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Home : Infectious Diseases : Hepatitis C and STI Surveillance & Epi : E-SYS Quick Facts : Who Are Canada's Street Youth? A Socio-demographic Snapshot from E-SYS |
E-SYS Quick FactsWho Are Canada's Street Youth?
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“E-SYS is a collaboration between the Public Health Agency of Canada's Surveillance and Epidemiology Section (Community Acquired Infections Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control), participating surveillance sites and the youth who provide the data and samples collected.” |
Table 2 shows that
|
1999 |
2001 |
2003 |
Gender (%) |
|
|
|
Male |
61.7 |
56.6 |
62.9 |
Female |
38.3 |
43.4 |
37.1 |
Age group (years) |
|
|
|
15–19 |
63.5 |
68.0 |
56.9 |
20–24 |
36.5 |
32.0 |
43.1 |
Mean age (years) |
18.9 |
19.0 |
19.7 |
Place of birth (%) |
|
|
|
In Canada |
92.2 |
92.9 |
91.9 |
Outside Canada |
7.8 |
7.1 |
8.1 |
Ethnic origin* (%) |
|
|
|
Aboriginal |
27.7 |
33.6 |
36.3 |
Caucasian |
63.3 |
60.1 |
59.5 |
African /Black |
4.3 |
4.2 |
5.3 |
Other |
8.5 |
8.5 |
7.0 |
* Youth were allowed to report more than one ethnic origin; therefore, percentages may total more than 100. |
|
1999 |
2001 |
2003 |
Interaction with the legal system (%) |
|
|
|
Ever been in jail/detention |
|
|
|
Yes |
55.5 |
54.3 |
61.9 |
No |
44.5 |
45.7 |
38.1 |
Ever had a probation officer |
|
|
|
Yes |
49.4 |
47.7 |
56.0 |
No |
50.6 |
52.3 |
44.0 |
Interaction with the social service system (%) |
|
|
|
Ever had a social worker |
|
|
|
Yes |
64.8 |
70.4 |
70.4 |
No |
35.2 |
29.6 |
29.6 |
Ever been in foster care |
|
|
|
Yes |
35.7 |
39.5 |
42.2 |
No |
64.3 |
60.5 |
57.8 |
Ever been in a group home |
|
|
|
Yes |
39.8 |
44.4 |
46.7 |
No |
60.2 |
55.6 |
53.3 |
Sources of income (%) |
|
|
|
Social welfare |
21.8 |
22.0 |
25.0 |
Regular work |
15.2 |
18.1 |
13.9 |
Family |
14.5 |
14.3 |
13.3 |
Occasional work |
7.9 |
8.3 |
11.0 |
Selling drugs |
5.6 |
5.4 |
7.7 |
Panhandling |
8.0 |
7.8 |
7.6 |
Youth centre |
7.8 |
6.9 |
7.5 |
Stealing |
3.0 |
3.2 |
4.6 |
Friends |
3.5 |
3.1 |
4.5 |
Prostitution |
4.3 |
2.9 |
2.4 |
Squeegee |
4.7 |
1.0 |
2.4 |
Figure 1 presents circumstances that surveyed
youth faced before they began living on the streets.
These situations are not conducive to their
well-being and may have predisposed them to take
to the streets or influenced their decision to do so.
Several studies on street youth have highlighted
the fact that family violence and unstable
conditions are major contributing factors to youth
leaving home.2
Findings from E-SYS have significant implications for intervention in the street youth population. Street youth require both basic care and ongoing support if they are to remove themselves from their current situation and to have a chance of fulfilling life goals. Intervening in schools or partnering with the education system and youth-connected organizations to identify youth at risk of becoming streetinvolved may be a step in the right direction. A comprehensive approach involving foster care agencies, social workers, homeless youth services, the juvenile justice system, and integrating health programs and interventions are needed to improve the quality of life of street youth in Canada.
For further information please contact:
Olayemi Agboola, Epidemiologist
Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Community Acquired Infections Division (CAID)
Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and
Control (CIDPC)
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Jeanne Mance Building, AL 1906B
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
Tel. 613-941-8422
Fax. 613-957-0381
www.publichealth.gc.ca/sti
www.santepublique.gc.ca/its
[Hepatitis C and STI Surveillance & Epi]
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Last Updated: 2006-08-28 | ![]() |