Ch 15 Homeless Families An Extreme Stressor Who are the homeless Estimated 50 homeless women and children are from the result of fleeing domestic violence No longer single men increasingly single women and families with children Vast majority of homeless families are mother headed Hidden homelessness No permanent address Doubled up families o Two or more families split and share resources that cannot be afforded alone How many homeless An estimated 1 6 million homeless in 2007 used shelters from October 2006 September 2007 Difficulty in counting the homeless Incidence vs prevalence o Currently homeless vs people who have ever been homeless Pathways to homelessness Different stereotypes stigmas Leaving intimate partner abuse About homeless women are homeless due to fleeing abusive Not all states release intimate partner abuse victims from housing situation contracts Unsafe living conditions o House fire o Drug use or sales o Condemned structures o Lack of electricity or heat o Could not pay rent Eviction o Family disputes Lack of affordable housing Transition to homelessness Slow transition due to decline in safe living conditions Or quick transition o Eviction foreclosure family problems Never had own residence Who are homeless families Typical sheltered family Mother and 2 3 children African American families overrepresented o More than homeless families are African American Whites and Hispanics are underrepresented Children o 1 5 million or 1 out of 50 children are homeless Homeless Mothers Homeless moms are often young between the ages of 22 and 34 46 have never been married 53 never graduated high school Higher rates of homelessness among minority groups Inconsistent work histories is common Reflection of low SES and high poverty Although most homeless families receive some kind of income they do work it s not enough to pay for housing without additional assistance Mental illness and substance abuse still more common among homeless men but still an issue for many homeless women o 40 homeless women had alcohol issue o 46 experienced drug problems o 54 had mental health issues Poverty and homelessness are key factors in causing depressive symptoms Factors that mitigate stressors of homelessness Positive social support Doing something to confront problem directly ABCX Model Willing to ask for or accept help Finding purpose in helping others Having the patience to do what you need to do and enduring hardships Homeless Children 15 million homeless each year 53 homeless children are male 75 homeless children are under the age of 12 Exposed to poor living conditions Cold damp mold communal sleeping Many homeless shelters do not allow male teens o Hard for homeless mothers of male teens Homeless women may leave children with family members of friends Homelessness influences child development and health Levels of stress experienced Theories about Causes of homelessness Increasing rates of homelessness related to overall increase in rates of poverty over past decades o Rich are getting richer poor getting poorer and middle class is shrinking Structural and SES factors Individual factors o Youth low income ethnicity physical disabilities family breakups domestic violence low education Social factor o Unhealthy social support negative coping strategies poor social networks job loss economic changes Social Network theory Poor social networks cause of homelessness o However homeless families often turn to family or friends until Safety nets are worn too thin to support them any longer o When things get too stressful it is difficult to continue to support them Attachment theory o Certain people have limited support networks o Family history can lead to extreme disaffiliation and inability to use social networks Children who experience high degrees of abuse and family discord low degrees of parental involvement and poor family organization and social integration are likely to experience later difficulty in seeking caregivers p 345 Those who have a much higher rate of homelessness o High rates of early childhood disruptive experiences among homeless women Impact of homelessness on Family Relationships Family boundaries fragmented Much more permeable boundaries Parenting roles change Either abdicated failed to be fulfilled or rigidly conceived and performed Lose home and parents ability to be consistent and supportive caregivers Influence by parental emotional state How families emerge from homelessness Not chronic situational for most families Support networks Family social support friends kin networks service providers 3 stages o Meeting immediate family needs o Creating new home o Maintaining stability once in new permanent housing Factors that affect escape from homelessness Children personal and external resources and SES o Those with children are more likely to have friends and family members help out Future Directions Help families meet immediate and transitional needs Recognize homelessness and poverty as a systematic rather than individual problems It is a social problem Attention to help families avoid homelessness Access the high risk families Assessment of strength in families that are able to hold together in spite of distress of poverty and homelessness Ch 16 Everyday Hassles and Family Stress Every day Stress Daily life involves negotiating stresses Daily hassles Irritating frustrating distressing demands and troubled relationships that grind on us day in and day out Links between every day hassles and family stress Vulnerability stress adaptation model Elements contributing to link between everyday hassles and family stress Adaptive processes Levels of stress partially determined by level severity and centrality of daily hassles family members encounter Enduring vulnerabilities Daily Hassles Different meanings for men and women o Women experience more daily hassles than men No difference in number of days men and women experience Younger perceived hassles to be more severe experience more Arguments tension account for half of daily stressors by men and multiple hassles overload women Women worry more more hassles related to children Gender gap in HH labor women experience more HH labor stressors o Women do about twice as much housework as men o Women do less optional housework more time consuming housework Housework as a Daily Hassle The Second Shift o Men sharing more than in the past but women still doing more HW than men o Overall women work average of 1 extra month of 24