Who Are Street Children

A child of the street is a child that has no

home but the streets. In these cases, the family
may have abandoned the child or they have no
family members left alive.
A child on the streets these children visit
their family regularly and most of them return
home every night to sleep, but spends most
days and late nights on the streets because of
overcrowding in their home, and/or sexual or
physical abuse
A Part of a street family these children live
on the sidewalks or city squares with their family.
These families are usually without homes due to
poverty, natural disasters, or even wars.
There are estimated to be around 120
million children living on the street in the
world- 30 million in Africa, 30 million in Asia,
and 60 million in South America
1 in 30 American children are homeless
(That is about 2.5 million kids)
Your Typical Street Child

The typical of age street child varies

from place to place - In developing countries
children as young as eight live completely on
their own. In developed countries, street
children are usually over the age of twelve.

Less than 30% of Girls live on the

street in developing countries and 50% in
developed countries

There are more boy than girl street

children for many reasons...- Girls are often
taught by their families and culture to be
submissive, and caring making it harder for
them to have behavioral problems. Because
they dont have as much behavioral problems
they have less conflict with their families and
dont need to leave there home. And the
authorities tend to pick up girls that are on the
street much quicker than boys.

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Why do children take the streets?

To earn money for themselves and

support their family most street children
have been denied a chance at schooling or
have dropped out of school and have nothing
to do. So they find work on the street to
support their family or themselves.

To find Shelter Some children leave

their house to make room for their younger
siblings or elderly family members. Other
children leave because they have no
alternative in this case, the parents usually
have passed away from an illness like AIDS.
Other children dont have anywhere to go
after they have been released from jail or a
detention center.

To escape family problems

Children take the streets to avoid having to
deal with dangerous issues at home such as
any type of abuse (Physical, Sexual,
Emotional). Some kids are kicked out of their

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 house because the parents dont approve of
the behavior or its consequences (Pregnancy,
homosexuality, or substance abuse)

Problems Street Children Face

Social Problems
o Poverty and illiteracy-
Street children lack the
basic resources to keep up a healthy
life. They have no money to buy food
which affects their development, no
money to buy decent clothing which is
highly necessary for the winter.
Because of the costs of
services most street children cannot
afford to go to school. Even where
schools are free, many children cannot
afford to buy uniforms, shoes and
books.
o Stigmatization -
Society view street children
as difficult children who are out there
to cause trouble.

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 They also think that street
children are uncontrollable and violent,
have substance use problems, They
tend to be unsympathetic to the street
childrens dilemma.
Physical Problems
o Lack of adequate Nutrition-
Even though some street children can
usually get enough to eat, they do not
have nutritious diets. This leads to
malnutrition, anemia and vitamin
deficiencies.
o sexual and reproductive
problems- Sexual and reproductive health
problems affect both girls and boys.
However, street girls are more vulnerable
to physical and sexual abuse and
exploitation. Common sexual and
reproductive health problems include
sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS,
unwanted pregnancies and unsafe
abortions

o Common Diseases- Street

children experience many common
diseases such as tuberculosis, skin
diseases, dental problems and parasitic
diseases which can be prevented easily if

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 these children have enough resources and
their basic needs are met.
Psychological problems
o Mental Health - The stresses that
street children experience makes them
vulnerable to emotional problems,
psychiatric disorders and learning
difficulties
o Substance use- Many street
children are involved in harmful use of
psychoactive substances. This can lead to
overdose, increase the chance of
accidents, violence, unwanted pregnancy
and unprotected sex. Over time, the
continued use of substances can lead to
complications such as brain and liver
damage

How street children survive

Survival for street children means obtaining food,

clothing and shelter, and protecting themselves
against violence and other forms of abuse. To survive
they need...
- Personal Strengths - depending on how resourceful and
resilient the child is are huge factors to determine his or her
survival.
-A peer group - Peers are individuals who share common
interests and needs. The peer groups have a strong influence

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on street children because of the child's need for acceptance,
belonging and protection. The group often determines the
process of change, socialization and development among
street children by providing emotional and material support

Street children often help in one another's survival. They

often join together to form emotional and material support
networks. The networks can range from a simple circle of
friends to an organized, business network. Experienced street
children teach newcomers how to survive. Members of the
group share food, clothing, shelter, information and
psychoactive substances.

-Chance Factors -An important thing that determines the

mode of survival is the people the child meets on the first day
away from home, whether it is a group of car washers or drug
traffickers.Being new to the situation he or she does not know
that there are other ways of surviving on the street.

-Exploiters -Street children may have to do many unhealthy

or dangerous things to survive. Other street children, the
police, and the adults who run the sex and drug trades may
easily victimize them.

https://www.unodc.org/pdf/youthnet/who_street_childr
en_module1.PDF

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