Another thing I've noticed recently: "rough sleeping" not "homeless"

... is how it's more often referred to in the media (or my digest of it, anyway) these days. It strikes me this is a turn of phrase which puts the onus on the victim having made a choice or somehow being culpable, whereas "homeless" comes across as having been denied by a larger force.

Maybe I'm being over-analytical, but it is out there, being used, and if it's a conscious decision to change terminology, then you have to ask why? Language always has an effect.

Posted By: APB on November 28th 2019 at 11:35:45

Message Thread

"Norwich currently has the second-highest rate of drug deaths in England & Wales" (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 28, 10:01:55
- Linked to homelessness which has been rapidly increasing for the last 10 years. (General Chat) - avenging canary, Nov 28, 12:16:47
  - better (General Chat) - Worzel Scrimmage, Nov 28, 15:29:26
- FWIW we get alot of clients from Norwich,many with substance abuse issues. (n/m) (General Chat) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Nov 28, 11:50:35
- Another thing I've noticed recently: "rough sleeping" not "homeless" (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:35:45
  - No, that’s not true (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 28, 11:52:08
    - OK - thanks. I would say though that I've not really noticed the change in coverage ... (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 12:00:25
  - That's interesting. Minded to agree. (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 28, 11:39:21
    - An adjective labels you and is more fixed, a verb is dynamic and gives you ownership. (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:42:16
    - ...altho from a quick google, may actually be well-intentioned (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Nov 28, 11:41:59
      - Possibly so - it massages the figures slightly as well if you only count those you can see (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:45:15
- i would not be surprised of some of this is directly related to london (General Chat) - Tombs, Nov 28, 10:19:17
  - I work in a NHS Mental Health trust (General Chat) - maidstoneyellow, Nov 28, 13:11:02
    - Trouble is,I assume it's the same in Kent,but psychiatric hospi (General Chat) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Nov 28, 13:19:44
      - Yes, this is true. You need to be clean before admitted to services, (General Chat) - maidstoneyellow, Nov 28, 13:24:01
    - and yes, 'County Lines' are a massive problem with crime (General Chat) - maidstoneyellow, Nov 28, 13:15:44
  - It's not the rise of knife / violent crime per se, as a lot of the OT gangs perpetrate it. (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:40:00
  - I think you misspelled 'Conservative policies' (General Chat) - norway, Nov 28, 10:28:29
    - Let's not forget the part played by Jo Swinson and her coalition crew (n/m) (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 28, 11:24:16
      - sigh (General Chat) - Tombs, Nov 28, 11:28:42
        
        not you personally DoY btw (General Chat) - Tombs, Nov 28, 11:29:38
        
        No, it's a fair point (General Chat) - duke of york, Nov 28, 11:32:51
        
        I'm not sure it is, one party has made ending homelessness a mainstay of their manifesto (General Chat) - Worzel Scrimmage, Nov 28, 15:36:08
    - massive soup kitchens it is then (General Chat) - Tombs, Nov 28, 11:22:02
      - It's all incredibly depressing. (n/m) (General Chat) - norway, Nov 28, 11:24:27
- As someone who no longer lives in Norwich or indeed Norfolk I do think its (General Chat) - Jim, Nov 28, 10:15:47
  - exactly the same can be said about Cambridge (n/m) (General Chat) - Ralf Scrampton, Nov 28, 11:28:20
    - And Bath (General Chat) - CWC, Nov 28, 11:36:41
  - That’s the nation as a whole, reflected in Norwich. (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 10:51:57
    - I had to laugh at “the broadly Tory-dominated BBC Radio 4” (General Chat) - Old Git, Nov 28, 13:14:18
      - Sarah Sands, Amol Rajan, Nick Robinson etc are whom I'm referencing (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 13:21:19
    - To be honest, I'd have to say that my perception coming back is that Norwich has (General Chat) - Steve in Holland, Nov 28, 11:03:10
      - It was noticeably worse in Manchester city centre last time I was there. (General Chat) - Garry Brooke, Nov 28, 11:41:56
        
        One of the things I’ve heard from homeless peeps is that often they feel safer on the (General Chat) - Steve in Holland, Nov 28, 13:53:32
        
        That's because the shelters are full of substance abusers.I've (General Chat) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Nov 28, 14:12:04
        
        That's because the shelters are full of substance abusers.I've (General Chat) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Nov 28, 14:11:24
        
        Innit. (n/m) (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:47:04
      - One of the last times I went to Birmingham it was particularly obvious. (General Chat) - APB, Nov 28, 11:28:35
        
        Paris has always been bad. (n/m) (General Chat) - Steve in Holland, Nov 28, 13:52:26
      - part of the high drug related death stat would be i'd imagine that (General Chat) - Tombs, Nov 28, 11:25:07
        
        While some of the homeless are locals (one was a school friend of mine) I also have the (General Chat) - Steve in Holland, Nov 28, 11:28:32
        
        The one I know of has alcohol problems rather than drug (General Chat) - Steve in Holland, Nov 28, 11:29:14

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