Defining and Measuring Youth Homelessness

Abstract

The study of any social problem logically begins with a definition. However, if a social issue can mean different things to different people at different times and in different contexts, how can it be defined? In the first part of this chapter we examine and discuss some of the difficulties involved in defining a social problem such as youth homelessness. Understanding the complexities inherent in defining social issues is fundamental, not least because the way in which a social problem is defined directly affects how it is measured.