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Article

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Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Publication Details

Child abuse and neglect, 23(8), 759-770 (1999)

Abstract

Objective: This paper examines the findings from recent studies of street children in Ethiopia. Methods: Following a discussion of the term “street children,” comparisons are drawn between Latin American and Ethiopian street children in terms of gender, age, reasons for going to the streets, family relations and structure, delinquency, drug use, groups and the outcomes of street life. In particular, the victimisation of street children in Ethiopia is examined. Results: Widespread abuse of street children was reported. More than half of the street boys questioned reported being “regularly” physically attacked. Street life is also highly victimogenic for street girls. Sexual offences, in particular, were widespread. Forty four per cent had been raped and a further twenty six per cent had been sexually attacked. Conclusions: Similarities between Latin American street children and their Ethiopian counterparts regarding gender, background and street life experiences are noted. Comparisons concerning the victimisation of street children were not possible, as this is an issue that is relatively unexamined in the Latin American context. Also, issues such as the developmental outcomes of street life and the process of leaving street life remain to be examined.

DOI

10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00047-2

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