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LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCE OF
BATAAN: BASIS FOR CRIME CAUSATION
by:
Jalen D. Abrique
Remel G. Engracia
Jaymar L. Gervacio
Ryan Lester M. Idnay
Ma. Catherine D. Leynes
Aldrin B. Lorenzo
June 2023
Bataan Heroes College
Department of Criminal Justice Education
Balanga City, Bataan
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Women and children are disproportionately impacted by homelessness

in the United States and around the world. There is no currently accepted and
universal definition of homelessness; however, the United Nations Statistical
Division defines homelessness into two categories: persons with no place of
usual residence who move frequently between various types of
accommodation (including dwellings, shelters, or other living quarters); and
persons usually resident in long-term 'transitional' shelters or similar
arrangements for the homeless.
Families who do not have consistent residency or the support needed

to maintain a residency of their own who live episodically, temporarily, or
chronically in temporary housing, including shelters and locations not intended
for human habitat or settlement, is the working definition of family
homelessness as used by UNANIMA International. Security (legal title, ability
to pay rent, etc.), Physical (durability, protection, etc.), and Human (social,
family life, safety, etc.) are the three primary domains by which homelessness
can be addressed.
The National Statistics Office of the Philippines defines the homeless

population as living in parks, along sidewalks, and all those without any form
of shelter. Individuals and families who live in urban and urbanizable areas
and whose income or combined household income is less than the poverty
threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority
and who do not own housing facilities are considered homeless by the Urban
Development and Housing Act (UDHA) and the social welfare programs. This
category should be included people who have no legal guarantee of a
permanent place to call home because they reside in temporary or
unregulated housing. (Republic of the Philippines, 1992, Section 3)
LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 2 | Page

The police may come into contact with a homeless person for a variety
of reasons, including when that person is a victim, an intoxicated nuisance, a
person in need of food or shelter, the subject of a complaint, or a person
suspected of committing a crime. In many communities, police officers are the
only available emergency responders at all hours of the night and day, so they
are frequently called upon to assist those who are homeless (Forst, 1997).
The police are typically the first to be called when someone is worried about a
homeless person's safety or feels threatened by the presence of a homeless
person (McNamara, Crawford, and Burns, 2013). Police must negotiate and
respond to the demands placed on them by politicians, police administrators,
businesses, and residents to eliminate the sight of homelessness when
interacting with homeless individuals, especially those who suffer from mental
illnesses (Forst, 1997; Simpson, 2015). It's up to the police to figure out how
to keep the peace without violating anyone's constitutional rights. Proactive
policing for low-level, misdemeanor offenses that often result from living in
public view, or calls for service from businesses and residents about an
individual, accounts for the vast majority of police contacts with homeless
people. Most frequently, these misdemeanors manifest as urinating or
drinking in public, carrying an open container, trespassing, or being visibly
intoxicated (Forst, 1997; Simpson, 2015).
Many facets of homelessness have been criminalized due to

interactions with law enforcement and public perception (O'Grady, Gaetz, &
Buccieri, 2011). As cities pass new laws and ordinances to limit or restrict the
activities of the homeless, mechanisms of criminalization of homelessness
have emerged. Homeless people in urban areas are subject to
disproportionate enforcement of laws and ordinances that make it illegal for
them to sleep, sit, or store their belongings in public places. By making park
benches too short for people to lie down and sleep on them, or by relocating
ventilation grates from sidewalks to streets, many public spaces aim to
discourage the use of these areas by homeless people. This also includes the
targeted enforcement of otherwise neutral laws, such as those prohibiting

loitering, jaywalking, or possessing open containers, against the homeless

(McNamara, Crawford, and Burns, 2013; National Law Center on
Homelessness & Poverty, 2009; Simpson, 2015). Sweeps of city areas where
homeless people are living to drive them out of those areas frequently result
in damage to an individual's personal property, another mechanism for
criminalizing homelessness (National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty, 2009). Despite the lack of accessible public facilities, cities often
enforce a wide variety of "quality of life" ordinances about public activities and
hygiene (such as public urination) (Forst, 1997; National Law Center on
Homelessness & Poverty, 2009; Simpson, 2015).
Statement of the Problem
The general problem of the study is “what are the factors affecting the live
experiences of Homeless people in the three Districts of Bataan?”
Specifically, it seeks answers to the following questions:
1. How do homeless people face challenges while on the streets?
2. How do homeless people survive in society despite a lack of financial

support?
3. What resiliency factors do they develop or possess that contribute to

their ability to survive in their society?
4. How may the effects of being homeless in terms of crime be

described?
5. Based on the findings, what crime causation program may be

proposed?
Objectives of the study
 To get a better understanding of the issues that play a role in the lives
of homeless people

 To identify the obstacles that homeless individuals overcame and how

are they able to overcome them.
 To identify the variables that contribute to homeless persons being able
to survive.
Scope and Limitation
The purpose of this narrative study is to catalog the realities that
Bataan's homeless population faces in each of the province's municipalities.
Homeless people from each of selected Municipalities in Bataan

participated in the study. Dinalupihan, Orani, Mariveles, Limay, Pilar and
Orion are the municipalities being selected based on the preliminary data
gathering and the availability of the Participants. Names, ages, educational
levels, families, income levels, and religious affiliations were used to
categorize them.
Moreover, strategies for dealing with the realities of the present and the
hopes and ambitions of the future. The study took into account the effects of
homelessness on the participants' personal, physical, social, emotional, and
spiritual well-being, all of which play a role in their ability to not only survive
but to cope in the modern world.
The homeless population includes both men and women. Male and
female residents of Bataan Province who fall within the age ranges and
education levels mentioned above were considered for inclusion in the
sample. Both the participants in the study and the information to be gathered
were treated as strictly confidential.
An interest in biographical particulars as narrated by the people who

live them is at the center of contemporary narrative inquiry will be used in
identifying the issues challenges and the implication of being a homeless
people., which can be characterized as an amalgam of interdisciplinary
analytic lenses, diverse disciplinary approaches, and both traditional and
innovative methods. All of these components revolve around an interest in
narratives. (Chase, 2005, page 651)

According to Chase (2005), a narrative is "the telling of a tale, either

brief or extensive, about anything noteworthy or the relating of a life story from
its beginning." This life story may be autobiographical or biographical.
Narrative is a specific mode of thinking and comprehending that is one-of-a-
kind and embodied; to put it another way, it combines the physiological and
psychological aspects of knowing in one cohesive whole (Bruner, 1986).
Significance of the study

The study aims significantly to the following entities:
Law Enforcement. by identifying the factors that contribute to the

growing numbers of homeless people and as they gain the result of the
problem being addressed, the government agencies such as the PNP
concerned may know what reinforcement or plans can be done to prevent the
problem and what actions they should make for them to save the homeless
people and assist them by giving a lot of opportunity to them. Also, the result
of the study may provide additional insights and knowledge about the
problems emerging and spreading nowadays. The government must take a
bigger role in this since it mirrors the kind of community that the people has in
the process, the empowerment and the implementation of whatever actions
they think could be of great help.
Community. Homeless people have become victims of battery,

domestic abuse, trafficking, or exploitation, and the impact on the community,
they can make use of the results as a basis in finding out their real present
situation. The community serves as the area where public intervention
continuously happens. The researchers are looking forward to every
community under the study that they will take some action and step to give a
lot of programs and platforms to homeless people and reduce crimes in
relation to homeless people.

Homeless People. This study serves as the basic foundation of

information that will make them sentient regarding their actions. The
Homeless people in the province of Bataan can benefit from this study for
they will understand their situations and how to defy the said situation for
good. The researchers are looking forward to some changes in the attitude
and behavior as they show how they are persistent to succeed in the future.
Future Researchers. The result of this study may serve as a

reference for related topics. The future researcher will be guided throughout
the research process in seeking a more suitable output for their work. This will
be an important contribution to studies that aim to bring competent and
effective social researchers.
Definition of terms
Government. a government is a body vested with the supreme power

of the affairs of a state. The supreme power of a state lies in the hands of the
government thus giving it the authority to make and enforce laws and
implement policies as well.
Homeless. an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether

the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary
residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g.,
shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual
who is a resident in transitional housing.” A homeless person is an individual
without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter,
mission, single-room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in
any other unstable or non-permanent situation. (Section 330 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b)
Law Enforcement. the agencies and employees responsible for

enforcing laws, maintaining public order, and managing public safety. The
primary duties of law enforcement include the investigation, apprehension,
and detention of individuals suspected of criminal offenses.

Ordinance. is a local law that prescribes rules of conduct of a general,

permanent character. It continues to be in force until repealed or superseded
by subsequent enactment of the local legislative body (Section 54 of the Local
Government Code)

Notes in chapter I
Quinn, Jean.(2019) “UNANIMA International & NYU Capstone Project:

Summer 2019 Briefing Document.” UNANIMA International. 2019.
Real Change.(2012) “Homelessness in the Philippines.” Real Change

News.
Gray, Mel and Nicolas, Justin.(2017) “A unique sustainable livelihoods

strategy: How resilient homeless families survive on the streets of Metro
Manila, Philippines.” Faces of Homelessness in the Asia Pacific. Routledge
Forst, M. (1997). The police and the homeless: Creating a partnership

between law enforcement and social service agencies in the development of
effective policies and programs (pp. 3- 227). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C.
Thomas Publisher.
Mcnamara, R., Crawford, C., & Burns, R. (2013). Policing the

homeless: Policy, practice, and perceptions. Policing: An International Journal
of Police Strategies & Management, 36(2), 357-374.
Van Manen. (1990). Phenomenology as an Educational Research

Method. http://www.otal.umd.edu.

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This chapter presents the related theories, literature, and studies after
the thorough and in-depth search done by the researcher. This will also
present the synthesis of the art, theoretical and conceptual framework to fully
understand the research to be done and lastly the definition of terms for better
comprehension of the study.
Related Theories.
The theories that anchor the study are Marx’ Conflict Theory (1848),
Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning theory and Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of
Needs.
Conflict theory
One approach to get an understanding of the factors that lead to
homelessness is to use conflict theory. Karl Max is credited with having
established the conflict theory, which asserts that the universe is always
undergoing change as a consequence of conflict. It views interactions with
other people as a kind of competition. According to this point of view, society
is composed of individuals who compete with one another for limited
resources like money and free time. Every social interaction has a
considerable component of cutthroat competition for limited resources.
Human relationships almost always include competition rather than reaching a
LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 10 |

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consensus. Certain individuals and organizations have more resources and
power, and they use it as a strategy to maintain their positions and remain in
power. Other social structures and organizations, such as religions and the
government, emulate the fight for resources and the inherent inequality that is
involved in competition. This theory is commonly used by sociologists as a
method to investigate the distribution of resources, power, and inequality, and
they ask the question, "Who benefits from this?"
This concept by Karl Max might be used in an effort to get an
understanding of homelessness. This philosophy is known as Marxism.
According to Marxism, capitalism is a class system that inevitably leads to
conflict because "it is in the interests of the ruling class to exploit the working
class and to try to resolve this exploitation in the interests of the workers" (The
Conflict Perspective). This makes conflict an unavoidable aspect of
capitalism. According to Marx, this means that there is a connection between
homelessness and capitalism, as well as rivalry for economic resources and
power. This creates a physical division between two types of individuals in a
society that is dominated by capitalism: those who have money and power
(capitalists) and others who do not have money and power (workers). The
bourgeois incentives that arise from social inequality and social stratification
are the source of the problem of homelessness, which is acknowledged by
the theory of conflict as being a problem.

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Social Learning Theory
According to this view, learning takes place when individuals see the
results that are brought about by the actions of other individuals. Bandura's
theory goes beyond both behavioral theories and cognitive theories, which
take into account psychological influences such as attention and memory.
Behavioral theories propose that all behaviors are learned through
conditioning, whereas cognitive theories take into account such factors as
attention and memory.
According to Bandura (1977), individuals watch behavior either directly
via social interactions with others or indirectly through seeing behaviors
through media. Those behaviors that are praised and applauded are more
likely to be replicated, while undesirable behaviors are avoided at all costs.
Bandura observed that reinforcement from the outside world was not
the sole thing that influenced learning and behavior. In addition to this, he
came to the realization that reinforcement did not necessarily originate from
external sources. 3 Your own mental state and drive play a vital influence in
deciding whether a behavior is taught or not. He identified intrinsic
reinforcement as a sort of internal rewards, such as pride, contentment, and a
feeling of success. Learning theories may be connected to theories of
cognitive development because to the focus placed on an individual's internal
ideas and cognitions. While many textbooks include social learning theory
alongside behavioral theories, Bandura himself identifies his method as a
'social cognitive theory.'

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In relation to the study, social learning theory anchors the subject of the
study which is the homeless people. The core tenet of the social learning
theory is that if a rewarded action is noticed, it will subsequently be learnt and
copied by those who watch it. In the instance of homelessness, a kid may
grow up in an atmosphere where they are homeless and come to feel that
their lifestyle is normal and proper.
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow (1943) first suggested that humans must fulfill lower level
deficiency requirements before continuing on to achieve higher level
development needs. However, he later explained that the fulfillment of a need
is not a "all-or-none" phenomenon, and he admitted that his earlier statements
may have given "the false impression that a need must be satisfied 100
percent before the next need emerges." In light of this, he clarified that the
satisfaction of a need is not a "all-or-none" phenomenon (1987, p. 69).
When a deficiency need has been "more or less" supplied, it will cease
to be a concern for us, and our efforts will begin to focus on satisfying the next
set of wants that we have not yet met. These requirements therefore rise to
the top of our priority list. Despite this, the requirements for development are
still there and may even become more pressing after they have been
satisfied. Needs for growth do not result from a deficiency of something but
rather from the want to advance oneself personally. When all of these
demands for development are satisfactorily met, an individual may be able to
go to the next stage, which is referred to as self-actualization.

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Every individual is competent and has the desire to progress up the
ladder toward a degree of self-actualization. Unfortunately, development is
often stymied when attempts to satisfy lower-level requirements are
unsuccessful. An individual's position in the hierarchy may shift as a result of
the events and circumstances that occur in their life, such as being divorced
or losing their job.
Because of this, not everyone will go up the hierarchy in a linear
fashion, but rather, they may shift back and forth between the many
categories of demands.
Related Literature
It is difficult to get an accurate count of the number of people who are
homeless due to a number of factors, including their reclusive and antisocial
nature, the disorganized nature of the shelter system for the homeless, their
ability to easily cross county and state lines, and most importantly, the
instability of their living situations. The number of people who are homeless is
always shifting, as some of them find housing while others find themselves in
more precarious living situations. However, despite the fact that these factors
and rudimentary methods of extrapolation frequently led to inflated and
inaccurate estimates in previous decades - between 1.5 million and 3 million
people across the country in the 1980s, depending on the agency doing the
counting (Rossi, 1989) - we now know that the number of homeless
individuals in the United States of America hovers around 500,000 men,
women, and children. This figure includes people of all ages, from infants to

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senior citizens (Lucas, 2020). The number of people who are homeless but do
not have access to shelter is even more difficult to estimate than the number
of people who are homeless but have access to shelter.
However, the general consensus is that the number of people who are
homeless but do not have access to shelter accounts for between 33 and 37
percent of the total homeless population, which places their numbers between
165,000 and 185,000 individuals (Donley and Wright, 2012; Lucas, 2020).
The homeless population in the United States is distinguished from the overall
population of the country by a number of demographic characteristics,
including those listed below. In the 1970s, when homelessness was first
brought to the attention of the public as a social crisis, the community of
people who were without homes was essentially homogeneous and
concentrated in certain parts of big cities. The first person who comes to mind
when one thinks of a homeless person is a middle-aged Caucasian guy who
lives in or near a skid row and suffers from a combination of substance abuse
and mental illness (Royse et al., 2000).
However, because to gentrification in major cities and a rise in the
number of people living below the poverty line throughout the 1970s and
1980s, the demographics of persons who are homeless have seen a
significant shift in recent decades. Before the 1980s, women had a cushion
that prevented them from sliding from poverty into homelessness. This
cushion was provided to them by both the public assistance system and by
social expectations of the role of the family in providing support (Baker, 1994).

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Nevertheless, the demographics have changed, and current estimates place
the percentage of females living on the streets anywhere from 30 (National
Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020) to 50 percent of the total homeless
population (Hagen, 1987). Men are more likely to cite alcohol consumption,
unemployment, and being released from prison as significant causative
reasons that led them to become homeless, while women are more likely to
describe being evicted and experiencing domestic violence as important
causes that led them to become homeless (Hagen, 1987).
The homeless population now consists of people of different races than
it did in the past. Although white people still make up the majority (47%) of the
population, black people (39% of the population) and native americans (3% of
the population) have disproportionately high representations in the population
(National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020). White people make up 60.1%
of the population in the United States, while black people make up 12.2% and
native Americans make up just 0.7%. (Ghosh, 2021). Alterations in age
demographics are maybe even more unsettling than changes in racial or
gender composition of the population. The average age of those living on the
streets has decreased dramatically. The average age of a girl is estimated to
be 30, while the average age of a guy is 39. These estimations vary
depending on gender (Baker, 1994). Recent studies have shown that people
under the age of 18 make up 39 percent of the population of homeless people
(Parble, 2012). The vast majority of homeless children and teenagers are

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cared for by adult relatives (Parble, 2012; National Alliance to End
Homelessness, 2020).
It is essential to get an understanding of the development of
homelessness over the course of American history before moving on to
examine the number and demographic composition of the contemporary
homeless population. Although homelessness and vagrancy have always
been a problem (Rossi, 1989; Simon, 1991-1992), their prevalence has often
increased and decreased throughout the course of history based on the other
aspects of society that were prevalent at the time. The majority of travelers
who arrived in New England port colonies in colonial America were unable to
find housing and relied on the generosity of the locals for assistance. Those
newcomers who seemed to have the potential to make a positive contribution
to the well-being of the community were encouraged to become members of
the group, whilst those who were seen to be unhelpful prospects were
ordered to leave the area. The undesired colonists moved about from
township to township looking for a place to settle down permanently, and this
marked the beginning of the first instance of temporary homelessness. After
the American Revolution, inhabitants of the newly formed nation started
moving westward across the continent in an effort to fulfill the manifest destiny
of the country. As more villages were established, the bulk of the inhabitants
eventually moved to more rural areas.
In point of fact, the urban population of the United States was far lower
than seven percent prior to the year 1820. (National Academies of Sciences,

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Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). This shifted as the nineteenth century
progressed, when the country was undergoing a profound transformation as a
result of the Industrial Revolution. In the 1850s, a flood of people searching
for employment and a place to stay at numerous lodging houses made their
way into the newly founded cities (National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). As a result of the Civil War, there was an
increase in the number of people living on the streets who were unsheltered
and itinerant. This was caused by discharged soldiers from both sides
responding to the need for seasonal and episodic work on the railroad system
(Rossi, 1989). As a result of the expanding labor market, nomadic workers
were recruited all across the nation for jobs in agriculture and construction.
During this historical period, the majority of aid for the homeless came from
county and local governments. When a person arrived in a new city and was
unable to locate a place to stay at a poorhouse, they had the option of
spending the night in the local police station without fear of being arrested or
charged with a crime.
Estimating the number of people living on the streets in the United
States is challenging for a number of reasons, including the fact that different
researchers use varying research methods, that homeless people are defined
in a variety of ways, that local governments in cities where estimates are
recorded have varying approaches to homelessness policy, and that counting
homeless people can be difficult (i.e., counting people more than once or not
being able to count all those who are homeless due to living conditions). It is

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much more difficult to quantify the number of people who are homeless and
also suffer from a mental illness. This is illustrated by the discrepancies in
percentages that are given in the many pieces of published research.
According to estimates provided by the National Resource Center on
Homelessness and Mental Disease (2003) in 2003, between 20 and 25
percent of the population of people who are homeless meet the criteria for
having some type of serious and chronic psychiatric mental illness. [Citation
needed] A research that was carried out by the University of California, San
Diego School of Medicine (2005) and another study that was carried out by
Snow, Baker, and Anderson both came to the conclusion that 15% of the
homeless population suffered from a major mental illness (1986).
According to research conducted by the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development (2011a), there was a prevalence of
significant mental illness among the sheltered homeless population of 26.2%.
As can be seen, figures fall anywhere between 15 and 26 percent. When
drawing conclusions about the relationship between homelessness and
mental illness, it is essential to take a number of factors into consideration,
despite the fact that the connection between the two has been studied
extensively and documented. To begin, despite the well-established link
between homelessness and mental illness, it is a well-known reality that the
vast majority of people who are homeless do not suffer from any kind of
mental disease (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
2011a). Second, the media has a tendency to exaggerate the connection

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between being homeless and suffering from a mental illness. For instance,
according to a recent article published in The New York Times, "Every study
of homeless single adults has found that a decided majority suffer from mental
illness and the addictions that are its handmaidens." [Citation needed]
(Powell, 2011).
Since, as was mentioned earlier, only 15%-26% of people have been
determined to have a mental illness, it is obvious that such statements
represent exaggerations. Statements that misinform the public about the
actual demographics of the homeless population, such as the one that
appeared in a recent article in The New York Times, can be harmful to the
cause because research has shown that people who are homeless and
people who suffer from mental illness are both more likely to be the targets of
social stigma. It is especially problematic because the internalization of public
stigma, lower levels of self-esteem, and difficulties in social functioning can all
be experienced by the individuals who are the target of the stigma (Corrigan &
Kleinlein, 2005). Third, the general perception of the connection between
mental illness and homelessness is, to a large extent, skewed in the same
direction as that presented in the media. For instance, in a recent study
(Arumi et al., 2007), researchers sought to find the attitudes and beliefs of
1,002 New Yorkers in order to provide more up-to-date information on the
various beliefs that people hold about homeless people. The purpose of this
study was to provide information on the diversity of beliefs that people hold
about those who are homeless.

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When thinking about people who are homeless, participants were
asked how often they consider certain qualities to be relevant. According to
the findings, 66 percent of people thought about mental illness on a regular
basis or almost usually. 78% of respondents agreed that those living on the
streets who suffer from mental illness should be forced into treatment by
being institutionalized in psychiatric facilities against their will. Fourth, the
public and the media have a tendency to see mental illness as a prevalent
cause of homelessness. They also tend to dismiss or downplay the likelihood
that the stress of homelessness may, in some instances, contribute to the
development of mental disease in certain people. In a poll that was conducted
by Lee and colleagues in 1990, 53.1% of community members said that
mental illness was a factor that led to a person's status as a homeless person.
On the other hand, homelessness in and of itself may be seen as a painful
experience on a psychological level and functions as a risk factor for the
development of emotional disorders. Both social disaffiliation (such as
isolation, suspicion of others, and breakdown of social relationships), which is
a typical sign of trauma, and learned helplessness, which is also prevalent in
people who are homeless, are common indicators of trauma (Goodman,
Saxe, & Harvey, 1991).
Symptoms of psychological trauma may be brought on by the abrupt or
gradual loss of a person's home, the circumstances of living in a shelter (such
as being insecure, lacking control, and unsafe), and revictimization (such as
being physically and/or sexually abused). In order to elaborate on the

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connection between homelessness and trauma that was made by Goodman
and colleagues (1991) and to demonstrate its relevance within current
conditions, a recent study of homeless youth (Coates & McKenzie-Mohr,
2010) discovered that trauma is both a cause and a consequence of being
homeless. This finding was made to demonstrate that the connection between
the two is still relevant today. That is to say, a vast majority of participants
encountered a lot of very stressful situations both previously (such as being
bullied, having a physically or sexually abusive family member), as well as
when they were homeless (e.g., street violence, muggings, fear of being
killed, rape).
Further recent research of homeless people in Australia (Taylor &
Sharpe, 2008) found that sixty percent of homeless people asked believed
that being homeless is a stressful experience (as defined according to the
DSM-IV-TR). 98% of the homeless people in this sample reported having
experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, with the average
number of traumatic events being six (this number includes traumatic events
that occurred both before and during homelessness), and 79% of the
homeless people in this sample had a lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). Although it is clear that exposure to traumatic events
is linked to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
research has shown that trauma is also linked to a wide variety of other forms
of psychopathology (Adams & Sutker, 2001). These forms of psychopathology
include depression, psychosis, issues with drugs and alcohol, and other forms

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of mental illness. In light of the fact that being homeless is widely regarded as
a traumatic experience and that exposure to traumatic events has been linked
to the emergence of a wide variety of psychological issues, it is critical to
investigate the effects of mental illness both as a factor in the development of
homelessness and as a response to homelessness when analyzing the
stigma that this population is subjected to. Fifthly, the public may have a
tendency to link more social reasons to homelessness, but they have a
tendency to attach more personal causes to mental illness.
This is something that has to be taken into consideration. For instance,
Kingree and Daves (1997) discovered that college students were more likely
to agree with statements from the Attitudes Toward Homelessness Inventory
that attributed homelessness to societal causes rather than to personal
causes. This was the case even though college students had been given the
opportunity to reflect on their own personal experiences with homelessness.
After taking into account respondents' social desirability on the Marlowe-
Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the researchers came up with these findings
(Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). According to a more recent survey (Arumi et al.,
2007), 67% of community members feel that the majority of homeless people
find themselves in their current situation due to external factors that are
beyond their control. They also answered to a number of different questions
about the reasons of homelessness, with 92% linking it to the shutdown of
mental health institutions, 89% assigning it to high housing expenses, 87%

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attributing it to insufficient education, and 82% attributing it to a lack of
excellent employment.
In light of this, the general public tends to place the responsibility for
homelessness squarely on the shoulders of the homeless individuals
themselves, typically attributing it to character flaws such as sloth, a lack of
drive, or reckless conduct (Arumi et al., 2007). In addition, when personal
causes of homelessness are cited, these explanations typically emphasize the
role that mental illness plays as a causal factor (Lee et al., 1990; Arumi et al.,
2007). However, this appears to represent a misunderstanding of the facts,
given the research results that have been discussed previously. In a nutshell,
the following broad inferences are deserving of consideration:
To begin, it is essential to comprehend that (a) traumatic experiences
can sometimes come before the onset of homelessness (and play a role in its
development), (b) homelessness frequently results in the occurrence of
traumatic events, and (c) trauma is frequently involved in the formation of
mental illness. When attempting to grasp the relationship that exists between
homelessness and mental illness, it is imperative that we keep this convoluted
pattern of data in mind. Second, the public and the media have a tendency to
exaggerate the degree to which mental illness is linked to homelessness. In
addition, while mental illness is frequently viewed as the root cause of
homelessness, the possibility that homelessness itself may contribute to the
development of mental illness is frequently overlooked. In the past,
researchers have not investigated whether or not perceptions regarding the

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association between homelessness and mental illness contribute to the
stigmatization of the homeless, nor have they investigated the extent to which
the severity of stigma varies as a function of perceptions regarding the onset
of mental illness. In addition, researchers have not investigated whether or not
perceptions regarding the association between homelessness and mental
illness contribute to the stigmatization of the homeless (i.e., before vs.
following homelessness).
Related studies
According to a study compiled by the New York Police Department,
throughout the decade of the 1890s, the New York Police Department served
as the city's primary provider of overnight accommodations to the tune of
150,000 people annually, making them the biggest lodging provider overall
(Rossi, 1989). In addition, as a result of this newly available labour, shanty
communities started to form in the area around important train terminals.
These areas later developed into skid rows, which are districts that are mostly
populated by the homeless and include low-cost motels, restaurants, brothels,
and bars. Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, the nature of American
homelessness radically transformed as both the Great Depression and
technological progress decimated the workforce and rendered unskilled,
physical labor mostly obsolete. The skid rows that used to be home to the
seasonal muscle of America have transformed into a port of rest for transients
who are touring the nation in search of jobs that they are unlikely to find. At

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that time, the majority of people living on the streets were young males who
had become redundant in a job market that was contracting and no longer
had a need for their skills. These young men were homeless. However, the
homeless population was soon considerably reduced by World War II, as
many young men were conscripted to fight on the European front. After the
war, the number of homeless people in the United States remained at a
relatively low rate.
The Great Depression had had a significant impact on the job market,
but it had completely recovered, and the country as a whole was expanding.
During the decade of the 1950s, urbanization brought prominent commercial
areas into close touch with once densely populated but now much less dense
skid rows. Because, in great part, of a The literature in the field of social
sciences has, over the course of the previous 30 years, attempted quite a few
times to provide an answer to the issue of why people who are suffering
homelessness continue to sleep on the streets. The vast majority of these
research have made use of either qualitative interviews or investigative
involvement, and the results of these studies almost always indicate that
shelter conditions are dangerous. There is a common assumption that the
unsheltered homeless avoid shelters owing to excessive rates of violence and
robbery. It's interesting to note that this behavior is often discovered in
inspections of huge shelters in New York City (Barrow et al., 1999; Dordick,
1996; Marcus, 2003; Smith, 2019). According to the findings of these
research, incidents of 14 theft, violence, and death were rather prevalent in

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the shelters that were under examination (Barrow et al., 1999; Dordick, 1996;
Marcus, 2003; Smith, 2019). However, the number of people who were
victimized by criminal activities on the streets much outweighed the number of
people who were victimized in shelters. Disease (Dordick, 1996), substance
abuse (Barrow et al. 1999), a lack of personal space, and a degrading loss of
identity were other reasons that discouraged people from seeking refuge
(Donely and Wright, 2010; Pable, 2012; Stickel, 2017). This depersonalization
is often contrasted with the circumstances that might be found in jail (Dordick,
1996; Donley and Wright, 2012; Marcus, 2003). The word "shelterization"
refers to the process of adjusting one's behavior in response to demeaning
shelter settings. This idea, which is similar to "institutionalization," has
received mixed support from empirical research (Grunberg and Eagle, 1990;
Marcus, 2003). However, although these research studies enhanced the
literature's knowledge of what it is like to live in a shelter, they are lacking an
essential component: the experiences and insights received from the
individuals who are unsheltered and homeless. Recent study has expanded
upon the basic finding that shelters are often cruel and violent by adding the
viewpoints of both the homeless and the shelter personnel. This research has
built upon the result that shelters are frequently inhumane and violent.
Interviews of a qualitative kind and focus groups have been the key
approaches of this study.
In a number of studies, the participants admitted that threats of
physical harm and loss of personal belongings played a role at their choice of

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whether or not to spend the night in a homeless shelter (Donely and Wright,
2012; Kryda and Compton, 2009; Smith, 2015). However, the fear of being
victimized due to a lack of security was never the only reason mentioned for
not utilizing shelters. A particular emphasis on that characteristic alone would
be both myopic and dismissive of other complex reasons for not using
shelters. Factors relating to dignity and autonomy were mentioned by 15
individuals more often than concerns about being victimized (Donely and
Wright, 2012; Kermen et al., 2018, Kryda and Compton, 2009; Larsen et al.,
2004; Smith, 2015; Uss, 2020).
Although it is risky to live on the streets, it is certain that not being
dependent on a consistent shelter gives some homeless individuals a feeling
of independence and freedom. People who are homeless do not have a place
to live and do not have things, thus they are better able to travel by foot and
move around at whim. This is a benefit of being homeless that many people
who have been homeless at some point grow to appreciate. Donely and
Wright came at this conclusion after conducting interviews with people living
in homeless camps in the forests of Florida. The people in question
discovered that living in the woods gave them the freedom to eat, sleep,
misuse narcotics, and move around in any way that they desired (Donely and
Wright, 2012). They gave up a significant amount of their liberty when they
moved into the shelter. This feeling of autonomy was infringed upon in a
variety of ways, including laws about sobriety, rules for shelter admission
hours, and workers treating them like children (Donely and Wright, 2012;

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Kermen et al., 2018, Kryda and Compton, 2009; Larsen et al., 2004; Smith,
2015; Uss, 2020). This last characteristic was perceived as very unpleasant
since persons who were suffering homelessness claimed that shelter
personnel were condescending towards them, spoke down to them, and
displayed bias towards some shelter residents (Donely and Wright, 2012;
Kermen et al., 2018, Kryda and Compton, 2009; Smith, 2015).
It was a common finding that when a homeless person had a negative
interaction with a shelter employee, such as one who was impolite or
inhumane, the individual would frequently choose not to go back to the
shelters but would, instead, go back to living on the streets, despite the
increased risk of being victimized (Donley and Wright, 2012; Kerman et al.,
2019; Kryda and Compton, 2007; Larsen et al., 2004; Uss, 2020). Restrictions
prohibiting pets (Donely and Wright, 2012), rules separating unmarried
couples (Donely and Wright, 16 2012), an intense focus on religion (Donely
and Wright, 2012), and shelter location are some of the other elements that
go into the choice of whether or not to go to a shelter (Donely and Wright,
2012; Smith, 2015). Two studies in particular looked at the reasons why
homeless people in Phoenix who have no place to sleep chose to sleep
outside rather than in shelters (Larsen et al., 2004; Uss, 2020).
Larsen et al. conducted interviews with a diverse group of homeless
people, including those who routinely utilized shelters (85 people) and those
who choose to sleep outside (45 people), as part of their study on
homelessness. The findings were in line with what was found in the previous

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research, which identified strict rules against the use of alcohol or drugs,
negative shelter experiences, and being forced against their will into
psychiatric care as the most prevalent reasons that unsheltered homeless
people preferred sleeping on the streets. Ash Uss, an employee of Andre
House, one of the organizational providers on the Human Services Campus,
conducted a similar series of interviews with one hundred unsheltered
homeless individuals in the year 2020. She discovered that the vast majority
of the sample, or ninety percent, of those individuals reported that they would
like to enter a shelter if it met their standard of living. The Human Services
Campus is home to a number of organizations that provide human services.
The most significant reasons given for not going to a shelter were a lack of
space for personal belongings, negative interactions with service members,
negative influences from other shelter guests, unsanitary conditions,
overcrowding, and an atmosphere that resembled a prison. Other reasons
included an atmosphere that felt like a prison and unsanitary conditions (Uss,
2020).
However, despite the fact that each of these studies provides valuable
insight into the problem of unsheltered homelessness in Phoenix, the
techniques that they used and the results that they found were inconsistent
with one another. A researcher from the Human Services Campus was the
one who carried out the study. Her familiarity and connection with the persons
who were questioned may have had an effect on the findings of the research.
The unsheltered individuals may have been less willing to share more severe

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problems in an effort to maintain a favorable relationship with the school. In
addition, despite the fact that it was carried out by a provider of service, the
investigation in issue did not take into account any views other than that of the
unsheltered homeless. The second Phoenix-related study had the same
problem: the researcher questioned only those who were either sheltered or
unsheltered and none of the other homeless people.
Conceptual Framework
The study utilized the five frames interconnected by arrows to illustrate
relativity.
The first two frames on left referred to the processes conducted to
gather and saturate the study with data on the live experiences of Homeless
people. After the conduct of the second process, two other frames were
presented. These two frames were the data gathered and interpreted later on.
The topmost of the last two frames led to yet another frame, the last frame,
which discussed the outcome of the whole study.
Fieldwork Participants’ lives as a

(observation, homeless people. Codes and
interview) Themes formed
on the lives of
Homeless people
Data Consolidation,
Transcription,
and Analysis

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Situation of Homeless
people in Bataan
Figure 1. The paradigm of the Study
One of the limitations of the present study is the insufficiency of cited
related literature and study due to the unavailability of materials. Most of the
materials found were written in Mandarin since researches about Homeless in
universities was more common in United States of America. Meanwhile, in the
Philippines, there was no obtainable research about live experiences of
homeless people. Hence, the researcher saturated the data available to find
grounds for the study.
Notes to Chapter II
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CHAPTER III
METHODS OF RESEARCH
This chapter presents and describes the methods of research that were
utilized in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data related to the
study. Specifically, it includes methods and techniques of the study,
population sample, research instruments, construction and validation of

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instruments, data gathering procedures, and data processing and analysis of
data.
Methods and Techniques of the Study
This study aimed to identify the lived experiences of homeless
people in the province of Bataan and utilized the narrative inquiry type
of qualitative research. Although considered a relatively new
methodology in qualitative researches, a narrative inquiry has already
been widely used. Phillion (2007) noted that narrative inquiries almost
always analyze people’s lives, interests, concerns, and passions. Clandinin
and Huber (2010) explained that in narrative inquiry, the researcher aims to
carefully study and understand the experience narrated by participants.
Narrative inquiry refers to a way of thinking about and studying experience. In
narrative inquiry, participants’ experiences are collected and the participants’
views are retold by combining the researcher’s experiences with those of the
participants to the collaborative narrative (Creswell, 2003). Narrative inquiry
requires that the researcher trails on a recursive, reflexive process of moving
from the field, which means starting points in telling or living of stories, to field
texts or data in interim, and final research texts. Moreover, narrative inquiry
emphasizes ethical matters as well as shapes new ta theoretical
understanding of people’s experiences (Clandinin and Huber, 2010). Wang
(2016) underscores that the theoretical underpinning of narrative inquiry is the
notion storytelling about oneself comprises storytelling about choice and
action, which have fundamentally moral and ethical scopes.

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Wang (2016) pointed out that in narrative inquiry, multiple truths, no
matter how conflicting, are still true, and perceptions or truths may change
over time. This explains the possibility of deriving more than one overview of
the participants’ experiences. Therefore, instead of discovering one
generalizable truth, the researcher in a narrative inquiry aims to find more
truths/narratives (Hunter, 2010).
The present study used narrative inquiry on the homeless people’s
lives to serve as a window into the issues and challenges. The researcher
adopted a narrative inquiry methodology to learn about the lives and
experiences of the participants. The study design included descriptions of
data collection methods, data sources, and data analysis procedures.
Specifically, the study would want to know how the encounters of the
participants provide insights into the issues and challenges experienced by
the participants. The various insights from the participants’ narratives will be
described while drawing symbolic representations from the findings.
Meanwhile, the study utilized a survey questionnaire that was given to
the homeless people at the province of Bataan.
Population and Sample of the Study
Purposive sampling or sometimes purposeful, selective,
judgmental sampling, has been largely used in qualitative researches
(Palinkas et.al., 2016). Through purposive sampling, Cresswell and
Plano Clark (2011) posited that researchers will be able to identify and
select individuals or groups of individuals who are knowledgeable or
well experienced on the subject or phenomenon under study, available,

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and willing to communicate their experiences and opinions ( Bernard
(2002) & Spradley (1979), as cited in Palinkas et.al. (2016)).
Meanwhile, criterion sampling, which is a type of purposive or
purposeful sampling (Palinkas, et.al., 2016) aims to recognize and choose
cases or participants that meet a predetermined set of criteria. This allows
the researcher in obtaining sufficient information from a smaller number of
samples or participants. In this study, the researcher applied the criterion
purposive sampling, wherein inclusion and exclusion criteria were set.
Table 1
The population of the Study and Profile of the Participants
Participant Age Municipality Origin Years as Homeless

1 25 Limay Pampanga 9
The participant of the study was homeless people in Limay. The
participant were selected to participate in the study considering the following
inclusion criteria: 18 years old and above, currently a homeless person,. The
researcher settled for ten participants since this number is still within the
suggested participant range for narratology to ensure saturation.
Research Instruments
This study utilized a narrative inquiry research method, which
comprises the researcher retelling the participants’ life stories. There are four
primary qualitative data collection types - participant observations, recorded
interviews, and documents. Although an in-depth interview was the method
most recommended in narrative inquiries, interviewing paired with a survey

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questionnaire and participant observation proved to be as just effective in
gathering the participants’ personal experiences. These encourage
participants to share and reveal their personal stories.
Hence, to gather data pertinent to the present study, the
researcher used a interview guided question consists of rearranged
questions regarding written responses from the subjects of the study –
homeless people in the province of Bataan. The survey questionnaire
used by the researcher was personally constructed based on what is
needed and what could lead to answering what the study is looking for.
While the researcher employed in-depth interviews as the main
instrument in gathering substantial and rich data for the study, participant
observation was also conducted. On the other hand, the survey questionnaire
was also used to gather significant data related to the study.
The researcher developed an interview protocol consists of a greeting,
description of the research purpose, unstructured interview questions, and
space between questions for the notes and observations that guide the
researcher in finding the lived experiences of Homeless people in the
province of Bataan. Open-ended questions with follow-up questions were
established using the research questions to probe for deeper meaning.
Moreover, the protocol contains the following parts: Part I presented
the current status of homeless people in Bataan. Part II dealt with the
participants’ journeys and the insights their stories provide into the issues and
challenges of being homeless. Part III focused on the symbolic

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representations formulated from the personal narratives of the participants.
Finally, Part IV zeroed in on the implication of the study in the lived
experience of homeless people.
Construction and Validation of Instruments
The guide questions which the researcher used were ensured effective
and reliable. In developing and improving the in-depth interview guide, the
researcher passed through several processes. Aside from the researcher’s
observation of the needs and answers to the researcher’s questions which
were the foundations of the development of the guide questions, they were
also products of consultations and several validations.
Other sources of the questionnaire were taken from the informal
interview and personal experiences of the researcher in the lives of homeless
people related subjects and courses. The guide questions were properly
validated by the chosen professionals and underwent grammar checking with
the help of English Language teachers.
After developing the interview protocol, the researcher looked for three
experts to validate the instruments. They were personally visited by the
researcher to hand over the interview protocol. These experts reviewed the
content of the interview guide and made some essential notations regarding
the framing of the questions. After the validation, the comments and
suggestions were carefully studied and integrated into the final draft interview

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protocol. When all the recommendations were satisfied by the researcher, a
final draft of the survey –questionnaire was prepared.
Data Gathering Procedures
There were several processes were to gather essential data for this
study. Before formally starting the data gathering process, the researcher
secured a letter of validation from the members of the Specialization
Committee of the Department of Criminology. Afterward, the researcher asked
for a letter of permission from the Bataan Heroes Memorial College, noted by
the Thesis Adviser to inform the office of the current undertaking. The letter
was to ask permission from the municipality and the participants to be
interviewed are affiliated. When the permission was received and granted, a
letter was sent to the participants to seek approval for the conduct of in-depth
interviews and participant observation. When all letters were delivered and
permission was received, the researcher formally embarked on the data-
gathering processes.
Each participant was oriented beforehand and it was discussed with
them the merit and concerns of the study. The consent form was presented to
the participants and each part was also presented to the participants and
discussed thoroughly. Information regarding the benefits of participating in this
research project along with any possible risks has also been discussed with
the participants. The participants were assured of confidentiality through the
study and were informed that they were free to end or terminate the interview
or ask questions at any time. After explaining to them the consent form and

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content, they were asked to sign the waiver to formally include them as
participants of the study. The following rights of the participants were also
discussed based on the Belmont report (1976) which defined respect for the
person as the principle used to protect the rights of vulnerable populations or
individuals with diminished autonomy.
Interviewing. Since the participants came from different municipalities,
two weeks were allotted by the researcher for the in-depth interview. Each
participant was contacted to know their available time and place. With then
schedule had been set, the researcher started meeting each participant for
the interview. Each of them was asked questions from the interview protocol.
The interview was open-ended and provided each of them with opportunities
to reflect freely and honestly on their experiences. Additional probing
questions were appropriately dispersed for attaining additional clarification
whenever necessary. The questions were arranged in chronological order to
attain true of each participant’s experiences. Each interview lasted for about
an hour. All interviews were recorded using audio-recorder with consent from
the participants. Aside from the digital recorders, the researcher took notes to
recall information that has important points. The researcher referred to them
throughout the interview for clarifications with the participants and fact-
checking particularly on the accuracy of the paraphrasing.
Observing. The researcher also conducted prolonged engagement and
participant observation. To do this, some participants were asked about the
possible schedules in their activities outside the school. When schedules were

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set and identified, the researcher took some time to join the company of the
participants. During these instances, the researcher observed the participants
and took notes of the observations outside the school to provide more
engaging data given for further understanding the training program they
learned and used in teaching others outside the school and the common
problems implementing this training program. The observations through this
process were written in a journal that was used by the researcher to
substantiate the lived experiences of the participants.
Journaling. Throughout the data collection and analysis processes,
the researcher worked on a personal journal where her experiences were
chronicled. This journal also recorded the researcher’s feelings and thoughts
on every interview and field visit day. The journal began on the day before
conducting the first interview and ended at the completion after. The contents
of the journal were treated as study data, mainly to check the researcher’s
assumptions and guarantee the reliability of data analysis. Also recorded in
the journal were the observations of the researcher throughout the data
gathering during the interview process.
Managing Data. The physical and digital qualitative data collected in
this study were cautiously managed and protected. Written notes and
prepared digital audio recordings of interviews were used in the research. The
recordings were turned into digital verbatim transcripts, in which participants
were identified by number to ensure confidentiality. Memos written during and
after interviews and the researcher’s journal kept throughout data collection

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and analysis supplementary the analysis. Digital data was kept securely on
the researcher’s password-protected personal home laptop.
Analysis of Data
The participants’ data collected through the use of in-depth interviews,
survey-questionnaire and participant observation shall only be used as long
as necessary for the fulfillment of the declared, specified, and legitimate
purpose or when processing relevant to the purpose. The use of personal
data is following the Data Privacy while, in analyzing the data collected, the
researcher patterned after Chase’s multiple Lenses in Narrative Inquiry.
Chase (2005) as cited by Hunter (2009) identified five interconnected, analytic
lenses which are extensively used in analyzing data in narrative inquiry. In this
study, the researcher employed two of these lenses, the second lens which
focuses on the narrator’s voice and the verbal action and choices made by the
narrator, and the third lens which emphasizes how participants were trained
by social circumstances. The researcher also conducted frequent visits to the
participants during their organization meetings and participant observations
during practice. In the analysis of the data, the researcher used the following
methods:
Constructing Narratives. In constructing the narratives, the
researcher studied the transcripts keenly to de for distinct experience
segments of text in which the participants discuss a single event or
experience. Each transcript was reviewed for parts where a change from one
experience segment to another was noticed. These segments were

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reorganized to create a logical sequence or story. To establish particular
themes, the researcher used the individual segments. Constructing narratives
presented the researcher with a sequence of experiences that mirrored the
participants’ experiences and the themes that developed from them. Member
checking with the participants added accuracy to confirm the reconstruction of
these experiences.
Peer review. Kelly, Sadeghieh, and Adeli (2014) revealed in their
study low-quality manuscripts have prevalently increased, hence the need for
peer review heightened as it filters researches and prevents these low-quality
researches from reaching the scientific community. With this in consideration,
the researcher invited three professional colleagues with research experience
in the context of this study to conduct a peer review. The preliminary findings,
categories, and themes were reviewed for credibility. The content experts
provided feedback and suggestions to guarantee the relevance and
plausibility of the researcher’s interpretations. To safeguard confidentiality and
anonymity, no identifiable participant information was revealed during this
process.
To ensure the accuracy and trustworthiness of the findings of the
study, the researcher utilized the four criteria suggested by Lincoln and Guba
( 1985): a) credibility (in preference to internal validity); b) transferability (in
presence of external validity/generalizability); c) dependability (in preference
to reliability); and d) confirmability ( in preference to objectivity).

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Credibility or internal validity was demonstrated as the researcher
dedicated an extended period of engagement with the participants, persistent
observation, and member checking. This aided in establishing the
participants’ perspective as the determinant of believability. With the
researcher spending prolonged time with the participants, the opportunity was
opened in understanding the participants’ views and experiences, checking
for misinformation, and building trust. Additionally, to ensure that the data are
interpreted and presented in a manner that is authentic and credible, the
researcher returned to the participants to determine whether they could
identify their experiences in the descriptions served. This enhanced the
conformability of the data and the interpretation of it.
Furthermore, to ensure the authenticity of the data, the researcher
strived to use the participants’ own words where possible to describe their
experiences and tried to illustrate the multiple realities and experiences that
exist. Likewise, the raw data were constantly consulted to remain connected
to the participants’ voices and verify the credibility of the research process
and ensure the dependability of the data.
Meanwhile, to warrant the accuracy and trustworthiness throughout this
study, the researcher worked to achieve transferability or external validity.
Lincoln and Guba (1985) conveyed that to establish transferability, a dense
description or information from collected data must be presented. The
narratives constructed in this study answered the need for a thick description
of the experiences of the homeless people. More detailed descriptions of the

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context were provided to enhance the transferability of the data and allow
others to know when it is appropriate to transfer the findings to another
setting.
Moreover, the researcher conducted peer debriefing wherein external
auditors were requested to assist in exploring every aspect of the inquiry by
probing for meaning, ethical and legal issues, researcher’s biases, and
methodologies.
In addition to maintaining accuracy and trustworthiness throughout this
study is the principle of dependability, wherein any changes that occur during
the study were noted. To check for dependability, the researcher maintained
the field notes to record changes and observations during the study. An
external audit wherein an impartial individual requested to examine the
process and products of the observations was also utilized as a source to
keep dependability. The external audit also assessed for the accuracy of the
research, hence strengthening dependability.
Lastly, to guarantee accuracy and trustworthiness, the principles of
confirmability or objectivity was were applied in the study. This refers to the
confirmation of the findings of the study by others. The researcher requested
an external audit not only of the findings but also of the raw data, data
reduction and analysis products, data reconstruction and synthesis products,
process notes, materials relating to intentions and dispositions and instrument
development information and the inclusion of the researcher’s notes. All of
these were used to establish dependability and demonstrate confirmability by

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others. Raw data include the electronic recordings, the researcher’s notes
while interviewing, participant observation, and the researcher’s reflective
journal. Data reduction and analysis products included summaries from
researcher’s notes, transcripts and preliminary coding and thematic analyses
and data reconstruction and synthesis products were the narratives,
descriptions of cross narrative themes, and conclusions, along with the final
paper.
Notes in Chapter III
Chase S E. 2005. Narrative inquiry: Multiple lenses, approaches, voices’ in N

K Denzin and Y S Lincoln (eds) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative
Research Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA: 651-80.

Page
Clandinin, J. D. & Huber, J. (2010). Narrative Inquiry. Science Direct.

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.01387-7 Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080448947013
877?via%3Dihub
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
De Landa, B. (2009). Research compliance office: the Belmont report history,

principles and application. Stanford University. California:USA.
Hunter, S. V. (2010). Analysing and representing narrative data: The long and
winding road. Current Narratives,1(2),44. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/48828886_Analysing_and_re
presenting_narrative_data_The_long_and_winding_road
Lincoln, Y.S.,& Guba,E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA:

Sage.
Nocon, F. P., Torrecampo, J. T., Balacua, M. M., & Daguia, B. (2010).

General Statistics
Made Simple for Filipinos. Mandaluyong City: National Bookstore.
Phillion, J. 2002. Narrative inquiry in a multicultural landscape: Multicultural

teachingand learning. Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
Shuttle Worth, (2008). Descriptive Research design, Retrieved from http://

libguides.usedu./writing guide
van Manen, M (2014). The pathetic nature inquiry and nursing. In I.Madjat &
J. Walton ( Eds). Nursing and the experience of illness: Phenomology in
practice. (pp. 17-35). London, UK: Routtledge.
van Manen, M (1990). Researching lived experience: Human Science for an

action sensitive pedagogy. Ann Arbor, MI: Althouse Press.
CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the results of the analysis and interpretation of
data pertinent to the study lived experiences of homeless people. This chapter

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also involves discussing the findings in relation to other studies conducted by
other researchers on similar subjects.
To have a clear and comprehensive presentation of findings, this
chapter is subdivided into four (4) parts parallel to the specific questions
enumerated in the Statement of the Problem in Chapter I of this study.
Part I presents how homeless people face challenges while on the

streets.
Part II presents how homeless people survive in society despite a lack

of financial support.
Part III discussed the resiliency factors they develop or possess that
contribute to their ability to survive in their society.
Part IV describes the effects of being homeless in terms of crime .
Part I. Challenges faced by homeless people.
Alias Toto, is the name of the homeless people that the researcher
observed during the days. As observed, the following are the struggles faced
by the homeless people.
Financial
Financial stress, particularly for those with families, is mostly caused by low
salaries and costly rent. They will have to deal with not having enough money
to cover their daily expenses, rent, and other household costs. In actuality, a
key factor in rising rent is the high cost of housing and the scarcity of cheap
housing. It was observed that Toto has been struggling when it comes to
purchasing goods for his own. He usually picks fruits from a tree.

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Evans, Sullivan, and Wallskog (2016) examined two years' worth of data from
the Chicago, Illinois-based Homelessness Prevention Call Center (HPCC).
The HPCC connects callers to funding from various programs and
organizations based on an evaluation of criteria rather than offering a
specialized internal financial support program. With data on eligibility and
shelter use, the researchers could conduct a natural experiment to determine
if the availability of funds affected shelter utilization. In this model, funding
availability varied dramatically over time (as programs arrived and departed).
Factors like changes in call volume or seasonal variations could be controlled
for. In other words, if the money was effective, the likelihood of seeking refuge
would be lower when there was more funding available.
Psychological.
Homelessness is a terrible experience, and traumatizing events like losing

one's home are common among homeless people. Older people are
particularly affected by the trauma of living in shelters and on the streets, as
their experiences of homelessness raise their risk of developing several
health issues and premature aging.
Participant discussed both painful experiences while homeless as well as

trauma in early childhood that may have contributed to homelessness. The
men talked about how the structural problems with homelessness made them
feel imprisoned, how they were mistreated by support providers, and how
living on the streets exposed them to external hazards like violence.
According to the study's findings, there is a clear need for supporting services
and treatment that are trauma-informed and sensitive to the urgency of
homelessness as it affects men in their later years.
The individuals that were questioned had recently experienced homelessness

and were presently reliant on various assistance. By fostering an open
discourse between the researchers and the participants, the communicative
methodology allowed for a deeper exploration of the participants' personal

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stories. The findings of the qualitative analysis demonstrated the importance

of a strong network of solidarity in helping participants overcome their
homelessness and address related issues (such as alcohol and drug abuse),
which in turn had an effect on their general wellbeing and the formation of
more solidarity-minded attitudes.
Part II. Survival
Toto had an independent mindset, were elderly, and some had been
homeless for an extended period of time. This said that embracing
independence would be important rather than staying with family or friends.
The same embracement seems to apply to the males who claimed to be too
proud to remain with family or friends or to not want to be a burden to them.
Pride and burden are included under the theme of independence since they
appeared to have traits in common with independence in the data.
Typically, when talks regarding the pros and cons of staying with family or
friends, independence emerged from the data. As a strategy to deal with the
homeless lifestyle, I deduced from the coding process that wanting
independence had a lot to do with pride and respect for oneself.
Psychologically speaking, Toto is not comfortable with mingling or staying with

friends. He mentioned:
“Ayoko kasi hindi ako sanay sa ingay. Madali ako mairita pag sobrang ingay
ng paligid. Kahit sinasabi nila na dun ako manatili, pinipili ko parin na magisa”
homeless lifestyle, I deduced from the coding process that wanting
independence had a lot to do with pride and respect for oneself. One of the
men I spoke with described the professions he had taken throughout his life.
He continued by explaining that his inability to work was due to his long
history of smoking, which caused him to develop COPD and Emphysema.

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The man described in the excerpt below how he used to see the homeless
before he became unable to work.
Despite of this, sense of independence has been the reason why the
homeless man survived despite of lack of financial support.
Part III. Resiliency Factors.
On this part, there is an emerging theme arose from the observation

and some interview during the process.
Independence.
homeless lifestyle, researchers deduced from the coding process that wanting
independence had a lot to do with pride and respect for oneself. One of the
men I spoke with described the professions he had taken throughout his life.
He continued by explaining that his inability to work was due to his long
history of smoking, which caused him to develop COPD and Emphysema.
The man described in the excerpt below how he used to see the homeless
before he became unable to work.
I didn't have any concerns about bothering my family or friends.

Participant expressed concern about burden, though, when I discussed living
with family or friends as an option to homelessness with participants.
Examining the interview data revealed that load resembled independence. In
other words, a homeless person decides not to bother family or friends since
they don't want to create a difficult living situation for their loved ones.
Homeless people may be a great resource for anyone or groups wanting to
understand and successfully solve the homelessness problem. He also feel
they can survive on their own without the refuge offered by family or friends.
Part IV. Crime in Relation to Homelessness.

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The themes emerged on the interview and observation is victimization.
One of the most vulnerable communities in the nation is in risk due to the
current rules that criminalize homelessness. Laissez-faire is the ideal strategy
for dealing with this vulnerable homeless population since it essentially just
means to leave them alone. Most homeless people just hurt themselves and
their senses. The mere fact that someone finds them annoying does not
justify destroying an entire population. But since it doesn't seem to be the
direction our nation is going with regard to the homeless, there has to be at
least greater assistance accessible to them. More aid is required to help the
unemployed obtain employment. Finding work challenges must be
discovered, then overcome.
It is difficult to undertake such an ethnography because of obstacles. The

homeless camps are frequently deliberately difficult to discover. The people
who live in these encampments do all they can to prevent law enforcement
from finding them or from hearing about them from someone who may. They
must make such covert efforts in order to survive. Therefore, it would take
time to even locate an encampment to approach for investigation, but it is not
impossible. Once an encampment is discovered, the homeless may refuse to
participate in a research project out of fear of law police intervention.
Based on the observation, most of the people passing by the homeless

people are going to the other way. It is also seen on the scenario that most of
the trashes are thrown in front of where Toto is staying which is the cemetery.
It was been concluded that homeless people are victims of unequal treatment.
He also shared that he sometimes was being physically abused by unknown
individuals. He admits that he do not want to fight and he feels that he has
mental issues so he has no choice but to endure the punches or to escape
and run.

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CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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This chapter presents the summary of the findings of the study based on the
gathered data. This also includes the conclusions drawn, which were derived
from the findings and the recommendations for the usefulness of this study to
its readers, benefactors and researchers.
Summary:
The general problem of the study is “what are the factors affecting the live
experiences of Homeless people in the three Districts of Bataan?”
Specifically, it seeks answers to the following questions:
1. How do homeless people face challenges while on the streets?
2. How do homeless people survive in society despite a lack of financial

support?
3. What resiliency factors do they develop or possess that contribute to

their ability to survive in their society?
4. How may the effects of being homeless in terms of crime be

described?
5. Based on the findings, what crime causation program may be

proposed?
Objectives of the study
 To get a better understanding of the issues that play a role in the lives
of homeless people
 To identify the obstacles that homeless individuals overcame and how
are they able to overcome them.
 To identify the variables that contribute to homeless persons being able
to survive.

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This study aimed to identify the lived experiences of homeless people in

the province of Bataan and utilized the narrative inquiry type of qualitative
research. Although considered a relatively new methodology in qualitative
researches, a narrative inquiry has already been widely used. Purposive
sampling or sometimes purposeful, selective, judgmental sampling, has
been largely used in qualitative researches. This study utilized a narrative
inquiry research method, which comprises the researcher retelling the
participants’ life stories.
Hence, to gather data pertinent to the present study, the researcher used
a interview guided question consists of rearranged questions regarding
written responses from the subjects of the study – homeless people in the
province of Bataan. The survey questionnaire used by the researcher was
personally constructed based on what is needed and what could lead to
answering what the study is looking for.The guide questions which the
researcher used were ensured effective and reliable. In developing and
improving the in-depth interview guide, the researcher passed through
several processes. Aside from the researcher’s observation of the needs
and answers to the researcher’s questions which were the foundations of
the development of the guide questions, they were also products of
consultations and several validations.
Other sources of the questionnaire were taken from the informal
interview and personal experiences of the researcher in the lives of
homeless people related subjects and courses. The guide questions were
properly validated by the chosen professionals and underwent grammar
checking with the help of English Language teachers.
There were several processes were to gather essential data for this
study. Before formally starting the data gathering process, the researcher
secured a letter of validation from the members of the Specialization
Committee of the Department of Criminology. Afterward, the researcher
asked for a letter of permission from the Bataan Heroes Memorial College,
noted by the Thesis Adviser to inform the office of the current undertaking.

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The letter was to ask permission from the municipality and the participants
to be interviewed are affiliated. When the permission was received and
granted, a letter was sent to the participants to seek approval for the
conduct of in-depth interviews and participant observation. When all letters
were delivered and permission was received, the researcher formally
embarked on the data-gathering processes.
Each participant was oriented beforehand and it was discussed with

them the merit and concerns of the study. The consent form was
presented to the participants and each part was also presented to the
participants and discussed thoroughly. Information regarding the benefits
of participating in this research project along with any possible risks has
also been discussed with the participants. The participants were assured
of confidentiality through the study and were informed that they were free
to end or terminate the interview or ask questions at any time. After
explaining to them the consent form and content, they were asked to sign
the waiver to formally include them as participants of the study.
Conclusion:
Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. Financial and Psychological are the challenges faced by the homeless

people.
2. Independence is the resiliency factor in survivance of the homeless
people.
3. Victimization was the emerging theme in experiences of homeless
people in terms of crime.
Recommendations

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Based on the findings, the following recommendations are formed:
1. Law enforcers should have a program regarding crimes in relation to

being homeless. This includes the partnership of the PNP and the
DSWD so that homeless people will be feel safe and crimes will be
diminished.
2. Policies regarding victimization of homeless people should take in to
consideration. Coordination to the Baranggay Police must be done to
have peace and orderly community regardless of the homeless people
residing in the Baranggay.
3. Additional research design such as experimental research design is
highly recommended to test the result and output of the study.

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LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCE OF

BATAAN: BASIS FOR CRIME CAUSATION

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Women and children are disproportionately impacted by homelessness

Families who do not have consistent residency or the support needed

The National Statistics Office of the Philippines defines the homeless

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 2 | Page

Many facets of homelessness have been criminalized due to

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 3 | Page

loitering, jaywalking, or possessing open containers, against the homeless

Statement of the Problem

Specifically, it seeks answers to the following questions:

1. How do homeless people face challenges while on the streets?

2. How do homeless people survive in society despite a lack of financial

3. What resiliency factors do they develop or possess that contribute to

4. How may the effects of being homeless in terms of crime be

5. Based on the findings, what crime causation program may be

Objectives of the study

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 4 | Page

 To identify the obstacles that homeless individuals overcame and how

Homeless people from each of selected Municipalities in Bataan

An interest in biographical particulars as narrated by the people who

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 5 | Page

According to Chase (2005), a narrative is "the telling of a tale, either

Significance of the study

Law Enforcement. by identifying the factors that contribute to the

Community. Homeless people have become victims of battery,

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 6 | Page

Homeless People. This study serves as the basic foundation of

Future Researchers. The result of this study may serve as a

Government. a government is a body vested with the supreme power

Homeless. an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether

Law Enforcement. the agencies and employees responsible for

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 7 | Page

Ordinance. is a local law that prescribes rules of conduct of a general,

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 8 | Page

Quinn, Jean.(2019) “UNANIMA International & NYU Capstone Project:

Real Change.(2012) “Homelessness in the Philippines.” Real Change

Gray, Mel and Nicolas, Justin.(2017) “A unique sustainable livelihoods

Forst, M. (1997). The police and the homeless: Creating a partnership

Mcnamara, R., Crawford, C., & Burns, R. (2013). Policing the

Van Manen. (1990). Phenomenology as an Educational Research

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 9 | Page

comprehension of the study.

Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning theory and Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of

One approach to get an understanding of the factors that lead to

homelessness is to use conflict theory. Karl Max is credited with having

undergoing change as a consequence of conflict. It views interactions with

other people as a kind of competition. According to this point of view, society

is composed of individuals who compete with one another for limited

considerable component of cutthroat competition for limited resources.

Human relationships almost always include competition rather than reaching a

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE PROV… 10 |

consensus. Certain individuals and organizations have more resources and

involved in competition. This theory is commonly used by sociologists as a

method to investigate the distribution of resources, power, and inequality, and

they ask the question, "Who benefits from this?"