from families and homes that are characterized by violence. Other times they are portrayed as young adventurers, who leave home to explore the world and seek out the bright lights of the big city.  Yet other times, they are seen as ‘rebellious’ teens who leave home for fairly frivolous reasons; as troublemakers tired of doing the dishes, who don’t want to stay in school or get a job, but rather want to experiment with the ‘bohemian’ lifestyle. From this perspective, the streets are seen to ‘pull’ young people towards excitement and freedom. As Karabanow has convincingly argued, however, the perspective that sees becoming homeless as a “choice” is inaccurate, and “has been denigrated by many researchers and service providers as insensitive, inaccurate, and lacking real understanding of the individual.”  (Karabanow, 2006).