Faith & Beyond with Dr. Lila Robinson

There are approximately 1.7 million homeless teens in the U.S. 39 percent of the homeless population is young people under 18. About 75 percent of homeless teens use drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences and abuse they face. 5,000 young people die every year because of assault, illness, or suicide while on the street. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found that 46 percent of homeless youth left their home because of physical abuse. 17 percent left because of sexual abuse. Approximately 40 percent of homeless teens identify as LGBT.