Challenging Stereotypes of Homeless Youth in the Media

The issue of homeless youth is often described as an invisible problem, both because homeless youth are highly transient and do not want to be identified, but also because this population is notoriously underserved and under recognized. Recently there have been two exposés showcasing this issue in a very sensitive and informative way. These documentary-style pieces prove to challenge many of the myths and stereotypes about homeless youth that we here at the California Homeless Youth Project have found to be outdated and inaccurate through our research.

In Invisible: the Diaries of New York's Homeless Youth we explore the couch-surfing population, many of whom don’t to consider themselves homeless, but face the same risks and instability of youth who are on the streets. A recent episode of 20/20 also showcased homeless youth featuring the stories of four teens slipping through the cracks in much need of attention and intervention. As stated in the video, youth homelessness is an invisible problem, not an unsolvable one, and with an increase in media coverage we will hopefully gain ground on both fronts.  

Posted February 22, 2011