A Look at Each Field
When runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and domestic and sexual violence (DV/SA) programs are not working together, the information and support available to help street youth understand and respond to relationship violence is reduced. According to a 2007 multi-state survey conducted by the Mid-Atlantic Network of Family and Youth (MANY) and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV):
- Over 40% of DV/SA service providers had no knowledge of the RHY programs in their area or the services they provided.
- Less than 50% of the DV/SA surveyed were familiar with or comfortable providing services to runaway or homeless youth.
- Few RHY transitional shelter providers reported screening for intimate partner violence and victimization during intake and even fewer felt that they were providing effective services to address relationship violence and abuse.
These findings – when looked at in the context of National Runaway Switchboard estimates that between 1.3 - 2.8 million youth live on the streets on any given day in the U.S. – underscore the need for more coordinated relationship violence intervention and prevention efforts aimed at the runaway and homeless youth population.
A first step in bridging this services gap is for the RHY and DV/SA fields to learn more about each other. At the links below is overview information from each field – the scope of the problem and population served, the types of services provided, and the funding and technical assistance available to each field.
