This week Children's Express reporters talk to young people about homelessness.
| There’s loads of children out there without a roof over their heads. Love and care stop children running away. |
Marah Johnson, 18, South Shields
I don't think children should be homeless. They should always have somewhere safe to live. There should be more places for homeless children. Homelessness is getting more common and children feel dead insecure and there's some nasty things happen to homeless children.
I think different things make people want to run away from home; if your family's being nasty to you or you've done something wrong and you don't want to get into trouble from your parents. I left home because I didn't get on with my mum and dad. Things that might stop you running away from home would be if there were more people there to talk to and the family listen more.
Darren Smith, 23, Ashington
Everybody should feel secure, but there are a lot of different reasons why people become homeless. You can't class homelessness as one case. If they're on heroin or on cocaine or something I feel sorry for them in a way because they're thieving all the time. I've got a couple of friends who are homeless but I don't know whether there should be more places for homeless children, it depends if they're going to buck their ideas up and if play the game.
Many who come into accommodation abuse those who are trying to help them. Having nothing to look forward to in life makes people want to run away from home. I have been in care since I was 11. If you've never had any family behind you and nobody to support you haven't really got much.
Vinny Wilson, 17, Newcastle
It's not right for kids to be on the streets. They're not getting fed, training or education and it's just not nice. When I see homeless children I feel sorry for them. I'd rather see they had a loving home. They could be in a care home being looked after by people and they could get a lot of support if they wanted it. I was in a couple of homes when I was younger. They're all right; better than being on the streets.
Gemma Lamb, 15, Montagu Estate
I don't think children should be homeless because they can die easily. There's not enough done for homeless people and there's loads of children out there without a roof over their heads. Love and care stop children running away.
Simon Mather, 13, Cowgate
I don't think children should be homeless. It makes me feel sad because they can go hungry. Nothing would make me want to run away from home.
Amy Wood, 18, Cowgate
Children should be looked after in a loving home with loving parents in a loving environment. There should be more facilities for homeless kids. They should not be out there on those cold dirty streets all alone with no money and no food and especially with no one to look after them.
It is very sad when you see homeless kids on the street because it makes you feel so lucky to know that you have a home to go to and food to eat.
Sometimes you don't know what to think because they could be on the streets for a reason like they were on drugs and kept stealing from their parents and their parents can't do anything else to help. Others may be on the streets because their parents have been abusing them.
I've been approached by homeless people for money but it has always been people who have been drunk so I don't give them any money.
About the team
Interviews by reporter Melissa Skinner, 11, and Gavin Mather, 12. Many thanks to the Tyneside Foyer for help in obtaining interviews. Some names have been changed to protect identities. Junior Jury is a weekly column published in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
