Exposure to maltreatment and urban violence in children working on the streets in São Paulo, Brazil: factors associated with street work

Abstract

Objective: To quantitatively study the exposure to childhood maltreatment and urban violence in children from families with at least one child working on the streets and to investigate the relationship between these factors and street work. Methods: Families who participated in a nongovernmental organization (NGO) program to eliminate child labor were included. Data concerning sociodemographic characteristics, punishment methods used in the family environment against the children, five types of abuse and neglect perpetrated by the caregivers, urban violence exposure and family functioning were collected. Results: The sample included 126 children who were working on the streets and 65 siblings who were not working on the streets. Caregivers reported high levels of severe physical punishment. The children reported high levels of abuse and neglect, and high levels of urban violence exposure. The families showed a predominance of dysfunctional and unsatisfactory relationships. A multiple logistic regression model showed that age older than 12 years and severe physical punishment at home were associated with street work. Conclusion: Interventions to decrease the risk of child street work should be family-focused and should aim to reduce violence in the family environment.

Street and drug use experiences among sheltered children and adolescents in the Federal District of Brazil

“…There were significant associations between time going to the streets, age, and number of years behind the expected school level; boys were more behind the school level and had been going to the streets for a longer time than girls. Over 20% of the participants used to work on the streets, mainly guarding cars and/or selling small things at traffic lights, a situation that is commonly seen in other Brazilian cities (Hoffmann et al, 2017; Maciel et al, 2013; Mello et al, 2014; Moura et al, 2012) and other countries (Pinzon‐Rondon et al, 2009; Taib & Ahmad, 2019). While begging was referred by 84% of the street children interviewed by Nascimento (2009), it was not mentioned by the population of the present study, probably because over 50% of them received money from parents, relatives, or others.…”

Livelihoods Used by Street Children for Survival in Bamako, Mali

“…UNICEF gives two terms for street children: children of the street and children on the street (Andrea et al, 2014). However, Children of the street are distinctly different from Children on the street (Lugalla & Mbwambo, 1999).…”

Factors related to the cortisol awakening response of children working on the streets and siblings, before and after 2 years of a psychosocial intervention

“…The Urban Violence Questionnaire is an instrument with questions about viewing or being a victim of violent events that happen in the streets of inner city regions, such as seeing gun shots, viewing dead bodies and being beaten by gangs or others, with yes or no answers. For more detailed descriptions of the instruments see previously published data at Maciel et al (2013) and Mello et al (2014).…”