Review of related literature

This chapter reviews the related literature about the area of study. The manner of
review

includes first, discovering where the research is coming from. Second is identifying
the

extent of studies regarding the topic. Third is exploring the shortcomings of the
studies.

Accordingly, this chapter provides the necessary backbone and support in order for
the

research to stand credible.

By surveying the past researches related to the study, a historical perspective takes
place.

In this manner, this study is able to reflect, to compare, to learn from setbacks, and
to

produce a stronger and more efficient study. This part of the paper also provides the

research with a rich source of data, both new and old that enhances and enriches
the study.

The review of related literature focuses on discussing the following: (1) street
children

phenomenon1(2) street children in global perspective1

1. Street children phenomenon

The scenario is typical and painstakingly well known; a busy street lined with
different

establishments and shops that display the latest electronic equipment and the
latest

fashion, well-dressed individual going in and out, the sound of vehicles speeding by,

expensive vehicles, and the flash of neon lights. Every night, cities and towns come
alive

and urban life seems to reach its peak.

However, a typical scenario is also observable in the street. Some of these children
sell

cigarettes, flowers, and even lottery tickets while some of these children are just
loitering

and some of them are asleep in the arcades of the city. As the night goes by, street

children are seen sniffing solvents, smoking, gambling, and taking up with both
locals

and foreigners for a night of big money. This means taking on odd jobs in order to
earn

some money to ease their hunger or to give to their family who are starving to
death

(Childhope, 1993)2

2.Street children global perspectives

Worldwide, there were approximately 100 million children in 1993 that live on city

streets without care or shelter (World Health Organization 1993), a figure that
doubled in

a three-year period (200 million in 1996). The United States has over two million

homeless and runaway (at risk of becoming homeless) youth, 16% of whom have
run

away more than five times (Terrell 1997; Regoli and Hewitt 1991). Los Angeles
County

alone has over 10,000 street youths. Canadian cities have 150,000 homeless youth,
many

of whom are at high risk for AIDS (Davis 1993).

Some have estimated that as many as 70% of street children run away because of
physical and/or sexual abuse and family conflict (Jenks 1994). Others flee for
adventure

or freedom, but often confront unanticipated risks, some of which are life
threatening. 3

The "hard core" homeless youth may number as high as 500,000 in the United
States, but

services meet only a fraction of that in need (Baggett and Donough 1988).

Additionally, 500,000 juvenile prostitutes roam streets, many of whom are among
the

covert homeless and thus not included in statistical reports, because they ostensibly
have

shelter (Sereny 1985). In reality, they live a precarious existence with pimps or a
series of

boyfriends, or with other prostitutes (King 1991). On a global level, sexual

exploitation is

an enduring condition for girls.

In Australia, a country of under eighteen million people, the Human Rights and
Equal

Opportunity Commission (Burdekin 1989; O'Connor 1989) estimated that between

fifty

thousand and seventy thousand youth were homeless or in danger of becoming

homeless.

The same report stressed that homelessness was not merely a condition of being on
the

streets or the threat of homelessness, but in addition having a highly mobile life or

otherwise lacking security without dependable caregivers.

4In other recent studies, the research shows that family and peer influence,
individual

characteristics including behaviour and personality can also be considered as

factors that

influencechildren and adolescent to engage in substance abuse (Johnston, O’Malley

&

Bachman, 2003). There are several ways to determine if a youth is at-risk of

substance

abuse. Christle, et al (2002) cited that researchers have identified a number of

demographic and behavioural characteristics of youth that contribute to their risk of

involvement with substance abuse. The following behaviours are related to ethnic

minority status: aggressiveness, antisocial behaviour, difficulties in school and

school

failure (including educational disabilities). These risk factors are common

denominators

in the backgrounds of youth who require a variety of human services like child
welfare

services.

Hypothesis

The comparative study of street children and of children in normal family homes
consists

a number of hypotheses related to the socio- economic conditions in which the two

groups of children live. These are the following hypotheses:

1. Children in the street do not face difficulty to adapt to life in the streets

2. Children in the street are not likely to be failures in society4

3. Peer group influence has no effect on children living on the street

4. Single parenthood has no effect on the development of street children

5. Children living on the streets are not likely to be violent children

6. There were significant difference on how children in normal family homes and

street children live

Definitions of terms

1. Street children: refers to children who are homeless or those who are not
homeless yet

live on the street. Specifically, those children who are not taken care of by their
parents,

family, and other adults. These children usually live in abandoned buildings,

automobiles, parks, containers, or on the street itself. There are numerous

documents,

which stated the definition street children. The issue is that there are no specific

categories, but rather a scale ranging from those kids, who spend some time in the
streets

but essentially live at home. Again, there are those children who live wholly in the
streets

and do not receive parent care or no adult supervision.

52. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): an organisation that provides

long-term developmental and humanitarian assistances to mothers and children5

3.Non-government organisation (NGO): A non-government organization can be

defined as an association that pursues legal, cultural, social and environmental

goals; the

operation of an NGO is not driven by commercial or profit reasons. The funding used
by
the NGOs to support its different projects is typically derived from private sources.

NGOs are established for a number of reasons.

4.Schools: A school is a type of educational institution. The range of institutions

covered

by the term varies from country to country. In the United Kingdom, the term school

refers primarily to pre-university institutions, and these can for the most part be
divided

into primary schools (sometimes further divided into infant school and junior school)
and

secondary schools. 6

6
 Methodology

The study takes a close look at the street children phenomenon in the Philippines
focusing

specifically on the nature of this phenomenon in cities in the Philippines, i.e.,

. Olongapo, Subic Bay and Angeles City are precisely the study approaches the

subject of street children from a strictly comparative and synchronic stand – points,

showing how, at a given point in time, the lives of street children parallel or differ,
as the

case may be, from the lives of children in normal family homes.

The choice of the comparative approach is in response to the need to determine as

clearly

as possible, just how badly disadvantaged street children are in terms of the
facilities and privileges enjoyed by children in normal family homes. The randomly
selected

participants consisted of 325 respondents. Survey and interview methods were the
two

research instruments used for the data gathering.

The children living a normal life at home who have been chosen in this study

accomplished a survey questionnaire and the researcher interviewed the street

children.

The results of the survey were then processed by computing the weighted mean of
each

survey item. The computed values were compared to the Likert scale for data

interpretation. Relevant literatures were also used to support the gathered findings.

8The credibility of findings and conclusions extensively depend on the quality of the

research design, data collection, data management, and data analysis. This chapter
will

be dedicated to the description of the methods and procedures done in order to

obtain the

data, how they will be analysed, interpreted, and how the conclusion will be met.
This

section justifies the means obtaining the results in the study and helps in giving the
study

its purpose and strength, as it will then be truthful and analytical. All these will help
in

the processing of the data and the formulation of conclusions.

Specifically, this research will cover the following: the research design and method,
the

respondents or subjects to be studied (which will include the sampling method), the
data

collection instrument, and the data analysis. These will be presented below.

Research design

This study utilizes the descriptive method of research. The purpose of employing
the
descriptive method is to describe the nature of a condition, as it takes place during
the

time of the study and to explore the cause or causes of a particular condition. The

researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire to acquire first
hand

data from the respondents to formulate rational and sound conclusions and

recommendations for the study. According to Creswell (1994), the descriptive

method of

research is to gather information about the present existing condition. Since this
study is

focused on the perception or evaluation difference of the two contexts, the

descriptive

method is the most appropriate method to use.

Two types of data were used: the primary and the secondary data. The primary data
were

derived from the answers respondents gave in the structured questionnaire

prepared by

the researcher. In addition, the information obtained from the interview also
provided

primary research data that supported the study. The secondary data on the other
hand,

were derived from the findings stated in published documents and literatures
related to

the research problem. These were based from the recent literatures related to street

Children and the concepts cited by the respondents.9

9In terms of approach, the study employed both qualitative and quantitative
approaches.

The quantitative approach focused on obtaining numerical findings was used with
the
survey method. The interview on the other hand, made up the qualitative approach
of the

study as this focused on personal accounts, observations, description and individual

insights of the employees. This study employed the combined approach to

overcome the

limitations of both approaches.

Research Locale

This study will be conducted at Sua National High School found at Brgy.
Sua,Daram,Samar.The school is composed of ten (28) teachers and 761 officially
enrolled students.

Respondents of the study

In comparing the lives of street children with the lives of children in normal family

homes in cities in Catbalogan City,the study adopts a sample survey design.

All street children living within the city centre and market area in these respective
towns

formed the target group for the research. The point is that the central market area
and city

centre is the place where street children are most visible and active in the city.

The unit of analysis is a child living and sleeping in the central market place. Thirty-
five

of such children in each location form a representative sample of the city’s street
children

population where selected. However, in fact only one hundred and sixty six
respondents

where interviewed. Concerning children living in normal family homes, thirty

children

from three different primary schools in each of the locations form a representative
sample
of the population. In each of the three primary schools, the researcher randomly
selected

ten pupils form the target population. The unit of analysis is a child living with his or
her

parents or guardian in the city.

Overall, 175 individual children served in this study as a representative sample of

the

city’s street children and one hundred and fifty children served as a representative

sample of children living in normal family homes. The total representative sample of

three hundred and twenty-five children both street children and children in normal
family

homes formed the research population11

All of these participants were selected through random sampling. This sampling
method

is conducted where each member of a population has an equal opportunity to

become part

of the sample. As all members of the population have an equal chance of becoming
a

research participant, this is said to be the most efficient sampling procedure. In

order to

conduct this sampling strategy, the researcher defined the population first, listed
down all

the members of the population, and then selected members to make the sample.

The Likert format was the structure of the survey questionnaire. The questionnaire
does

not apply inclusion criteria for the individual applicants; hence, all are part of the

population. However, due to time and budget constraints, the researcher opted for a

smaller sample size.11

Research instruments

The study used two research instruments to gather pertinent data. These research

instruments are survey questionnaire methods and the interview method. The
structured

questionnaire was for the children who are living a normal family life at home. The

questionnaire given to these aimed to determine the condition of the children at

home. In

addition, this also aims to evaluate the how the life of these children differs from the
life

of the street children. On the other hand, the interview approach was conducted to
street

children12

Data Gathering Procedure

The primary data were collected by using the interview

schedule questionnaire and field observations as a

supplementary method. For purposes of this study, before

the administration of the survey questionnaire slight

modification was made from the online source titled “Why

are there street children?” [2]. The items were translated in

the regional language which is Waray. Each item was read

and carefully explained by the researcher to the respondents.

It was purposely done for their better understanding since

they are at their tender age. Survey questionnaires were collected

then given answers was tallied, analyzed and

interpreted using the frequency distribution table.

Appendices

Research Questionnaire

Children in Normal Homes

1. What is your name? (Optional) ………………………………………………………

2. How old are you?

a.1-5yrs b. 5-10yrs c. 10-15yrs

3. Sex:

a.Male b. Female

4. What is your religion?

5. Are you attending school?

a. Yes b. No

a) If yes, what class are you in?

a. class 1-2 b. 3-4 c. 4-5 d. 5 and above

6.. Do you have friends at school?

a. Yes b.No
Questionnaire for Street Children-Interview Schedule

1. What is your name?

2. How old are you?

A) 5 –10yrs B) 10 – 15yrs C) 15 –20

3. Sex: Male / Female

4. What religion do you belong to?

a) Christian b) Muslim c) Any other

5. Have you ever been to school?

a) Yes b) no

6 . If yes, what was your last class?

7. When did you stop attending school?

a) 1-5 month ago b) 6 – 12 month c) 1 – 2yrs d) 3- 5 yrs.

8. Why did you stop attending school?

9. Would you like to go back to school?

a. Yes b. No

10. Do you have friends?

a) Yes b) No

11. If yes, what are your friends doing?

12. How often do you see your friends?

a) Everyday

b) Often

c) Seldom

d) Long time ago15

13. Where are your parents?

14. Are your mother and father staying together?

a) Yes b) No

15.If No, which of the parents are you staying with?

16. What is the occupation of your parent /guardian

17.What kind of house does your parent/guardian live in

a. Permanent

b. Semi permanent
c. Temporary

18. Where do you live?

19. How do you eat?

20. How many meals do have while in the street?

21. What kind of activities do you do while in the street?

22. How long have you been in the street?

23. Where do you sleep at night?

a) House b) Street c) friends d) others16

REFERENCES

[1] Philippines to Rid Metro Manila of Street Children. (1997). [Online].Available:

http://pangaea.org/street_children/asia/metro.htm

2] Why are there Street Children. (2000). [Online]. Available:

http://www.toybox.org.uk/street-children/why-are-there-street-childre

n.aspx
[3] Who are the Street Children. (2011). [Online]. Available:http://gvnet.com/street
children/Philippines.htm

[4] A Study on Street Children in Zimbabwe. (n.d.). [Online]. Available:

http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/ZIM_01-805.pdf

[5] Beggar, Street Children Rounded Up In Zamboanga. 2006.

Zamboanga Journal, Zamboanga. [Online]. Available:

zamboangajournal.wordpress.com/2006/07/09/beggar-street-childrenrounded-up-in-
zamboanga/

[6] S. Cullen, “Jailed children are the victims of world poverty,” Preda

Foundation, 2005.

[7] “Kid's World in Zamboanga”. (2006). The Poor's World. Zamboanga

Journal. [Online]. Available:

zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/2006/05/kids-world-in-zamboanga-p

oors-world.html

[8] Rescue or ruin in Manila. (2008). The Australian National University

ANU News, Autumn. [Online]. Available: news.anu.edu.au/?p=457

[9] S. Damkjaer. (2008). Stairway away from Hell. ScandAsia - Denmark

News. [Online]. Available:

www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=dk& news_id=4009

[10] G. W. Evans. (2004). The Environment of Childhood Poverty.

American Psychologist. [Online]. 59(2), pp.77-92. Available:

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/59/2/77/ 17