Children working in the streets of Colombian cities: Different pathways to the street lead to different populations

Abstract

Street children can be found worldwide, but their prevalence is higher in developing countries such as Colombia. The present study tests the hypothesis that there are three different populations of children in the streets of Colombian cities. 1. Homeless children, 2. Displaced children, and 3. Working children. Using data from the study Trabajo infantil en las calles de ciudades Latinoamericanas and multinomial logistic regression, the type of population was regressed on sociodemographic and work-related variables. When compared with working children, displaced children are more likely to be under 5 years old, to have adult supervision, and to beg. They are less likely to have a social security affiliation. Homeless children are likely to be older, to work for longer periods of hours, to be boys, and to beg. They are less likely to attend school. The study supports the hypothesis that there are three different populations of children in the streets of Colombian cities. The results suggest that different approaches to improving the lives of these three groups of children are needed.