Youth Outside the Home Afraid of Domestic Violence... "Housing Support Must Be Strengthened"

Among Child Abuse Victims, 60% Are Adolescents... 61% Run Away Due to 'Problems with Parents'
No Alternatives Except 'Shelters' or 'Returning Home'... Less Support Than Youth Leaving Care
Introduce 'Homeless Youth' Concept in Law, Convert Long-Term Shelters to 'Self-Reliance Support Centers'

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] There have been calls to strengthen support for out-of-home youth, as there are no protective measures other than 'shelters' or 'returning home' for adolescents escaping domestic violence. It has been suggested to provide independence support to youth who have left shelters at a level comparable to youth aging out of care and to introduce the concept of 'homeless youth' in the law to broadly guarantee youth housing rights.

On the 5th, the National Assembly Legislative Research Office emphasized in its report titled "Legislative and Policy Tasks for Supporting Homeless Youth" that "to strengthen support for out-of-home youth, independence support services should be provided to youth who have left shelters, and youth shelters should be reorganized and operated based on functions such as temporary protection and independence support rather than by duration, such as temporary, short-term, and mid-to-long-term shelters."

According to the "Status and Survey of At-Risk Youth" by the Korea Youth Policy Institute, as of 2020, 115,741 students had experienced running away from home. Among them, the age group 13-15 accounted for the largest proportion at 55.5%, followed by 16-18 years old at 31.2%, and under 13 years old at 10.1%. Notably, 61.0% of runaway youth cited "problems with parents" (2021 Youth Statistics) as the reason for running away. More than half of child abuse victims are adolescents. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "2019 Child Abuse Key Statistics," 60.2% (13,634 individuals) of child abuse victims in 2019 were teenagers aged 10-17.

The problem is that out-of-home youth have no housing alternatives other than shelters or returning home. Many children staying in youth shelters have escaped from domestic violence or abuse. Among them, half responded that they "do not want to return home," and a significant number said they are "afraid to go home due to domestic violence."

Causes of Running Away by Shelter Type (Source: "Legislative and Policy Tasks for Supporting Homeless Youth" Report)

Overseas, there is a legal concept of homeless youth, and youth housing rights are explicitly stated in law. In the United States, support for independence is based on the "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act." The United Kingdom's "Homelessness Reduction Act" imposes obligations on the government to prevent and assist homeless youth. In the U.S., after 21 days of short-term protection, support shifts to independence assistance, while in the U.K., homeless youth aged 16 and 17 are considered priority recipients of housing support.

In contrast, South Korea lacks sufficient housing and independence support for homeless youth. Compared to the independence support system for youth aging out of care, the level is minimal. Youth who leave shelters have limited eligibility for public housing applications, are not eligible for independence settlement funds, and can only apply for independence support allowances if they meet certain conditions.

There is a need to strengthen support for out-of-home youth who find it difficult to return home due to unavoidable reasons such as domestic abuse, violence, or neglect. Heo Min-sook, a legislative researcher at the National Assembly Legislative Research Office's Health, Welfare, and Women’s Team, stated, "For youth who cannot return home early after running away and have nowhere to go, rather than urging them to return home, it is necessary to consider quickly transitioning them to independence support policies and providing assistance for self-reliance."

Reasons why out-of-home youth find it difficult to return home (Source: "Legislative and Policy Tasks for Supporting Homeless Youth" Report)

Amending the "Youth Welfare Support Act" to provide youth who have left shelters with independence support services comparable to those for youth aging out of care is also worth considering. Unlike youth aging out of care, who lack parents or guardians, out-of-home youth are assumed to have a family and caregivers to return to, resulting in relatively insufficient support. In the U.K., it is explicitly stated that if youth suffer violence or abuse at home, they must seek help from authorities.

It is necessary to include a definition of homeless youth in the Youth Welfare Support Act to establish a legal basis for housing support policies. There are also suggestions to adjust the age of homeless individuals in the "Homeless Welfare Act" to 15 or 16 years and above or to remove age specifications altogether. Researcher Heo explained, "It is necessary to introduce the concept of homeless youth in the law to broadly guarantee youth housing rights. Policies related to education, publicity, research, and surveys on support for out-of-home youth, especially youth shelters, should be established."

Reorganizing shelters, which currently operate based on length of stay such as temporary, short-term, and mid-to-long-term shelters, into functions like temporary protection and independence support has also been proposed as an alternative. This is because extending the period of lodging and meals for youth who cannot or are afraid to return home has clear limitations.

Researcher Heo said, "Mid-to-long-term shelters should be operated as independence support institutions, and various housing types should be provided to youth residing in shelters. It would be beneficial to refer to housing support policies that provide private independent spaces, such as supervised apartments in the U.S. and foyers in the U.K."

Currently, youth can be protected for up to 72 hours if they do not consent to contact with their parents, but regulations after that period are unclear, raising concerns about legislative gaps. This could result in situations where youth refusing guardian contact cannot be admitted to shelters. Researcher Heo noted, "There are also calls to grant youth the right to consent to shelter admission when they wish to enter shelters due to domestic violence, familial sexual violence, or other abuse within the family."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.