Street Girls Research Articles

The dynamics of street children in Nigerian cities: the significance of age and gender

ABSTRACT The characteristics of street children are a subject of contention among researchers. While some researchers affirm that the backgrounds of street children, despite some differences, are remarkably similar, others opine that the characteristics of children are diverse, changing by location, context and over time. Consequently, emerging research attention has shifted to focusing on and developing a deeper understanding of their predicaments and daily experiences on the street. To have a nuanced account of street children in Nigerian cities, the study recruited 788 from Ibadan, Osogbo and Akure, using convenience sampling approach. The participants include 532 (67.5%) street boys and 256 (32.5%) girls. The sampled street children were disaggregated by their variety of experiences, predicaments and aspirations using their age and gender. The findings show that street children’s schooling status, risks of violence/abuse, drug use and career aspirations, among others, vary considerably between street boys and street girls. Therefore, it is recommended that the intervention programmes for street children be sensitive to the diversity of their involvement with the street and that the formulation of intervention policies be cognizant of the differences in age and gender among street children.

Exiting Commercial Sex Work: a Case of Adolescent Street Girls of the Harare Central Business District in Zimbabwe

AbstractThe paper interrogates narratives of adolescent street girls of the Harare Central Business District, Zimbabwe, exiting commercial sex work. A qualitative research methodology punctuated by street ethnography was adopted to gather data for the paper. A feminist social work approach and empowerment theory were used to have a deeper understanding of the lives of these children. Research findings suggest that there were very few cases where adolescent street girls of Harare Central Business District were successfully exiting transactional sex. There were varied and multiple reasons why they could not successfully exit commercial sex work. Some of them included addiction on commercial sex work, limited survival options outside commercial sex work, peer pressure, street subculture, and substance abuse. The paper concludes by advocating and lobbying key stakeholders such as the Government of Zimbabwe to improve the lives of children in street situations through provision of social protection mechanisms.

THE USE OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS AMONG STREET LADIES IN ABA METROPOLIS OF NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Introduction: The use of psychoactive drugs among ladies is engaged in on an alarming increase in the postmodern Nigerian society, as it remains one of the public health and social vices that affects the contemporary human community.
 Purpose: The objectives of this study were to identify the drugs mostly abused and to determine the risk behaviours they engage in when under the influence of psychoactive drugs.
 Methodology: This study adopted a cross-sectional approach involving the use of oral interview and a semi- structured questionnaire as the instrument of data collection. This involved 20 interviewees in simple random selection. The data collected were analyzed using a descriptive statistics and statistical test of significance and results presented in charts.
 Findings: Major findings in this study attest to the fact that the mostly abused psychoactive drugs are Cigarette, Indian hemp, tramadol and codeine, cocaine. The use of psychoactive drugs is precursory to mental health challenges, depression, and behavioural abnormalities among younger women. The risk behaviours engaged when under the influence of these psychoactive drugs are aggressiveness/ ready to fight, unrestricted sexual activities, desire for more drug use. Consequently, the study findings maintain that the perpetration of heinous crimes that are carried out in the society cannot be independent of the influence of drugs, since the abused psychoactive drugs alter the normal function of the brain thus affecting the mental health of the user.
 Contribution to theory, practice and policy: Therefore, public health education and promotion with a focus on dissuading the unrestricted circulation and abuse of psychoactive drugs, especially among Aba young ladies is perceived profitable.
 Conclusion and Recommendation: Community awareness regarding drug and substance among women and constant checkmating of the activities of street girls should be carried out.

Girl-Child Streetism and Possible Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Streetism is a growing problem worldwide and Africa is one of the continents with the highest population of street children. United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) refers to street children as children whom the street, more than their family, becomes their real home. The recent statistics released by UNICEF revealed that States in the North-east and North-west regions of Nigeria have female primary net attendance rates of 47.7 per cent and 47.3 per cent, which shows that more than half of the girls in those parts of the country are not in school. This paper examined streetism from the gender perspective, to draw the attention of the government, civil societies, and other stakeholders towards responding to the menace of street girls. This study was carried out by conducting document analysis and careful study of various secondary data sources obtained online. Google scholar, Scopus, and African Journals Online (AJOL) were used to retrieve journal articles, news items and other electronic materials written on the complexities of streetism as it affects girl children in Sub-Saharan Africa. High vulnerability to violence, rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancy are the major problems found in the literature to be of peculiarity to street girls. Special programmes such as street education and literacy, and vocational skills acquisition programmes for street children were suggested as possible interventions to respond to the menace of streetism in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Ghazal with a radif taken from Charles Bernstein . . ., and: Makdisi Street Calligraphies

Ghazal with a radif taken from Charles Bernstein . . ., and: Makdisi Street Calligraphies Marilyn Hacker (bio) Ghazal with a radif taken from Charles Bernstein . . I was up at dawn reading the Graun on election day.My airmailed vote was back in my home town on election day. People preferred a modest man to lead them.The autocrat would have preferred a crown on election day. Often enough, you have to show your papersto cast a ballot if your skin is brown on election day Wasn’t there a horror film, where childrentake poisoned candy from an evil clown on election day? Six hundred children in detention centersor foster homes, whose parents can’t be found on election day. A Kurd from Ilam dove into the churningwaves while his boat sank. He drowned on election day. The autocrat loosened his tight red necktie.His wife drank vodka in her dressing gown on election day. Protestors marched to the golden tower, turnedtheir backs to it, and pulled their trousers down on election day. Alone in quarantine I’m a bad witness.Was “Change” a verb, or static abstract noun on election day? [End Page 19] Makdisi Street Calligraphies For Fady Joudah Wine fucked up my sleep,one glass of white Obeidywith dinner for one, the pile of dictionariespushed aside on the oilcloth. Alone or not, Isometimes drink that wine, sleep well.The oud-playing wine merchant on Souraty Streetsmiled, small wry affirmation. * Three small beggar girlsdanced and clowned in front of thehotel manager having a smoke on the steps.He joked with them, had them guess which hand held some coins.One dashed into the lobby,and was chased out. Two ran in again. He took offhis belt, lashed. They fled, laughing. * [End Page 20] Rain lashed the terrace,generator ziggurats,air ducts, washing lines one kitchen window lit up.Clouds scudded past a half-moon. Awakened by dropson the panes, Februarystorm that might bring spring, I looked at my watch in thepenumbra, four-thirty, day. *The hundredth day ofthe intifada, awakehours before too stressed to be resisting.No revolution, only ginger-cinnamontea by the window, curtainspushed aside to watch five street girls run past, shouting“The people want the fall of . . .” * People linger onthe Corniche, kids ride rentedbikes, Sunday fishers [End Page 21] on the rocks. Februarysunlight already feels like spring, could recedeback to rain and riots.Now, garrulous light. Sea behind her, a womanin niqab takes a selfie * Borderline self,outside a revolutionseason that’s changing no one knows yet into what.It’s late for more rain. The boy on the roof acrossthe street—autistic, maybe—there daily, pulls his sweatshirt hood over his head,stares down at the puddling street. * Down Makdisi Streetthe revolutionariesare banging on pans and chanting. Monday morning,maybe the banks will open [End Page 22] and students will getto school, despite roadblocksor being locked in their rooms so they won’t jointhe street cortege banging pans . . . * Wash the frying pan,all the coffee cups, plastictakeout containers, decide what to pack in theswift-departure duffel bag what to leave behind,thinking of Fadwa: “our inkwill be attar and laurel.” Never returned. Wager inthe fridge: half bottle of wine. [End Page 23] Marilyn Hacker Marilyn Hacker is the author of fourteen poetry collections, including Blazons (Carcanet) and A Stranger’s Mirror (Norton), a book of essays, Unauthorized Voices, and eighteen books of translations of French and Francophone poets, most recently Samira Negrouche’s The Olive Trees’ Jazz (Pleaides Press). A Different Distance, a collaboration with Karthika Naïr, is forthcoming from Milk-weed Editions in December. Copyright © 2021 University of Nebraska Press

Reasons for the Street Girl’s Entry into Commercial Sex Work: A Case Study of the Harare Central Business District, Zimbabwe (RSGECSWH)

Reasons for the Street Girl’s Entry into Commercial Sex Work: A Case Study of the Harare Central Business District, Zimbabwe (RSGECSWH)

Lived experiences of street girls in Côte d’Ivoire

PurposeThe United Nations continues to identify street children as one of the most vulnerable sub-populations of children and youth globally. The purpose of this paper is to present social and contextual perspectives of 11 girls living on the streets of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Implications with respect to the development and delivery of effective sexual/reproductive and mental health interventions and services are discussed.Design/methodology/approachThrough semi-structured interviews and applied qualitative thematic analysis, this paper aims to achieve in-depth understanding about the lives of 11 girls living on the street. A socio-ecological framework is utilized to interpret the experiences of the girls at the individual (micro), community (mezzo) and structural (macro) levels.FindingsSix main themes evolved from the thematic analysis of interview transcripts: exposure to violence and abuse before and on the street, exposure to violence and sex work, risk and vulnerability to HIV, substance use and sex work, substance use and physical and reproductive health and ways of coping and future planning.Originality/valueThe interplay of experiences illustrates how girls navigate their lives, and along with an appreciation of intersectionality validates the need for an integrated approach to health and social care related to health and mental health services. Integrated interventions should focus on common issues such as improving access to HIV testing and contraceptives for young girls living on the street.

The street school Srikandi as an empowerment model of humane education for the street girls of non halfway house in Surabaya

The street children have not had a solid emotional mental, however they must deal into the life of street that harsh, competitive and tend to affect negatively for their personality development. Their where abouts on the street is not motivated by family economic factor only, but it is also influenced by the disharmony of role and function of family rules and social environment influences. The street children empowerment that had been conducted by the halfway house does not run effectively. This research was aimed to identify problems faced by the street girls, to describe the efforts to overcome the problems faced by the street girls, and also developing the empowerment model for the street girls in Surabaya who do not stay in the halfway house. This research used qualitative method. The problems are often experienced by the street girls, for instance violence. Besides, imitative behavior arises as a respond towards behavior that happened to them. The parents also play role in the process of social control. The empowerment model that is designed is the educational empowerment through revitalization of family rules. Moreover, life skills education has to be strengthened to improve the welfare standard of living.

The perceptions and attitudes of adolescent street girls on the use of traditional medicine and commercial sex work in Harare Central Business District

The paper argues that there is a close relationship between use of traditional medicine and commercial sex work among adolescent street girls in Harare Central Business District. As a result of using the traditional medicine one could argue that this demonstrates agency of these young adults. The agency is demonstrated when these adolescent girls use the medicine to facilitate commercial sex work. On the other hand one could argue that, use of traditional medicine in commercial sex work illustrates huge rights violations prevalent on the streets of Harare Central Business District. The behaviours associated with commercial sex work and use of traditional medicine could be viewed as contravening some provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) (1989), African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (ACRWC) (1999). Included are violations of some of the national child rights laws and policies such as the Children’s Act (5.06), Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (9.23) and the National Action Plan for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (NAP for OVCs) (2011-2015). This study is part of the researcher’s doctoral study which used street ethnography and qualitative research methodology.

Network analysis of knowledge and practices regarding sexual and reproductive health: a study among adolescent street girls in Kinshasa (DRC)

Objectives: The aim of the study was to ascertain the influence of knowledge and interventions in sexual and reproductive health and contraception practices among adolescent street girls from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among street girls between 12 and 21 years of age. A standardised questionnaire was used, encompassing socio-demographic data and knowledge and practices regarding sexual and reproductive health. A network analysis was carried out.Results: The study comprised 293 street girls. The mean age was 17.1 years (range 12–21 years) and the mean time spent living on the streets was 3.9 years (range 0–15 years). Commercial sex was reported by 78.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 73.3%, 83.2%) as the main source of their income. During their last sexual intercourse, 44.0% (95%CI 38.1%, 50.4%) had not used a condom; 29.3% (95%CI 23.3%, 35.9%) had used hormonal contraception. Previous pregnancy was reported by 62.5% (95%CI 56.7%, 68.3%) and current pregnancy by 12.3% (95%CI 8.8%, 17.2%); 24.5% of previous pregnancies ended in voluntary termination, with a higher rate among the youngest street girls (12–15 years, 50.0%; p = 0.01). Time spent living on the streets was independently associated with pregnancy (odds ratio 1.2; 95%CI 1.1, 1.4). Practices and outcomes (previous or current pregnancy) were poorly correlated with knowledge about sexual and reproductive health. The network analysis confirmed the poor influence of exposure to intervention activities on sexual and reproductive health practices and outcomes, but did confirm a centrality effect of knowledge about HIV/AIDS.Conclusion: Street girls in Kinshasa are extremely vulnerable with regard to their sexual and reproductive health, especially the youngest street girls. Behavioural and biomedical interventions have had limited influence. Structural and societal changes are necessary to positively impact street girls’ sexual and reproductive health. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS than about risk of pregnancy had a greater influence on sexual and reproductive health practices.

The Development Model of Street Girls Empowerment in Surabaya

Street children do not have a solid mental emotional yet, but they have to deal with a tough street world, competitive, and tends to affect negatively to the development of their personality. The presence of the street children on the streets are not only motivated by economic factor, but also influenced by the disharmony in the role and functions of the family and the influence of the social environment. The empowerment of street children that has been done by the shelter was not yet carried out effectively. This study aims to identify problems that are experienced by street girls, to describe efforts to overcome the problems experienced by street girls, and to develop a model of empowerment for street girl in Surabaya who do not occupy a shelter. This study used a qualitative method, where data is collected through participation observation and in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative analysis model of Miles and Huberman. The problems of street children were often experienced by girls, such as violence. Then, the problems led to survival mechanisms. In addition, the emerging imitation behavior as a response to the behavior that directed to them. The parents also play a role in the process of social control. The empowerment model that designed is the empowerment of education through the revitalization of the family. Additionally, creating access to formal education for the street girl through scholarships mechanism. Life skills education needs to be strengthened to improve the welfare of living. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1p562

Streetism as a Social Tragedy in Amma Darko’s Faceless

This paper examines the issue of the street child, which has become a menacing characteristic of the modern society with all its vaunted air of sophistication, pride and civilization. Streetism is a worldwide phenomenon. Haunted by poverty, abuse and brutality at home, many teenagers seek comfort in the streets. But the freedom offered by the streets is actually no freedom as the boys become bullies with funny aliases like Macho and Poison while the girls are either lured or coerced into prostitution with its attendant negative consequences which range from contending with unwanted pregnancies, engaging in abortion to contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In spite of the daunting nature of streetism as a social malaise this paper contends that it is not insurmountable. This is the artistic significance of Kabria’s family and MUTE, the non-government organization saddled with the rehabilitation of street girls. The paper concludes, however, that a lasting panacea to the problem of streetism lies in bringing love back to the family unit, parent’s control of their urge for a robust procreation and responsible government, which should not be found wanting in doing the needful to support planned parenthood organizations, equip welfare homes and equipping law enforcement agencies to create an enabling environment for all citizens.

Young People and Sexuality

After spending two years in Egypt doing an ethnographic study of street girls in Cairo, I (Nelly Ali) was struck by the lack of published academic material on the subject of street girls in general, and on the methodological and ethical challenges, problems and barriers that researching childhood and youth sexualities presents in particular. At the shelter, the ethical dilemmas were not straightforward to reconcile and had not been covered in my ethics procedure or preparation. As the dilemmas themselves were not easy to categorise, reconciling them needed a degree of diplomacy and tact. One such situation arose when Taghreed, a 15-year-old mother at the shelter, shared in a group therapy session that she had previously engaged in a sexual relationship with one of the girls in a government correctional institution where she was held before coming to the shelter. As soon as she had finished sharing this piece of information, she was instructed to not elaborate any further and keep the story for a one-to-one session with her therapist. After this incident, Taghreed was no longer permitted to spend time alone with the under fives because of the ‘danger’ this posed to the children. When I asked what had happened and why the staff suddenly felt she was a threat, they said:

Street Girls and Their Fight for Survival Across Four Developing Countries

Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches this study explored the lives of 115 girls on the streets, the data were gathered from the cities of New Delhi (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), and Pretoria (South Africa). The average age of the sample was 15.17 years and the sample comprised of family based, street based, and shelter based children. The results indicated that the girls who were street based were at maximum risk of being involved in antisocial activities with peers, being low on problem solving, and high on depression and mental health related problems. However, the sample was also high on community engagement, religiosity, and individual attributes of self esteem, self efficacy, and resilience. The results were further substantiated via protocols from the participants. Given the vulnerable position of the girl child on the streets, programs that directly address the well-being and health of the girl child, especially those who are street based, are important to be examined.

Child Maltreatment: International and Legal Issues

Objectives This systematic review appraises published studies reporting associations between homelessness, perpetration of physically violent behavior and experience of victimization due to others' physically violent behavior, among young people. Methods A comprehensive systematic search of psychology, sociology, and health electronic databases, including PsycInfo and SocIndex was conducted. Search terms examined (a) homeless youth, (b) perpetration of physically violent behavior, and (c) experience of victimization due to others' physically violent behavior. Results Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings showed homeless youth report engaging in physically violent behavior including assault, physical fights, and robbery, and commonly describe victimization experiences such as being physically assaulted, threatened with weapons, and robbed. Rates of perpetration of physically violent behavior and experiences of victimization were inconsistent across reviewed studies. It is unclear whether homelessness is a predictor of the perpetration of physically violent behavior and/or victimization. Findings suggest that perpetration of, and being victimized by others' physically violent behavior, may vary for sub-groups of homeless youth. Conclusions Further research embedded within theoretical perspectives that consider the influence of situational antecedents is warranted to examine whether homelessness is predictive of engagement in physically violent behavior and the experience of victimization due to others' physically violent behavior. Language: en

시대와 함께하는 신화 -피그말리온의 귀환-

희랍 신화속의 조각가 피그말리온은 미적으로 완벽한 조화를 갖춘 조각상을 완성한 후, 자신이 만든 조각상과 사랑에 빠져 비너스에게 그것을 인간으로 변신시켜 달라고 기도한다. 인간으로 변한 조각상과 그는 결혼한다. 버나드 쇼의 영화 <피그말리온>에서 언어학자 히긴스는 런던 길거리에서 꽃 파는 여인 일라이자를 데려와서 그녀의 말투와 태도를 상류층 여성의 그것으로 바꾸어 놓는다. 히긴스는 신화의 피그말리온과 달리 피조물의 겉모습뿐만 아니라 내면까지도 변화시켜 놓아 그녀는 주체성을 회복한 '신여성'으로 변모한다. 영화 <어글리 트루스>의 애비는 철저한 계획성과 지식을 요구하는 방송국 피디로서 성공한 삶을 살고 있는 것 같지만, 그녀의 삶은 진정한 인간에 대한 이해와 애정을 바탕으로 한 이상적 관계를 부정하고 있다. 애비와는 달리 마이크는 본능과 감성을 매우 중요시 여기는 삶을 살고 있으며 마이크의 이러한 태도는 차가운 조각상 같은 애비를 따뜻한 피가 흐르는 인간으로 서서히 바꾸어 놓는다. 두 편의 영화에서 피그말리온들은 결함이 많은 여성을 외적으로 뿐만 아니라 내적으로도 바꾸어 놓아 그들과의 진정한 소통을 가능하게 하고 있다. The Greek sculptor, Pygmalion, created a sculpture which was perfect in shape and fell in love with it. He prayed the goddess of love, Venus to transform it into a real woman. She answered his asking, and he finally got married to her. In Bernard Shaw's movie, <Pygmalion>, the linguist, Dr. Higgins, brought a street girl, Eliza Doolittle to his home and educated her standard London dialect and upper-class manners. Unlike the Greek sculptor, Higgins changed not only her appearance but also her inner identity, then she became 'a new woman' of the age. Abby in <The Ugly Truth> seems to live a successful life of thorough planning and pursuing knowledge, but there is no place for her to express natural instinct and human emotion. On the other hand, Mike is a totally different type of a person from her. Like a Greek sculptor, he changes her into a woman who can truly understand other people from her heart and listen to what her inner-self says to her. The Greek myth metaphorically suggests the way to build true relationships between people of all times.

From Street Girls to “VMC” Girls: Empowering Strategies for Representing and Overcoming Place-Memories of Violence in Colombia

Memories of violence for “street girls” (referred to as VMC girls in this article) are stored in multiple places across geographic scales. From particular private places to blood-stained street corners, VMC girls' movements throughout the city are haunted by place-memories of violence. Based on findings from youth-driven participatory action research (YPAR) with VMC girls in Bogot´, Colombia, this article re-presents violence through their eyes by drawing from participatory writing workshops, place-perception interviews, street-corner cartography, and textual reflections in fieldnotes on violence in the socio-spatial context of VMC girls. The inclusion of VMC girls' voices through qualitative data excerpts takes the reader on a journey through these young people's minds, voices and visions of Bogot´. Through a description of how VMC girls exercised their “right to the city” during the project, the article discusses strategies adapted by the YPAR team to overcome experiences of violence and to re-envision the urban spaces in which violence occurred. These strategies include artistic expression and different acts of “speaking out” in which VMC girls alter spaces in order to erase painful place-memories of violence and construct an alternative geo-narrative of the city.

From Street Girls to “VMC” Girls: Empowering Strategies for Representing and Overcoming Place-Memories of Violence in Colombia

From Street Girls to “VMC” Girls: Empowering Strategies for Representing and Overcoming Place-Memories of Violence in Colombia

City of Orphans (review)

Reviewed by: City of Orphans Elizabeth Bush Avi . City of Orphans; illus. by Greg Ruth. Jackson/Atheneum, 2011. 350p. Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4169-7102-3 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4169-8260-9 $9.99 Ad Gr. 5-8. The Geless family, Danish immigrants in 1893 New York, needs every penny the parents and older children can make to keep their heads financially above water. Thirteen-year-old Maks Geless may feel Poverty breathing down his neck, but when he's shaken down for his newsboy pennies by the Plug Ugly gang, he understands what true destitution looks like. He invites Willa, the ferocious street girl who champions him, home for a meal, only to walk into a family crisis: his older sister Emma has been accused of stealing a gold watch from a room at the Waldorf Hotel, where she's a chambermaid. Now the family is short a vital income, Emma needs money for food in prison and for a lawyer, and the Plug Uglies are still threatening Maks. Inspired by the sensational detective stories that a boarder in the Geless household reads aloud each evening, Maks and Willa seek the services of crotchety, consumptive Bartleby Donck, a private investigator who pulls in a favor to get Maks a job at the Waldorf and then directs the children's sleuthing activities. Although the matter of the purloined watch is set up as a mystery, there's little tension or intrigue in the search for clues, and the villain's identity comes freighted with more pathos than surprise. Tenement life among the working poor is of more interest, and readers who expect a work of historical fiction are likely to be better satisfied than those who seek a crime thriller. A brief list of materials for further reading and viewing, including several titles written for children (though not identified as such), is appended. [End Page 134] Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The 2nd Generation Street Children (SGSC) in Accra: Developing Teaching Strategies To Enhance Positive Learning Outcomes in Schools

Ghana is witnessing an increasing number of 2nd generation street children (SGSC) living in the street of Accra, the capital city as a result of many factors including teenage pregnancy among street girls, ethnic conflicts and rural-urban migration. Street presents enormous risks to street children; they are excluded from safe-family environment, basic services like health and education, and protection against exploitation. This article explored the inclusion of 27 SGSC in regular schools in Accra. Using qualitative methods, we obtained data from 15 teachers and social workers directly involved in the inclusion project. Finding revealed that SGSC were provided with pedagogical materials, daily feeding and school-related needs to encourage school attendance. To enhance positive learning outcomes of SGSC, teachers employed explicit instruction, cooperative learning, and social skills instruction. The study concludes that inclusion of SGSC in regular schools requires a willing and responsible school leadership; a comprehensive needs assessment including street mapping and social investigation on SGSC; financial support; and training of school personnel on streetism.