Youth without Housing: An Ecological-Developmental Perspective

Abstract The current study examined the perspectives of homeless youth on their life experiences using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-developmental framework. Fifteen youth (18-24 years) were recruited from the streets and homeless serving agencies in a mid-western city in the US. They participated in a life history interview that covered topics including the lived experiences of youth with their family, school, friends, and children’s services, daily struggles, resources, personal strengths, and future hopes. The findings of this study illustrate that several factors such as family issues, feeling alienated at school, association with peers involved in delinquent activities, struggles in children’s services, major life events, economic downturn, and cultural ideologies influence homelessness among youth.