This article explores the victimization experiences of street youth living in Toronto, Canada. It is argued that street youth are much more likely than domiciled youth to be victims of a broad range of crimes. In particular, young women who are homeless face increased vulnerability to specific forms of violent crime, including sexual assault. The circumstances that produce such high levels of criminal victimization among street youth are myriad and complex. While background variables (a history of violence), lifestyle, and routine activities theories have been used to explain criminal victimization, it is argued here that the conditions that place street youth at risk are connected to their experiences of social exclusion in terms of restricted access to housing, employment, and public spaces.

Research on employment segregation and women's lower earnings has predominantly focused on labour-market participants. Marginal groups such as the homeless have therefore been excluded from theory and research on work-related gender segregation. In order to ®ll this void, this paper explores how income creation among homeless youth from Toronto, Canada varies according to gender. Based on questionnaire and interview data our results show that, in relative terms, males are involved in the more ®nancially lucrative sectors of the street economy. We frame the analysis of our ®ndings in terms of a broader discussion of how homelessness is gendered within the spaces and places homeless youth occupy.

This study provides clear and compelling evidence of a need for mental health support for these youth, particularly LGBTQ2S youth and female youth. The mental health concerns observed here, however, must be considered in the light of the tremendous adversity in all social determinants faced by these youth, with population-level interventions best leveraged in prevention and rapid response.

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Homelessness has reached epidemic proportions in Canada. Canadian children and adolescents are the most vulnerable because youth comprise the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. A systematic literature review was undertaken using MEDLINE, Web of Science and the Homeless Hub (www.homelesshub.ca) to encompass the time frame from January 1990 to June 2009. The following terms were used as key words: 'homelessness', 'homeless youth', 'poverty', 'street youth' and 'runaway'. The present review identified an intersection among education deficits, social service insufficiencies, and poor mental and physical health in homeless youth. Health care delivery to homeless youth was often nonanticipatory, inconsistent and perceived as discriminatory. However, street youth were identified as requiring health care for pregnancy, mental health concerns, sexually transmitted illnesses, respiratory conditions, substance abuse and a myriad of other illnesses. Plenty of work is still required to reduce health inequalities and improve the daily living conditions of Canadian youth living in poverty.