Characteristics and Personal Social Networks of the on-the-Street, of-the-Street, Shelter and School Children in Eldoret, Kenya

Abstract

Most of the street-based children are not educated beyond primary school and their living conditions are based on begging and doing odd jobs in the market and streets. Forty-six percent of the on-the-street children live with one parent, and 97 percent of the of-the-street children have lost contact with their parents. The on-the-street children have a higher percentage of family sector networks than the of-the-street children and the shelter or institutionalized children. Generally, school children still have strong family ties.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Substance Use Practices Among Street Children in Western Kenya

“…These children often return home at night to sleep, maintaining familial ties. Children of the street both work and sleep on the streets and have an absence of regular contact with family members (Ayuku, Kaplan, Baars, & de Vries, 2004; Ayuku et al, 2003; Fernandes & Vaughn, 2008; Kaime-Atterhög & Ahlberg, 2008; le Roux, 1996; Plummer et al, 2007; Von Acker, Oosrrom, Rorh, & De Kemp, 1999). Both groups of street children are stigmatized and vulnerable to a wide range of physical and mental health problems (Ayaya & Esamai, 2001; de Carvalho et al, 2006; Fernandes & Vaughn, 2008; Morakinyo & Odejide, 2003).…”

Initiation to street life: a qualitative examination of the physical, social, and psychological practices in becoming an accepted member of the street youth community in Western Kenya

“…It is possible that these rules may be grounded on past hostile and abusive experiences and further studies are need to better understand how these rules are established. With lack of parental or societal guidance as well as low education levels [12], also evident in our findings, what is viewed by the larger society as abusive, to the street community, is mundane. The fact that these children remain on the streets with hostile conditions signifies the sense of belonging, value, and solidarity they place in their structures [9].…”

“…Once on the streets, children form a strong social network with well-defined leadership roles, group dynamics and rules [8–10]. The majority of these street children are illiterate [11, 12] and have limited or no contact with their families [7, 12]. Hence, they rely on their street networks to provide them with the physical, psychological, and social support they would have otherwise received from their families [7, 8, 12].…”

“…The majority of these street children are illiterate [11, 12] and have limited or no contact with their families [7, 12]. Hence, they rely on their street networks to provide them with the physical, psychological, and social support they would have otherwise received from their families [7, 8, 12]. Unfortunately, these social networks as well as the hostile street environment, promote early sexual practices [13–16], physical abuse, and drug and alcohol use [16–18], as coping mechanisms.…”

Theory and research in Mexican social psychology

“…Faced with the practical challenge of 'helping' an unstable number of street children researchers initially approached the children with a rather traditional set of methods and techniques. Given the failure of traditional fi eld methods, the researchers also witnessed the inadequacy or inaccuracy of traditional concepts, including the classic distinction between children of the street and children on the street (Ayuku et al, 2004;Taçon, 1981). In the process of searching for a method, the research group realized that, many of the questions that arose during their visits were explained by the presence, behavior and views of the outsiders that visited the children, including the research group itself.…”