Nicolas focused on the victimization experienced by these young people. He explored the different types of violence they face in private, public, and institutional settings. He also examined how they engage – or do not engage – with the criminal justice system to seek justice, support, or reparations. Finally, the presentation highlighted the impact of these experiences on their well-being, housing stability, and life trajectories, as well as strategies and policies that could better support their transition to stable housing.

Quirouette, M.

Spallanzani-Sarrasin, N.

 Batista, C. 

Nicolas s’est concentré sur la victimisation vécue par ces jeunes. Il a exploré les violences subies dans des contextes privés, publics et institutionnels. Il a également analysé la manière dont ils interagissent – ou non – avec le système judiciaire pour obtenir justice, soutien ou réparations. Enfin, la présentation a mis en lumière les effets de ces expériences sur le bien-être, la stabilité du logement et le parcours de vie des jeunes, ainsi que les stratégies et politiques pouvant mieux les accompagner vers une transition vers la stabilité résidentielle.

Présenté en 2025 par Nicolas Spallanzani-Sarrasin à la conférence annuelle de la British Society of Criminology

Conflits des jeunes en situation de précarité résidentielle avec le système de justice criminelle 

Research conducted by our group (2011-2014) has shown that the process of getting out of homelessness can be long and arduous, while many young people face obstacles related to lack of access to housing or the impact of their legal situation. Although some also achieve durable stability, our research was limited to short periods in this process, limiting understanding of longer-term outcomes and justifying a second study. In this context, our goal is to better understand the longitudinal trajectories of young people with a history of homelessness, to design policies and interventions that promote successful exits from homelessness. Based on interviews with young people (16-28 years old) conducted in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax, we explore the factors that influence their trajectory, their stability and their well-being, including the type of support in the short, medium and long term. We are interested in the institutional factors that influence the risk of instability and homelessness. Finally, we seek to understand how these young people build their community model and how their transition to homelessness varies according to intersectional characteristics related to gender, sexual orientation, socio-cultural origin, immigration status or disabilities. The recruitment and data collection phase for this project is still ongoing.


Examining long term trajectories in the transition away from youth homelessness in four cities across Canada

Presented in 2025 by Nicolas Spallanzani-Sarrasin at the British Society of Criminology Conference