No place is safe: violence against and among children and youth in street situations in Uganda

Abstract

This article explores street children’s exposure to and responses to violence based on data collected in 21 major towns in Uganda. Findings show that violence among Ugandan street children is endemic, perpetuated by both street children against each other and adults. Both male and female children suffer outright abuse from police, occasional strangers, and from each other. Boys were more frequently physically abused while girls were more frequently abused emotionally and sexually. The study recommends policy-oriented actions linked to addressing the variations in the vulnerability to violence among children on the basis of gender, age and other risk factors and targeting the change of attitudes and behavior among duty bearers in various settings, which result in violence against children on the street.