Cops working a nearby detail stared off into traffic. Joe yelled out to a fresh-faced woman in a business suit. She looked away. He asked a construction worker for a cigarette. The older man looked annoyed and strode off in a huff.
Rape is common.
Beatings even more so. At the very least, homeless teens suffer from malnutrition, injuries and skin infections. Lice and scabies are rampant in the summer. Teens are at great risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and more than half of all homeless teen girls reported getting pregnant on the streets, according to a 1997 study published in the American Journal of Diseases of Children. Despite the dangers, camaraderie among street kids sometimes provides a false sense of security.