Mara (not her real name) was 16 when she packed up her life in the middle of the night and fled her home. The alternative was living in a violent household.
"There was an incident and I decided: f-ck this," she said.
Like many other young people in her situation, she sought refuge: in this case, a friend's couch to sleep on.
Mara told The Feed she’d had a strained relationship with her parents since she was young, due to differing views on traditional gender roles. But one day, she’d had enough of the abuse.
Mara said she was reported as missing by her parents, but chose to ignore contact from police, fearing she would have to return home.
At one stage, she spent a few nights sleeping alone in a park.
"It was scary. I didn't really sleep because my heart was beating so fast. I remember in that moment freaking out. I was just, 'f-ck, what do I do?'" Mara said.
Mara is among many young people who flee their homes due to family violence. About 72 per cent of young homeless Australians have experienced domestic or sexual violence, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare specialist homelessness services annual report.
Since the night she left home, Mara was in and out of homelessness — couch surfing or sheltering in temporary crisis accommodation.
Young homeless Australians going uncounted
More than 28,000 people aged between 12 and 24 experienced homelessness in 2021 according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, making young people account for almost a quarter of the total homeless population. This marked an increase of 5.2 per cent from 2016.
But this data often excludes couch surfers, said Judy Barraclough, CEO of the charity Youth Off The Streets.
"The hidden issue is that [data counts the] numbers of people who are taking beds at refuges — but what about the young people who are transient because they don't have anywhere to go?"
Statistics reveal the high rate of young people who have experienced family violence. Source: SBS
Mission Australia CEO Sharon Callister said many young people who are couch surfing don't realise they're homeless.
"If they're couch surfing between friends — one to the other — they have no fixed address, they have no safe place that they can call home. They might not actually even understand that they are homeless, but they absolutely are," Callister said.
"It's a tragedy, it's a crisis."
Many young people are not being recognised as homeless as they are not engaging with support services — instead relying on couch surfing. Source: SBS / Caroline Huang
She started hanging around with the wrong crowd and stealing marijuana, but soon realised she was entering the criminal world.
"It got way more serious and I think the reality of what I stepped into had hit me."
Mara eventually had to leave her friend's house and work every day at a burger shop while trying to finish high school.
"It was really hard to get to school, or to even do my assignments. I couldn't get internet. I had to focus on keeping a roof over my head," she said.
Surviving a violent home
Victims who flee family abuse often end up in unsafe situations, Barraclough said.
"There's an obvious temptation for … that quickly spirals into a situation of being engaged with the youth justice system — and that then exacerbates some of the issues," she said.
Barraclough said youth homelessness often creates a chain effect. Missing school leads to employment, social and mental health challenges down the line.
The 2021 census revealed that nearly a quarter of all people experiencing homelessness were aged from 12 to 24 years (28,204 people). Source: SBS
She said another issue is a lack of specific support services tailored to young people.
"One in two young people are being turned away from crisis accommodation if they need it. There are very limited resources available specifically for young people."
Should we screen students for family violence like we do cancer?
David MacKenzie is an associate professor at UNSW who has conducted extensive research into youth homelessness, and says early prevention is vital.
Mission Australia recently surveyed almost 20,000 young people and found almost one in 10 had experienced homelessness in the past 12 months. Source: AAP / Dave Hunt
"We screen for diseases, we screen for cervical cancer, we have screening processes for health problems. Well, we are using a screening process to try and identify young people at risk of homelessness."
Australia's 'forever problem'
MacKenzie believes more supportive housing for young people is needed so people like Mara don't end up on the streets — but this does not provide a long-term solution.
"If we see homelessness as a housing problem purely and simply, we've got a forever problem because we're doing nothing to stem the flow into it."
He said most young homeless people are sleeping on couches rather than on the streets.
Young children experienced the highest increase in homelessness since the last census. Source: SBS
"One of the things I think people forget when they're looking at domestic and family violence is the effect on the children and the young people and the siblings," Johnson said.
She said she's seen young victims offering their bodies just to have a roof over their heads.
Mara's resilience allowed her to complete her high schooling even without family support or a stable home. She's now trying to navigate the tight rental market while living with complex PTSD from her time being homeless.
"I'm on edge — always," Mara said.
"I don't have enough money ever in my own head. I'm constantly preparing for the worst … I need to make sure that I have enough [money], that if something were to go wrong, I won't be back on the streets."
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
