Bullying, Trauma, and Abuse in Substances among Youth

 

They say in Oregon, that children or young adults were likely to live in dense forests or on the streets due to family conflict or other kinds of childhood trauma. I think about this whenever I walk around streets, parking lots and city parks filled with tents, rusty barbeques, and piles of empty plastic containers from Milwaukie to downtown Portland. 

Homeless youth tend to be exposed to external stressors and violence that have impacted their mental health, along with the recessive patterns of substance use. In fact, Dr. Carol Dawson-Rose of the Public Health Nursing stated that the homeless youth in California lived in tumultuous lives and about 34% of them have been reported trading drugs to help meet basic needs such as gaining shelter. 

The number of reported adverse childhood experiences were divided into less than 4, or 4 or greater in 2014 by mental health associations. That of which indicates a greater level of household dysfunction, abuse, and neglect, which is to be associated with morbidity and poor school performances.

Substance use is another common among the youth among homeless individuals. Risk factors that associate to substance abuse include traumatic experiences, poor mental health, and social network factors, which are important when having to consume drugs within a network of family members, parents, and other home-based peers. The instability and risky behaviors inevitably place the youth in situations that may cause physical or emotional harm, including exposure to social and structural violence such as racial prejudice, sexism, homophobia, or living in a community where violence occurs frequently. 

According to the article, Dawson-Rose claims there are about 1.6 to 3.5 million homeless youth staying in shelters or temporary housing or on the streets in the United States. Dawson-Rose stated that homeless youth have experienced higher rates of poor mental health symptoms and higher consumption of alcohol and drugs compared with their house peers. 

It's considered a public health issue that requires innovative and diverse approaches. At a structural level, interventions could include the development of stable youth-oriented housing options, the development of stable government and private funding streams to support youth-serving organizations, and so forth. Responding to those positive aspects may be more difficult in communities without robust mental health services than in more resourced areas. 

In the United States, we can help guide the youth in maintaining their well-being and affording stable housing. We can combat against housing insecurity, poor mental health, and substance use disorders through prioritizing family reunification or support programs as an initial intervention and expanding the reach and effectiveness of housing programs in Portland for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. For more details on ending youth homelessness, you can get more from the National Alliance to End Homelessness: Click here for more.

Donate: End Homelessness

Antonio Zamudio, Fall 2021, Portland State University