Violence In A Homeless Family

The problem of homelessness in America is escalating day by day. Homelessness doesn’t discriminate between races or skin color, although some may be a bit more prevalent. Homeless people range from former veterans, to immigrants, to families struggling to find a solid paying job and a stable lifestyle. Also, although most people relate a homeless person to an underdressed, rugged man, the homeless population now leans towards families. There are more and more homeless families on the streets every day. Homeless families can be an effect of discrimination because of race, a result of violence in a family, or an effect of a physical disability or mental illness. Homeless families in America often are the effect of some form of discrimination.
Homeless people often have been through some of the worst hardships a person can endure. Abuse is so prevalent with homeless single mothered families that around 92% of homeless mothers were either sexually or physically abused (greendoors.org). According to studies one out of every four homeless mothers are homeless as a result as a violent act from a previous lover or partner. Although women are the main abuse victim, men actually have been found to be the prey of an abusive relationship that results in homelessness. However, violence doesn’t only occur with the mothers of the families. Not only are women usually the one being abused around 85% of homeless families are headed by a woman (greendoors.org). Around 83% of homeless children will have witnessed a severe violent event by the age of twelve (NSCAHH). Not only does this violent event usually leave one parent severely injured, it leaves the other to move out and often live on the street, thus becoming homeless. It may not be the child’s first choice but often the kids are forced to move to the street with the parent leaving the house. This extreme violence will often leave the child traumatized and he or she will adapt violent habits and will be the same way with their family to come (usich.gov). Children taking after their parent or guardian that lives on the street causes many of the cases of homelessness.
Most of the veterans that are homeless are actually crippled or disabled. This is from war time trauma. This makes up much of the disabled homeless population but not all of it. According to studentsagainsthunger.org, a website funded by the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness, around 25% of all homeless families are a result of a physical or mental disability (NSCAHH). The percentage is so high because many people with any form of disability is discriminated against and are not given the same opportunities as the normal person. This is because they often do not have the same potential or they can’t do the same work as the general person. The fact that disabled mothers and fathers get treated differently can be related to the Allegory of the Cave essay written by Plato. The people that are disabled can be related to the people that were inside the cave that could not see the light. Once the family member gets a job then they are exposed to the true world and could get a house but until they do this they are stuck in the cave (Plato). This would cause the citizen with a disability to lack the funds to have a home and become homeless. The physical or mental disability also could cause the person to spend most or all of their money or medical assistance or treatment (National Homelessness). Not only do they spend their funds on this medical