Chapter One

Introduction

Children need care by adults for good health, physical growth, personality development and
progress. But due to a number of reasons, a huge number of children population of the world is
not being taken care of by adults. Consequently, majority of these children are compelled to live
on the streets. The term “street children” is used for those children “for whom the street is a
reference point and has a central role in their lives.” (Benitez, S.T. 2007) Any boy or girl for
whom the street, in the widest sense of the word, has become his or her habitual or source of
livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults
(United Nations). In the 21st century, policymakers, non - government organisations and the
public at large express a deep concern about street children. World over, this problem gets
meager media coverage and the issue is inadequately addressed at national and international
levels. It is high time that academics, welfare organizations and communities and society take
this issue seriously and struggle for an appropriate solution.

1.1 Definition of the “Street Children

To define any character, person, phenomenon or problem, construction of basic characteristics is
essential. But in the case of street children there is no definite definition, for each country,
stakeholder, public, or private sector use its own or one of available definitions according to their
need and requirement. Due to this behavior proper statistics of street children could not be
obtained. Only estimated number or estimated statistics is used. This conflicted situation is also
accepted by various researchers of the world and organisations.

The definition of “street children” is contested, but many practitioners and policymakers use
UNICEF’s concept of boys and girls aged under 18 for whom “the street” (including unoccupied
dwellings and wasteland) has become home and/or their source of livelihood, and who are
inadequately protected or supervised. Definitions continue to evolve to try to capture the fluidity
and differences in children’s circumstances, including terms such as “street-connected children”
and “children in street situations”. (Benitez, S.T. 2007)
Lewis Aptekar from San Jose State University, San Jose, California, also having relationship
with Trans-Cultural Psychosocial Institute Free University, Amsterdam and Behailu Abebe
Trans-Cultural Psychosocial Institute Addis Ababa University Ethiopia, who has extensively
worked on the phenomenon of street children, says that “There is not, and perhaps cannot be, a
clear definition of street children, but the way they are depicted contributes to their problems.
There are several reasons for this. First, definitions often have political purposes. When
international organizations cite large numbers of street children they are, even if inadvertently,
also making a claim to a larger financial allotment. Thus when one reads a UNICEF report
claiming that worldwide the number of children in the streets is over 300 million (UNICEF,
1990) one is struck by the huge size of the problem, and the need to act immediately and with
fervor. This can be damaging to the children because inflated numbers (professional written
studies numbers of homeless street children worldwide indicate less than a tenth of this figure.
(Aptekar, L. 2000.) That tends to inflame the public’s fear. The second reason for the lack of a
clear definition of street children, and which contributes to the problems they face, is related to
cultural ethnocentrism. (Aptekar, L. 2000.) Terms “on, of, or in” the streets were very popular in
the 1980s for definition of street children, but in new realities there are there are three broad
approaches to definitions are evident in research to day first Acceptance of development of
UNICEF’s “on and of” the street categories, second alternative terms or definitions and third
Rejection of the designation of young people on the street as a social problem. (Benitez, S.T.
2011)

Due to scattered on the street children and different points of thoughts the term street children
could not define properly. The meaning and definition of street children is contested among
academics, policymakers, practitioners, politicians and general public with varied individuals
and groups have their own preferred definition. Street children are not usually counted, nor
subject to census, so, their exact numbers unknown in Bangladesh. Different organizations
produce local estimates; even conservative figures indicate that there are a significant number of
street children in Bangladesh. (Tufail, P.2005).

When any organization at public or private sector is working on the street children it is necessary
to have some clear charter about the population of street children. It is very difficult to work
fruitfully without understand the concept “To understand the concept of street children, a
working definition should be given. The term “street children” refers to include street-working
children, who may maintain strong relationships with their families of origin, and street-living
children who have very limited or no contact with their families and have no or temporary shelter
without consistent employment.” (Tufail, P. 2005)

UN defines street children as “Any boy or girl…for whom the street in the widest sense of the
word, has become his or her habitual abode/or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately
protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults.” UNICEF categorizes street children as
under:
● Children who have to work on the streets because their families need money to survive.
● Children from poor families who sleep on the streets; some come from underprivileged
parts of the country into the city, others have run away.
● Orphans and abandoned children whose parents have died because of illness or war, or to
whom it was simply impossible to look after their children. Contesting various definitions and
selection of proper ways caused confusion in my research.
Therefore, at the stage of research work I compelled to adopt recent and more inclusive
operational understanding of street children as “children for whom the street is a reference point
and has a central role in their lives.” That is also adopted by “State of the World’s Street
Children: Violence”. (Benitez, S.T. 2007)

1.2 Background of the Study

This universe can be divided into two major parts living and non-living. In living part, human
being stands as the most important creation of nature. Among living beings, children are the
basic unit of human population of the world, but unfortunately these living stars of universe bear
numerous difficulties in the world, even large number of these difficulties is created by adults,
policy makers, even by their own parents. Street children are the most abandoned group of these
vulnerable children that exist all over the world. Street children or street kids are homeless
children who live on the street in particular, those that are not taken care of by parents or other
adults, they live in abandoned buildings, containers automobiles, parks, or on the street itself. In
Rangpur city, street children can be defined as those who earn their livelihood on the city streets
and stay there, for most or all, of the day. They may or may not have parents or legal guardians.
Street children can be broadly defined into two groups:
1. Those who spend the day on the streets but return home at night.
2. Those who spend all the time in the streets, it being their home, where they eat, sleep, make
friends, work and play. Also, another type of street children comes in classification of “children
of the streets” are those who come on streets at the beginning of their life and having no any
other home or having no knowledge about their parents. The number of children belongs to this
group is not large.

In order to survive, these children do odd jobs, drifting from one place to another. They can be
found washing cars, selling newspapers, street vending, scavenging, shiningshoes, running
errands, carrying bags and begging in between. Some drift into prostitution to make extra money.
There are some who only steal and prostitute them.

1.3 Significance of the Study:

Children are the future leaders of our nation. By neglecting this special group of children, who
are at the high risk of health and physical abuse, we are making most of them prone, at the age
of adulthood, to engage in anti-social activities. Also by denying their basic rights and hampering
their process of growth we are restricting the development of our country and humanity. The
number of street children is constantly increasing. (De Benitez, S.T 2011)

This is a kind of situation that needs close attention and investigation. Millions of children
around the world live in situations that put them at risk of exploitation, abuse and discrimination.
The most marginalised children, those who often experience human rights abuses, need special
protection to promote their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social developments.
There are about 100 to 150 million street children found worldwide and their number is
increasing rapidly. Street children are a global issue. However, the phenomenon of street children
in Bangladesh poses complex social challenges, as these children are at the high risk of a myriad
of medical, physical and psychological problems. (Anwar, M 2002) The reasons for which
children abandon their homes to live on the streets can be summarised in a series of “Push” and
“Pull” factors. The significance of this study is not only to get authentic data about the number
of these destitute children in Rangpur city, but also to find out causes, their socio psychological
capacity, role of stakeholders, and various hidden aspects of lives of this special group of
children as well as to give a complete methodology for rehabilitation process of these children.
Therefore, research upon sociological comprehensive aspects is most important to enhance the
rehabilitation programs for street children after finding out various problems of street children,
especially drug abuse, child sex abuse, physical abuse, infectious diseases HCV, HBS, AIDS etc.

According to scenario of Rangpur city, street children can be defined as those who earn their
living on the city streets and stay there forever or all of the day or work in various places under
or without supervision.
In Rangpur city the following four major groups of children are found:
1. Children living with their parents and have good attachment with them.
2. Children living in the institutions, factories and work places day and night and have strong
relationship with their parents.
3. Children spending day time on the streets, doing no work, go back to home in the night and
have good relationship with their parents.
4. Children living on the streets and have no or rare relationship with their parents.
According to biological, psychological and sociological aspects these children are equal to the
entire world and deserve equal rights universally. This study is based upon sociological research
on the problems of street children of Rangpur city, in which various aspects of focused children
have been unearthed.

1.4 Research Objectives

1.4.1 Research aim:

The aim of the research is to investigate the survival strategies employed by street children in
Rangpur city, along with exploring the challenges they encounter. The goal is to gain a
comprehensive understanding of their experiences, contributing to the development of effective
interventions and support systems for this vulnerable population.
1.4.2 General Objective:
To explore and understand the lived experiences of street children in Rangpur city, focusing on
their survival strategies and the challenges they encounter while navigating the margins of
society.

1.4.3 Specific Objectives:

1. To Investigate the socio-economic factors leading to the emergence of street children in
Rangpur city.
2. To Examine the survival strategies employed by street children to meet their basic needs,
including food, shelter, and healthcare.
3. To Identify the educational barriers faced by street children and analyze the impact on their
overall well-being.
4. To Explore the role of social support networks and community organizations in assisting street
children and mitigating the challenges they face.
5. To Assess the psychological and emotional effects of street life on children and adolescents in
Rangpur city.
6. To Examine the interaction of street children with law enforcement agencies and its
implications for their survival strategies.

1.5 Research question:

1. What are the underlying socio-economic factors contributing to the presence of street children
in Rangpur city?
2. How do street children in Rangpur city navigate and adapt their survival strategies to meet
basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare?
3. What are the primary barriers to education faced by street children in Rangpur city, and how
do these barriers impact their overall well-being?
4. How do social support networks and community organizations contribute to assisting street
children in Rangpur city, and what challenges do they encounter in providing support?
5. What are the psychological and emotional effects of street life on children and adolescents in
Rangpur city?
6. How do street children in Rangpur city interact with law enforcement agencies, and what are
the implications of these interactions for their survival strategies?

1.6 Theoretical Framework:

The present study is based on the Functional Perspective, which is also called Structural
Functionalism or sometimes called Social System Theory. Structural Functionalism is a
sociological theory that originally attempted to explain social institutions as collective means to
meet individual biological needs. Structural-Functionalism draws its inspiration primarily from
the idea of Emile Durkheim.
Structural functionalism is a sociological perspective that views society as a complex system
with interrelated parts, each contributing to its stability and functioning. Developed in the early
20th century by scholars like Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton, this
theory emphasizes the interconnectedness of social institutions and their roles in maintaining
social order.
I think this theory will fit and help my research work because in the context of street children,
this theory would examine how different societal structures contribute to the presence and
challenges faced by these children. If we want to understand the problems and challenges which
faced by street children, we must analyze their family structure, society and parents relationship
etc. And for this analysis the structural functionalism theory has to be used. This theory analyze
how factors like poverty, broken families, and inadequate social support contribute to children
ending up on the streets. Dysfunction in these social structures can disrupt the normal
functioning of society, leading to the emergence of street children as a manifestation of the
system's failure to provide necessary support and opportunities.
1. Family Structure Breakdown :
For breaking down the structure of family, it’s leading to abandonment or neglect, causing
children to seek alternative support on the streets. Some societal factors, such as economic
hardships or substance abuse, disrupt family cohesion and contribute to children leaving home.

2. Economic Disparities :
Economic inequalities responsible for limiting access to education and healthcare, pushing
vulnerable children into street life as a means of survival. The role of societal structures in
perpetuating cycles that affect families and contribute to the emergence of street children.

3. Educational System :
The functionality of the educational system in providing equal opportunities, and addressing
issues like lack of access, quality, or relevance that may lead children to abandon formal
education.
4. Healthcare System :
This theory is investigating the accessibility of healthcare services for street children, addressing
issues like malnutrition, substance abuse, and the spread of diseases in their living conditions.

5. Legal and Judicial System :

By this theory we can understand the role of legal and judicial structures in protecting the rights
of children and ensuring consequences for those who contribute to their vulnerability and
identify the gaps in the legal framework that may allow for the exploitation and neglect of street
children.
 Chapter Two
Literature Review
The term “street children” has been much debated upon and till date, there has been no clear-cut
understanding of the term, because it represents a wide spectrum of population. Several
definitions of street children have been proposed, which are briefly explained below.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1994): A “street child”
is any girl or boy for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and or source of
livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults. They
are either children on the street or children of the street. (p. 9)
However, I believe that this definition is incomplete and I offer the following reasons for the
same. First, one must refrain from using the term “street” in a narrow sense, restricted to the
physical realm. A broader connotation of the term must be used. For instance, a street child may
not “live” or “earn” by solely operating on the streets; she/he may be living in a shelter, in
partially constructed buildings, temporary houses, etc. Second, a street child may/may not be a
part of a disintegrated and dysfunctional family structure, though; many researches do provide
evidence for this statement. The third criticism, emphasizing the context of the street child, has
been recognized by the Human Rights Council resolution 16/12, which refers to “children
working and/or living on the street as street children.” Moreover, the committee on the Rights of
the Child has adopted the term “children in street situations,” emphasizing on the fact that it is
the dynamics of the situation which is responsible for the child’s current state and not the child
herself/himself. Thus, the nature and scope of the term “street children” has widened over the
years and for the purpose of my research, I feel this definition to be more apt, with certain
additions to this definition, which have been dealt with in my criticisms. Therefore, drawing
from the above source, I believe that street children are those children who live on the streets,
though not always literally, as is the case of daily wage laborers, but for whom, living on the
streets is a considerable part of his/her existence. Herein, the situational factors play an
extremely important role in their lives, that is, the relationship between the child and the “street”
is a reciprocal relationship. In addition, family and the peer group, also referred to as the street
child’s support system is critical in determining his/her entire way of life and his/her attitudes.
However, I must also add that the issues revolving around the existence of a street child are
complex and to simplify matters, certain other definitions of street children have categorized
children on the streets into different stages of street life. In these researches as well, I find
support for the definition that I have adhered to, especially the part dealing with one’s existence
or non-existence of a support system. For instance, Aptekar (1988) and Visano (1990) through
their research focused on gradual, progressive stages, ranging from moving away from home
towards the life of the street. This definition has been expanded upon by other writers, who focus
on the different types of experiences of these children, such as the quality of their play and work
and their relations with peers, adults, and authority figures (Dorfman, 1984; Lusk, 1989; Shifter,
1985). Thus, what can be inferred from such research is that the quality of one’s support system
is fundamental in determining one’s life on the streets – whether such a support system pushes
these children into the street life or whether, it actually prevents them from the same.
Cosgrove (1990) has used two dimensions to define street children: the degree of family
involvement and the amount of deviant behavior. According to Cosgrove, a street child is "any
individual under the age of majority whose behavior is predominantly at variance with
community norms, and whose primary support for his/ her development needs is not a family or
family substitute" (p. 192). This definition (Cosgrove, 1990) provides additional information
regarding the status of street children, but as Aptekar (1994) points out, “It assumes a great deal
of cultural consistency, but deviance and family substitutes are greatly embedded in cultural
particulars.” Its addition to my definition is that it mentions street children as “individuals under
the majority,” which the above definitions do not explicitly state. However,in supporting
Aptekar’s statement, I believe that deviance from community or societal norms is not a
mandatory criterion for street children, for even in my research; deviance was not necessarily
exhibited by the participants. Similarly, support from the family might or might not exist,
depending upon the situation and again, in the context of my research, although most of the
participants had dysfunctional familial relationships, there did exist a few for whom this claim
would not hold true.
The focus of my research is on how street children experience and cope with grief. Grief can be
defined as the response to the loss in all of its totality – including its physical, emotional,
cognitive, behavioral and spiritual manifestations – and as a natural and normal reaction to loss
(Hall, 2011). Grief is the psychological-emotional experience following a loss of any kind, such
as a relationship, status, job, house, game, income, etc. (Meek, 2012). Thus, though grief is
always connected with the loss of a loved one, other losses too can lead to a grief response, such
as a change in relationship status, sense of safety or order, resources, etc. (Community
Bereavement Resource Directory). As the above definitions highlight, “loss” is an important
component of grief. “Losses can be physical or symbolic, but they always result in a deprivation
of some kind; in essence, we no longer have someone or something that we used to have”
(Hooyman & Kramer, 2006, p. 2). Thus, from the aforementioned definitions, I posit that in its
entirety, grief is an expansive concept, covering different facets of human existence and it is a
universal phenomenon, though expressions of grief may vary to a certain degree in different
cultures.
Each individual may have different ways of dealing with grief, depending on her/his
socio-cultural context, gender, age, etc., though research does indicate the existence of some
common patterns, underlying most coping mechanisms. Susan Folkman and Richard Lazarus
define coping as “constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific
external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing.” Subsequently, coping may be
classified as either adaptive (i.e., positive for the individual) or maladaptive (i.e.,
negative/harmful for the individual). Several coping mechanisms have been suggested, which
can be broadly classified into four categories – appraisal-focused, problem-focused,
emotion-focused and meaning-focused (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Weiten & Lloyd, 2008).
Psychologists have also grouped coping mechanisms according to their manifestations and
purposes – (1) Defensive, (2) Adaptive, (3) Avoidance, (4) Attack, (5) Behavioural, (6)
Cognitive, (7) Self-harm, (8) Conversion (Sincero, 2012).
Several comparative studies conducted in the domain of grief, have highlighted that individuals
with large/strong support system along with family support experience better outcomes and/or
greater personal growth (Dimond, Lund, & Caserta, 1987; Lauer, Mulhern, Bohne & Camitta,
1985; Martinson & Campos, 1991; Norris & Murell, 1990). Research by Nalkur (2009) on
Tanzanian street children further augments the discussion on the importance of a strong support
system. In my study, this component, that is, the role of the support system comprising of family
members, peers, neighbours, etc., is important because it highlights how disintegrated or
integrated and positive or negative relations can affect the street child and his/her level of
identification with the street life and culture.
However, there have been relatively few studies conducted, which seek to understand
psychological characteristics of these street children. Moreover, there has been no or almost
negligible interest in trying to understand the experience of grief in street children. Through my
research on Rangpur city street children, I wish to highlight the experience of grief and the
coping mechanisms involved. Street children, as observed, lack strong affective bonds, are
perturbed by complex issues (ex – substance abuse problems, violence, sexual abuse, etc.) and
live in chaotic conditions. Thus, my interest is in understanding how these situational factors
collectively impact both the experience of grief and the use of coping mechanisms by these street
children. Apart from my interest in street children from a scholarly viewpoint, I have also
personally encountered them at several instances. Every day, I see these children either begging
at the traffic intersections or working in the capacity of daily wage laborers, and I have always
been curious about their perspective on life – oftentimes, the question of how they deal with their
lives and cope with grievous experiences – has plagued me. This has motivated me to conduct
research on the following issue and to try and gain an understanding of how they deal with such
problems.
 Chapter Three
Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction:
The research process involves defining the problem, reviving previous research, on the topic,
developing one or more hypotheses, determining the research design, defining the sample and
collecting data, analyzing and interpreting the data and finally preparing the research report.
Methodology refers to “A system of principles and method of organizing and constructing
theoretical and practical activity” (Dictionary of Sociology). Collins Dictionary of Sociology
(1991) has defined methodology as “the techniques and strategies employed within a discipline
to manipulate data and acquire knowledge.”
It is compulsory for researchers to define a research design before starting work on any research
topic that is the backbone of research and provides guidelines for the collection of relevant
evidence by the researcher for his study. Research design consists of type of study, sampling
procedure, method of data collection and so on.

3.2 Type of Study:

Since the focus of this research is to unearth the problems of street children, through a
sociological observation and skill of study, therefore the present study is exploratory research
that has been initiated with personal and professional dialogue with the children, and other
stakeholders, to collect information to evaluate the social problems of street children. Hence, the
methodological approach will be both qualitative and descriptive.
This study will be a sociological study, because it is an attempt to understand the perceptions and
perspectives of the street children as well as stakeholders on the street children phenomenon in
Rangpur city. Qualitative enquiry focuses on describing, understanding, exploring, and
interpreting various social problems of street children in the end to find out rehabilitation
methods. Survey method will be used to collect data about street children in Rangpur city.
Suitable questionnaire will be developed to interview street children.

3.3 Research Design:

The design of the study is important for planning or conducting any research. It focuses on the
research schedule and techniques. It formulated a problem as a point of departure. The study
design refers to all decisions made in planning the start including information sources and
procedures for collecting data, measurement issues and data analysis plans. The study design
depends on the purpose of the study, nature of the study, nature of the study question and the
skills and the resources available to the study. The qualitative design is that it does provide the
study step by step plan while a qualitative design determines the reporters choice and action. In
this research, the study design is based on the area sampling.

3.4 Sampling:

SL NO: Area Sample Number Percentage

01 Lalbag 15 30%

02 Railway Station 15 30%

03 Bus Terminal 12 24%

04 Super Market 8 16%

Total 50 100%

3.5 Data Collection:

Data collection means observing, measuring and recording data or information. For the study
primary data are collected systems survey, interview schedule, case study, use key informants,
personal views, audio recording, newspapers and topic related data. These steps are abide by
systematic ways and create a final research report.

3.6 Methods of Data Collection:

To grasp their life experiences through the lens of the identification of the problems they face
and their survival and coping mechanism, qualitative data seemed an inevitable approach to
undertake. Therefore, to generate a ‘procedural framework' for the study a combination of
FGDs(focus group discussion), interviews and case studies were applied in the field investigation
in different places of Rangpur city (see table 1) with an intention to find out the problems faced
by the street children.

3.6.1 Focus Group Discussion (FGD):

In focus group discussion the main function of the interviewer is to focus attention upon a given
experience and its effects. Here the respondents have the freedom to explore their own ideas and
thoughts. In the current study two FGDs were conducted : these are held on Railway Station and
Bus Terminal. In the FGDs the participants (street children) were asked to tell about their
socio-economic status with the application of a checklist prepared on the basis of the stated
research objectives. Open questions and answers formed the main areas of discussions with the
technical session at the time of FGDs.

3.6.2 Interview Schedule for Street Children:

The interview schedule was constructed in 6 parts with different sets of questions, and total
questions were 48. Part one of the Interview schedule was devoted for demographic information
with 14 questions, which include age, address, mother tongue, parents information, religion,
groups and friends information etc. Part two deals with socio-economic and resources related six
questions. Part three, having seven questions, relates with social behavior and
socio-psychological problems. Part four, with six questions, deals with risk behavior and drug
use problems. Moreover, part four also included three questions to find out as to what types of
drugs/substances street children mostly use. Part five, containing eight questions, addresses
health and awareness problems. In the end part six was designed with questions concerning
education, skills, training and rehabilitation related enquiries.

3.7 Data Analysis:

To prepare the project report with maps, plans and images of the street children in Rangpur city
Corporation area. I took part in the different types of group discussion and interviews with local
people to collect the primary data, I also collected the more relevant data about the topic from
secondary data sources. All primary and secondary data were analyzed to find out the expected
results with the help of different software like Microsoft Office, Excel, and all the information is
presented in the form of reports.
3.8 Ethical Consideration:
As this study utilized human participants and investigated company practices, certain issues were
addressed. The consideration of these issues is necessary for ensuring the privacy as well as the
security of the participants. These issues were identified in advance so as to prevent future
problems that could have risen during the research process.

3.8.1 Gaining Consent

Securing permission and gaining the consent of the participants for this study is an important
ethical consideration. In order to do so, the researcher relayed the aims of the research clearly
among all selected participants. Each participant was asked to accomplish a consent form, stating
in detail all the activities involved as well as the purpose of the study. The reasons why they were
selected as participants were also stated so as to enable the selected participants to connect the
aims of the research with that of the participant qualifications. In the consent form, the researcher
also discussed in detail all the treatments or procedures that will be done during the research
process. Building rapport and gaining the trust of the participants has been considered essential
throughout the research process. These helped in ensuring the cooperation and willingness of the
participants to give dependable and sufficient data that were relevant to the study. Although the
participants may initially give their consent for the research process, the researcher also gave the
assurance that they are allowed to withdraw from the study even without providing any reason.
By giving this freedom, the participants did not feel forced to participate in the process.

3.8.2 Confidentiality
The privacy of the respondents as well as the confidentiality of their responses was prioritized by
the researcher as well. In order to do so, the names of the participants were kept confidential. All
details that are related to the study were the only ones included in the final report. The researcher
sent a copy of the research proposal to all participants of the study to emphasize that all
information obtained had been accurate and properly credited. The researcher also ensured that
all data gathered for the study were protected from unauthorized access.