“For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.”-Deuteronomy 15:11

Whether you are in an isolated small town or a growing city the poor will be present, specifically the homeless.

The homeless are people, but there are factors that have influenced their path to take them to their current destination.

This is a study of those choices, a series studying the psychology of the homeless.

1. History of Abuse. Childhood trauma or abuse is a pervasive factor in the lives of the homeless. A study of 55 homeless adults by Graham Pluck and his colleagues found that the participants reported having suffered more childhood sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect. Additionally, those reporting more accounts of abuse also tended to have a lower IQ score.
2. Mental illness. In a survey taken by the national coalition for the homeless 25% of the homeless population suffers from mental illness. Mental illness is a serious factor that keeps many on the streets. Having a mental illness can prevent an individual from functioning responsibly or rationally. This unpredictable or reliable trend of action is unappealing to employers.

Wherever you go there will be poor people, homeless, people who have life worse than you do. However, it’s important to have compassion and empathy for them, after all their intrinsic value as a person doesn’t change based on their performance, appearance, or material things.