Homelessness in Different Cultures
Street Child Statistics
Due to the hidden nature and isolation of street children, the accuracy of statistics becomes a hard task to obtain; with this being said, UNICEF estimates there are approximately 100 million street children around the world. Latin America and India account for a little over half of the estimated street children. In Latin America there's up to 40 million street children and there's no less than 18 million in India. Multiple studies all determine that street children are most often boys between the ages of 10 to 14, with an substantial amount of younger children being affected. We must realize there are girls living on the streets too. although the reported numbers are smaller based on the stigma girls are more “useful” in the home. Some of their tasks include taking care of younger siblings and cooking responsibilities. A sad fact that accounts for this lower number of girls on the street is the reality they also a greater chance of being trafficked into the sex industry of prostitution from a young age as well as other forms of child labor.
Where do Homeless and Street Children Live Around the World
While homelessness is significantly an urban phenomenon, the reality actually shows homeless children are found living on the streets in every region of the world from developing countries to the most affluent countries both urban and rural settings alike. Latin America and India are responsible for producing the common images that come to mind when thinking of homeless children for their large populations of street children in these countries despite the great efforts of governments and non-governmental organizations to combat this growing problem. The AIDS epidemic and civil unrest in Africa, especially in the Congo have caused a severe increase in the number of street children. Children are left to wander as parents have been killed by the militias or have died from disease. Failing economies and currencies in Asia force the poorest families to turn to the streets leading to abandonment and homelessness in children. Unstable political transitions throughout our history such as Eastern Europe's end to Communism, caused exponential numbers of street children due to insufficient funding of social security towards the poor. Children often take the hardest hit from political, economic, and social crises within the countries they reside than adults. Most children lack the adequate institutional support to address their special needs both developmentally and physically. When these needs are not met, significant damage is done and they continue their existence on the streets all alone in the world. (Child and Youth Care Network , 2004)
Due to the hidden nature and isolation of street children, the accuracy of statistics becomes a hard task to obtain; with this being said, UNICEF estimates there are approximately 100 million street children around the world. Latin America and India account for a little over half of the estimated street children. In Latin America there's up to 40 million street children and there's no less than 18 million in India. Multiple studies all determine that street children are most often boys between the ages of 10 to 14, with an substantial amount of younger children being affected. We must realize there are girls living on the streets too. although the reported numbers are smaller based on the stigma girls are more “useful” in the home. Some of their tasks include taking care of younger siblings and cooking responsibilities. A sad fact that accounts for this lower number of girls on the street is the reality they also a greater chance of being trafficked into the sex industry of prostitution from a young age as well as other forms of child labor.
Where do Homeless and Street Children Live Around the World
While homelessness is significantly an urban phenomenon, the reality actually shows homeless children are found living on the streets in every region of the world from developing countries to the most affluent countries both urban and rural settings alike. Latin America and India are responsible for producing the common images that come to mind when thinking of homeless children for their large populations of street children in these countries despite the great efforts of governments and non-governmental organizations to combat this growing problem. The AIDS epidemic and civil unrest in Africa, especially in the Congo have caused a severe increase in the number of street children. Children are left to wander as parents have been killed by the militias or have died from disease. Failing economies and currencies in Asia force the poorest families to turn to the streets leading to abandonment and homelessness in children. Unstable political transitions throughout our history such as Eastern Europe's end to Communism, caused exponential numbers of street children due to insufficient funding of social security towards the poor. Children often take the hardest hit from political, economic, and social crises within the countries they reside than adults. Most children lack the adequate institutional support to address their special needs both developmentally and physically. When these needs are not met, significant damage is done and they continue their existence on the streets all alone in the world. (Child and Youth Care Network , 2004)
Social Impact
Jinan Zeidan's Blog
Homelessness has a profound impact on social exclusion between all age groups and genders alike. The frequent occurrence of changing locations and the never ending mobility of families makes it difficult for kids to ever feel comfortable and adjusted in their environments. Because of these high levels of mobility, children often lose contact with extended family which acts as an important means of support for the child. Extended families have been found to provide children with different interactions with them and their pees that also aid in helping the children belong and feel socially accepted. This void of family causes children's quality of forming solid, lasting relationships to diminish and they frequently have problems relating to peers, developing relationships with teachers, and maintaining friendships. A study done in Australia states how "frequent moves also left children feeling alienated, wary
of making friends soon to be left behind, and performing badly when they felt themselves to be outsiders.”
Feelings of being "abnormal" or "outsiders" were common in the studies completed both in Australia and overseas. These feelings of not belonging lead to isolation and exclusion in school activities. Over time this contributes to low levels of self-esteem in all developmental age levels as well as feelings of embarrassment of their different lifestyle compared to their peers. (McCaughey, 1991).
of making friends soon to be left behind, and performing badly when they felt themselves to be outsiders.”
Feelings of being "abnormal" or "outsiders" were common in the studies completed both in Australia and overseas. These feelings of not belonging lead to isolation and exclusion in school activities. Over time this contributes to low levels of self-esteem in all developmental age levels as well as feelings of embarrassment of their different lifestyle compared to their peers. (McCaughey, 1991).