There are millions of homeless youth in America. On any given night, you can find these kids hiding in abandoned buildings, crowded against dumpsters in alleys, curled up in the big yellow slide at a local playground. I imagine they are grateful for sleep, wary of a new day, but grateful nonetheless. Homelessness at such a young age, if left alone, leads to increased conflict rates. The more youth who are homeless, the more our country as a whole will face divorce, mental illness, and the need for government assistance. We can prevent this in different ways. We can make donations. As basic consumers, we can make more thoughtful economic decisions. We can push for legislation requiring stricter monitoring of foster care and orphanages, for better monitoring of young people leaving facilities like detention and rehabilitation centers. These are potential solutions, but the most effective is the simplest of all. The best way to solve the growing problem of youth homelessness in America is to better educate ourselves. As the economic situation has deteriorated, the rate of homelessness has steadily increased across all ages. Causes of youth homelessness include financial instability, abusive guardians, conflicts between youth and their guardians over sexual activity or pregnancy. This leads to a greater need for government assistance, welfare and charity. This includes these same young people growing up to experience higher rates of divorce and mental illness. They will be more likely to end up in prison, in poverty or even in the grip of addiction. We will then be faced with the task of resolving these conflicts. It may be years later, but the problem of homelessness doesn't just disappear, it moves...... middle of paper ...... commitment to end homelessness. " Encyclopedia of Homelessness. Ed. David Levinson. Vol 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2004. 405-406. Gale Virtual Reference Library, April 16, 2014. “Facing the Welfare Problem: fighting poverty and homelessness. 2009 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 111-119. Gale Virtual Reference Library, April 16, 2014. “Homeless and Runaway Youth.” Deborah J. “Violence and the Homeless Population: Perpetrators or Victims” Violence and Abuse in Society: Understanding a Global Crisis Ed., Gender and Other Key Contexts Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, 2012. 103-108. Web Library.. 2014.