Understanding streetism from the street children's perspective : a qualitative approach
Abstract
Streetism is a worldwide phenomenon. A number of studies have been
conducted on streetism and street children yet little is known about the views of
street children on streetism. Studies that focused on streetism explored what
adults said about streetism, and not what street children said. This is where I
located my study. The aim of my study was to understand streetism from the
street children’s perspectives.
This study was qualitative in nature and the draw-and-write technique was used
to collect data. The draw-and-write technique involves the use of drawings
accompanied by narratives that explain the drawing. The study involved 12 boys
and 12 girls classified as children-on-the-street. Children-on-the-street typically
“work” on the streets and return home in the evenings. I asked them to make
drawings that depicted streetism and to write narratives in which they explained
their drawings.
After a thorough examination of the drawings and the narratives, the following
themes were derived: street children were dealing with loss or the death of loved
ones; they were experiencing lack of safety and security in their communities;
they were experiencing violence and abuse in their families; they had future
hopes, which help them cope with poverty; and they had religious faith. The
literature that I studied mentioned some of the foregoing themes as risk factors to
streetism, and some are referred to as resilience resources. To the participants,
streetism entailed risk and a measure of well-being.
Therefore, these findings contribute to theory and practice. The findings also
suggest future research opportunities. Government, schools, Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGO), communities, psychologists and social workers can use
these findings to help children at risk.
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