For both ethical and methodological reasons, eight youths who had experienced homelessness conducted most of the interviews which used a semi-structured questionnaire. The participants were told that the interview would cover the experience of homelessness, but were not told that the research focused specifically on the fear and experience of violence. Results showed that most of the youths were aged 12-15 when they left home. Fifty-three percent left home because of physical violence, sexual abuse, or both. The majority were out of school and were unemployed. Ninety-two percent had feared for their safety, 86 percent had been physically assaulted, and 52 percent had been sexually assaulted. The two major sources of violence were strangers and the police. They often did not report the violence. Results indicated the need for police training on these issues, housing, access to youth services, and access to health services. Tables, 20 references, and appended study instrument and consent form