Running Head: STREET CHILDREN OF INDIA 1

Street Children of India

Kelly W. Bayless

Professor Kathy S. Faw RN, MSN

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

NUR 3113

April 5, 2017

Honor Code “I pledge...”

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Introduction

It is believed that there are tens of millions of children living on the streets in the

world. These children, simply referred to as “street children”, are concentrated the highest in the

cities of India. Street children are defined as children between the ages of 5-16 that live in

poverty or live solely on the streets. Feeling that they have no other choice, these children turn to

a life of hard labor, stealing, and drugs in order to cope with their situations. Some of the biggest

issues facing the health of these children are “a lack of access or substandard educational and

medical facilities, or absence of emotional support from their poverty-stricken families” (Gupta

2012). The majority of these children go about their lives without a familial support system or

formal education. Due to a lack of education and family, these children end up perpetuating the

cycle of poverty that plagues India. The numbers of Indian street children are increasing every

year and there has been a call for action to help these at-risk youths. Their health, and

development, depend on global inaction to help them overcome their situations.

Social Determinants of Health

Many street children admit that they began a life on the streets to avoid an unstable home

life riddled by poverty and/or abuse. In fact, one study found that almost 80% of Indian street

children reported either a deceased or absent father (Gupta 2012). With almost all of these street

children born into poverty, it seems that their lives are part of an inevitable result of a self-

perpetuating cycle; born into poverty to remain in poverty. Once leaving their families, these

children end up traveling to crowded urban areas where they accept the streets as their new

home. Many studies on the topic of these Indian street children have shown a correlation

between a withdrawal from family and community and poorer outcomes for their health (Woan

et. al 2013). There also was a connection between gender and likelihood of entering a life on the
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street. Boys were found to be twice as likely to become street children as a result of a culture that

believes the men should help to sustain the family (Woan et. al 2013). From the results of many

studies, it seems that the main social determinant in the health of Indian street children is

poverty.

Evidence-based Interventions addressing Health Needs

Living off of the streets and with hardly any money to their names, these children often

go without meals or water. The street children not only suffer from malnutrition, but also are at

high risk for infections and illicit substances abuse. The most common illnesses found in these

children are skin diseases, fever, and rhinovirus (Gupta 2012). Many of these conditions go

untreated as the clinic service providers view these children as thieves and almost as lost causes

(Gupta 2012). Unfortunately, these children also turn to cigarettes and drug use at very young

ages as a means to escape the reality of their lives. The most common form of drug use among

the Indian street children demographic is inhalation of ink eraser fluid (Dhawan 2015). This

presents a problem as an inhalant is often a gateway drug for these children, leading them to a

life of addiction and pain (Dhawan 2015). Aside from the physical effects of this life, there are

also long lasting mental ones as well. In a study looking at the socio-economic profile of street

children of Delhi, it was revealed since many of these children are in their formative years they

fail to acquire any sort of “master and competence to develop their personality adequately”

(Gupta 2012). Aside from the expected illness and malnutrition of an Indian street child, it seems

that this lifestyle also puts them at greater risk of mental development and addiction.

Global Approach in Addressing “Health for All”

Addressing the growing epidemic of street children in Indian would require a multi-

faceted approach since it is so complex. First and foremost, there need to be resources and
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programs for these children to aide them in overcoming their adversities. One article even

suggests the implementation of NGO’s to have a large, global reach and to be able to collect

funds and materials to support this growing issue (Gupta 2012). A second suggestion is to have

clinics where these children would feel comfortable and safe to have their medical needs taken

care of. With so many clinics chasing them away, this population needs a haven that can not only

take care of their health but also can lead them in the right direction to getting off the streets.

This could also entail having educational facilities and shelter for these children. Lastly, one

thing that truly should be enacted for these at-risk youth is available treatment services to help

them overcome any addictions (Dhawan et. al 2015). This would be monumental in helping these

street children to get on the right path and is a service that is considered a luxury rather than a

necessity at present time. These children cannot better their lives and start fresh if they are

battling substance addiction on a daily basis. With the addition of programs, health clinic, and

substance abuse counseling, the street children of India really would stand a chance to break the

cycle of poverty and better their lives.

Conclusion

Prior to this paper, I was completely unaware of the street children of India who are in

such dire need. It seems that the cycle of poverty is the major contributing factor to these

children turning to a life on the street. Although India has the highest concentration of street

children in the world, it is a problem of global proportions. If different countries could unite in a

solid effort to combat this issue, this issue could surely be alleviated. By helping to provide safe

havens for medical care and education, these children could stand a chance to surpass their

poverty-stricken beginnings to go on to a productive life. The issue of substance abuse is one that

could also be alleviated with the availability of substance abuse counseling provided for these
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children. With a joint effort to combat the most significant impacting factors, these children

could get the help they so desperately need and could stand a chance to break the cycle of

poverty.
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References

Dhawan, A., Chopra, A., Ambekar, A., & Ray, R. (2015). Treatment seeking behavior of inhalant

using street children: Are we prepared to meet their treatment needs. Indian Journal of

Psychological Medicine,37(3), 282-287. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.162918

Gupta, A. (2012). Social determinants of health—Street children at crossroads. Health,04(09),

634-643. doi:10.4236/health.2012.49100

Woan, J., Lin, J., & Auerswald, C. (2013). The Health Status of Street Children and Youth in

Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of

Adolescent Health,53(3), 314-321. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.03.013