Safe Streets for Whom? Homeless Youth, Social Exclusion, and Criminal Victimization

Abstract

This article explores the victimization experiences of street youth living in Toronto, Canada. It is argued that street youth are much more likely than domiciled youth to be victims of a broad range of crimes. In particular, young women who are homeless face increased vulnerability to specific forms of violent crime, including sexual assault. The circumstances that produce such high levels of criminal victimization among street youth are myriad and complex. While background variables (a history of violence), lifestyle, and routine activities theories have been used to explain criminal victimization, it is argued here that the conditions that place street youth at risk are connected to their experiences of social exclusion in terms of restricted access to housing, employment, and public spaces.