STREET CHILDREN

In The Perspective of Pakistan

 LAYOUT
Introduction

Categories of street children

Types of street children (UNICEF)

Causes in forming the personality of street

children
Problems in the street

Case study

Interventions and policies to help street children

 BACKGROUND

Street children exist in every part of the world

and large groups of children unsupervised by
adults have appeared in almost every country
during some part of history.

These children live a transitory life style and are

vulnerable to inadequate nutrition, physical
injuries, substance use, and health problems
including sexual and reproductive health
problems.
 The term street children refers to
children for whom the street more than
their family has become their real home.
It includes children who might not
necessarily be homeless or without
families, but who live in situations where
there is no protection, supervision, or
direction from responsible adults.
- Human Rights Watch
 UNICEF DIVIDES STREET CHILDREN
INTO TWO MAIN CATEGORIES

1. Children on the street are those engaged in

some kind of economic activity ranging from
begging to vending. Because of the economic
fragility of the family, these children may
eventually opt for a permanent life on the
streets.
2. Children of the street actually live on the street
(or outside of a normal family environment).
Family ties may exist but are tenuous and are
maintained only casually or occasionally.
UNICEF HAS DEFINED THREE TYPES
OF STREET CHILDREN
Street Living Children: children who
ran away from their families and live
alone on the streets.
Street Working Children: children who
spend most of their time on the streets,
fending for themselves, but returning
home on a regular basis.
Children from Street Families:
children who live on the streets with their
families.
REASONS OF LIVING ON THE
STREETS
CAUSES FOR DISTINCT PERSONALITIES
OF STREET CHILDREN.

Economic Factors

Family Factors

Personal Factors
 3. ECONOMIC FACTORS
Economic need is often cited as being the cause for
children to live and work on the streets as parents
cannot afford the costs of education and are forced
to send their children to the streets ( Densely &
Joss
2000).

Poverty
Unemployment
 2. FAMILY FACTORS
Large international studies have found that
the
majority of street children left home in order
to
escape dysfunctional families and lack of
parent care in the form of neglect and physical
and sexual violence (Price 1989).
Parental Arguments

Split or Broken Families

 1. PERSONAL FACTORS
Evidence suggests that many children in
Pakistan
make a personal decision to live and work on the
streets to acquire autonomy (AMAL 2004).

Independence

Freedom from Education

Addiction of Drugs
PROBLEMS OF STREET LIFE
 PROBLEMS OF
STREET CHILDREN

Lack of Education

Health Conditions

Abuses

Crimes

Drugs

Murders
A 16 YEAR OLD CHILD IS ARRESTED
FOR AN UNKNOWN CRIME
EDUCATIONAL STATUS SHOWED A PATTERN OF
GENERALIZED ILLITERACY ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY
 The
number of children
living
independently in
the streets totals
between 100
million and 150
million worldwide,
and it is forecasted
that by 2020 the
number will
increase to 800
million.
OTHER DRUGS INCLUDING HASHISH,
OPIUM AND HEROIN
MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Neglected by their society and deprived of family
stability; they are often stigmatized reducing their self-
esteem and potential for personal growth.

They often have low self-esteem as an

individuals status is determined by their
work in community or their role in the family

For those that do not have family homes to

return to, there is a lack of stable and
dependable relationships in their lives

They are vulnerable to abuse and

harassment from their peers, the public, and
the police.

Attainment of these basic needs utilizes

the majority of their time and energy.
CASE STUDY
 CASE STUDY
One particular type of drug abuse which is beginning
to plague the street child community in Pakistan is
solvent abuse. More accurately known as VSA.
In easy words its glue sniffing.
Street children around the world are reported to sniff
glue in countries such as India, Russia, Kenya,
Ukraine, Morocco, Brazil, Bolivia, Thailand and
Romania.
Why they sniff glue.
CASE STUDY
The medical consequences
of solvent abuse among
street children in Pakistan
are: chest infections,
breathing difficulties,
generalized weakness,
gastric upsets and
headaches.
 CASE STUDY
Next step stronger drugs like heroine, hash etc.
The social consequences of solvent abuse for street
children include group violence over solvents, police
threats and community neglect.
Role of NGOs in helping street children.

Azad Foundation (Dastak drop-in-centre)

The Promise House shelter in Karachi.

IMPACT
Who is the Responsible of
Street Children?
 MONEY
OR

ATTENTION
Street Children are not USELESS

They are USE LESS

Faltu College
FINDINGS
 ANALYSIS
ABOUT THEIR
FUTURE

They will not survive to adulthood.

They will grow up to be criminals.
They cannot be rehabilitated.
They turn into terrorists or revolutionaries.
They will become addicts.
They will be abusers.
 ROLE OF GOVT.
Pakistan is in great in need of appropriate policies.
Govt. has not formally acknowledge this problem.
Only limited no of NGOs are working..Like Azad
foundation,UNICEF etc.
 CONCLUSION
There is a dire need to develop some strategies to
prevent children from suffering, from drug abuse and
often untimely deaths.
1. Government should take immediate actions for their
rehabilitation by establishing support systems.
2. Drop in centers with all health facilities should be
available for them.
3. Educational and vocational amenities should be
provided to them.
4. Civil society and the families of these children
should be involved in the remedial process for the
children.