Are Homeless New Yorkers Dangerous?

 

Are Homeless New Yorkers Dangerous or Violent?

Photo Credit: Freedom Life - stock.adobe.com

It seems like the only time that the mainstream news media ever mentions New York City’s homeless population is in connection with some violent act allegedly perpetrated by a member of this unfortunate demographic. Such coverage might lead you to conclude that those experiencing homelessness pose a threat to public safety. But that is not the reality. This blog post will endeavor to explode the myth that homeless New Yorkers are inherently dangerous while also discussing how to protect them from being victims themselves.

Are Homeless New Yorkers Violent? 

Every population - be it stably housed or otherwise, of one ethnicity or another, rich, poor, middle class - has its share of individuals who engage in acts of violence. In many cases, this is the result of trauma and/or untreated mental illness, and heaven knows that those experiencing homelessness have experienced more than their fair share of trauma in their lives. 

However, while homeless individuals are arrested at higher rates than their stably housed peers, those arrests tend to stem from nonviolent offenses. At the same time, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has found that even though rates of severe mental health or substance use disorders are high among homeless populations, a majority of those without stable housing do not have any mental health or substance use disorder. In fact, the same source found that the majority of Americans with such disorders do not experience homelessness. 

Are Homeless New Yorkers Susceptible to Violence?

Actually, homeless individuals are much more likely to be the victims of violence than perpetrators. To quote the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative from the University of California San Francisco, “violence directed at homeless people is constant, mundane and devastating.” Homeless individuals often lack the basic protection that those with a safe, reliable place to live take for granted - i.e. a lockable door - and, unless the incident or incidents are particularly “newsworthy,” crimes against them go unreported. Some additional risk factors include being: 

  • Black, Hispanic and/or Native American
  • Lesbian, gay and/or transgender
  • A cis-female
  • Mentally or physically unwell, and/or
  • An older individual

One study found that homeless individuals face the following unfortunate statistics:

  • 19 times greater risk of murder

  • 27 times greater risk of attempted murder

  • 12 times greater risk of assault

  • 9 times greater risk of sexual assault

How Do We Protect the Homeless From Violence? 

Much like with other aspects of homelessness, the surest means of curtailing violence against this vulnerable population is to provide them with permanent supportive housing. When homeless individuals are housed, their risk of experiencing violence is halved. [1] Furthermore, once housed, they may receive treatment to reduce or prevent their susceptibility to future victimization. 

Mentor A Promise and its network of partner organizations is committed to ending this cycle of violence and empowering all New Yorkers to achieve the best possible outcomes. 

Contact Mentor A Promise Today 

Our organization recognizes the immense potential within each individual and seeks to provide them with the educational resources and opportunities they need to thrive. To that end, we have built a strong network of family shelters, educational institutions and community organizations to support homeless children, youths and their families. Click these links to learn more about what we offer or to get involved. Together, we can break the cycle of homelessness.

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