Children of the Street: Why are they in the Street? How do they Live?

Abstract

IntroductionChildren form one of the main populations to be victims of poverty worldwide (Gordon et al., 2003). Children of the are now regarded as a particularly vulnerable population (see for instance UNICEF, 2002; Wernham, 2001). International agencies and NGOs have already explored central issues regarding these (e.g. UNICEF, 2002; CIDA, 2001; Witter, 2002).All of the are subject to some form of institutional violence, which denies them the right to live and to develop fully in a secure environment. Even where there is some justification for the prevailing public opinion, attempts to eradicate the problem by violence are clearly short-sighted and poorly thought out. This aggressive approach mirrors extensive misunderstanding about the living conditions and difficulties faced by these and is, in part, fueled by the media seeking to sensationalize the issue. For example, regular allegations are made that things such as drug-related crime and poor mental health are rife amongst of the street, none of which is supported by any empirical evidence (Aptekar and Stocklin, 1996). In fact, of the usually actually adopt socially constructive strategies (Orme and Seipel, 2007).Children of the face many difficulties. They are marginalized by their societies and are seen as pariahs. In countries in Africa and Latin America, businessmen hire police to get rid of of the as they are considered to be a threat to business (Aptekar and Stocklin, 1996). In Latin America, the issue is compounded by class and race. An elite class with European origins produces no of the street. Children of the come either from the indigenous peoples or have African origins (Aptekar, 1994). Claims that the problem stems from poor or inadequate parenting may be made simply to justify police attacks on the basis of an attempt to instill respect for authority. In fact, it is more likely to polarize both the problems and the societies in which they are found.With the goal to correct the sensationalist view on of the street, this article provides an overview on two questions: why live in the street; how they live.The article is constructed as follows: in the first section we look at the definition and extent of the phenomenon. In the second section, we review the factors that directly promote the phenomenon. These factors are mainly of two types: poverty and neglect or violence within the family. From this standpoint it appears that a more detailed analysis of the interactions between these two categories has yet to be carried out. In the third section, we describe how of the survive. This mainly involves their organization into gangs on the territory they occupy. Finally, we conclude.1. The definition of of the and issues related to measurementThroughout the substantial literature, terms such as and youth are used extensively. The expression street children is far from being an accurately defined category. Hall and Montgomerry (2000) state that these terms are not neutral, and are used as much to alert the public to the living conditions of such individuals as to describe their stages of life. However, the lack of precision of the term also makes it difficult to determine the exact extent of the problem.1.1. Street children: distinguishing between on the street, at risk and of the streetAccording to UNICEF (1984), constitute a multifaceted phenomenon that can be divided into at least three categories: on the street, at risk, and of the street. According to Lalor (1999), the category of on the streets is made up of working on the streets in order to survive. These generally belong to a family, return home at night (Le Roux, 1996), and are under their parents' protection. …