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1. About The Youth
2. Staff & Board

About The Youth

Between 500 and 1,000 young people are on the streets of King County every night. The underlying causes of youth homelessness include learning disabilities, family conflict, parental mental illness and/or substance abuse, neglect, and physical and sexual abuse. Many of these young people have never experienced healthy adult relationships. At SYM, they begin to form beneficial relationships with caring and non-exploitative adults.

• Estimated annual and national prevalence of 5% homelessness for those between the ages of 12 to 17
• 1.6 million youth are homeless, nationally, at some point in a given year
• There are an estimated 5,000 youth who run away in King County every year
• Up to 72% of homeless youth in Seattle are originally from this geographical area
• Of those, 50% go home
• And 25% get their needs met from existing services
• 40% of kids on the street are refugees from the foster care system
• 50% of the kids on the streets have been involved with State systems such as CPS
• 60% of total runaways experience trauma in the family before leaving
• Up to 35% of homeless youth experience sexual abuse in their homes before ending up on the streets
• Up to 60% of homeless youth experience physical abuse in their homes before ending up on the streets
• Up to 50% of youth on the streets have been diagnosed with mental disorders

Statistics courtesy of New Horizon Ministry and "Homeless Youth: Research, Intervention, and Policy" by Marjorie Robertson, Ph.D. and Paul Toro, Ph.D.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are youth homeless?

Some commonly held myths about homeless youth are:

• They are responsible for their circumstances
• They are unwilling to cooperate with services and
• Most of them are runaways who have homes to which they can return

In fact, the vast majority of homeless youth are victims of abuse, neglect and other circumstances over which they have no control. The July 2000 Homeless Youth Charette reports that "between 1,000 and 2,000 youth are on the streets of King County every night." The underlying causes of youth homelessness include learning disabilities, family conflict, parental mental illness and/or substance abuse, poor parenting skills, neglect and physical and sexual abuse. Many of these youth have never experienced healthy adult relationships. As a result, they are more frequent consumers of special education and mental health care, and burden themselves and society as a whole with lost productivity, juvenile delinquency, and increased adult criminality. The 2001 Prevent Child Abuse America report estimates that up to $70 billion is spent each year as an indirect result of abuse and neglect, with $8 billion of this spent on incarceration. With the cost of incarcerating one youth as high as $170 a day, social welfare agencies represent a significant savings. In fact, SYM spent just $3.21 a day in 2001 for every youth that passed through its doors.

What makes SYM's approach unique?

Street Youth Ministries offers many basic resources that homeless youth need to survive as well as engaging youth in relationship to help them exit street life. Without a supportive social network, street youth are at high risk for drug use, criminal activity and victimization, injuries and illnesses. SYM connects street youth with adults who help build self-esteem, foster self-sufficiency, self-awareness and offer hope for healing and wholeness. Over 100 trained volunteer and staff members provide tangible opportunities for youth to engage in a positive community, one where they are valued and respected.

Why do youth "beg" for money and what should I do when asked?

When youth ask for money on the streets they call it "spanging," or "spare changing." Youth use this money for everything from getting a hamburger and fries to buying drugs and alcohol. When asked for money you may choose to give it or to decline, but in either case, youth report appreciating people looking them in the eye and speaking directly to them. Consistently, when asked to describe what it is like to be on the streets, youth say they feel "invisible." Spanging, while inconvenient for passersby, is also an excellent opportunity for adults in our neighborhood to invite youth into community and to help them experience being seen and acknowledged.

Why don't these young people get jobs so they can get off the streets?

Many of the youth we work with do not have identification or social security cards, and those who do not have contact with their families find these items very difficult to obtain. In addition to this, some, if not most, of the homeless youth we work with have not watched close-up as someone in their family worked full-time, have not gotten regular sleep for many months and have not eaten at regular intervals. Many Street Youth either did not finish school or skipped from one foster home to another and, as such, had their education severely interrupted. Early trauma in the life of a young person arrests emotional development and contributes to depression, and these, perhaps more than any other reasons, make it very difficult for homeless youth to navigate the relationships inherent in any employment situation. Very specific case management, job training and, in many cases, counseling, will be necessary to help youth be ready for full-time employment.