Jonathan Pederson
Katie Frey
Victimology
20 September 2016

On Victimization and Homeless

CW: Sexual Abuse
Pamela J. Fischer Ph.D. discusses the correlation between certain factors of victimization and homelessness in Victimization and Homeless. The first factor Fischer uses to analyze is childhood upbringing and family dysfunction. Fischer stipulates that children in dysfunctional families are more likely to become homeless than others. Fischer proves this in two different manners. Firstly, Fischer presents polls asking homeless youth on the duration the youth remained in their paternal homes. The research proved that children inside dysfunctional homes are more likely to leave the home and eventually grow up homeless. The second manner Fischer proves this is by the reported statistics of abuse homeless youth suffered. In New York alone, half the homeless youth population comes from abusive families. This shows that youth are more likely to leave a home during the physical or sexual abuse and grow up homeless.

Fischer also correlated anti social people and the tendency to become homeless. Fischer reported how 27 percent of surveyed homeless populations held no attachment to their families, 35 percent failed to form social attachments, and 49 percent had no contact with their friends or families from previous homes. Fischer also explains how homelessness populations are more prone to returning to a homeless status even after rejoining their families. Fischer furthers to explain victimization as how homeless populations become victims. Fischer asserts factors like gender and disability as higher risk targets. Homeless females are more likely to be a victim of sexual assault, while disabled homeless men are more likely to be assaulted or robbed.