A qualitative exploration of abuse among street children; Nature, Practices and Dysfunctional Laws

Abstract

The research findings on street children in Islamabad are represented in this thesis. The purpose of this study is to discover the child abuse among street children and its determinants—the socioeconomic circumstances that push kids into a life on the streets. And another objective of this research is to determine the social and legal insight of street children in Islamabad. Which policies and laws is needed to be implemented and how can we support the children who are surviving on the streets. Primarily participant observation, interviews, and other anthropological research methods were utilized to gather primary data in order to gain first-hand information. In order to understand the nature of abuse that occurs among street children, secondary data was also gathered through library and online resources. The fieldwork for this study took place in the years 2022–2023. The study was only conducted in the G-9 markaz, I-8 markaz, Rawal town, and Mehar-Abadi due to the dense population. By using the nonprobability sampling procedure, purposive sampling and snow ball sampling technique was opted for the current research. The sample size was 30 street children, 10 parents and some of the government officials. The study's key findings suggest that poverty, lack of education, Afghan migration, family troubles and economic position, and peer influence are the main factors of street children becoming involved in social evils and sexual activities. On the streets of Islamabad, these youngsters were subjected to multiple types of abuse, such as verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The current study's respondents were primarily scavengers aged 10 to 18 years, the majority of whom were illiterate, slept in the storage area, and some of whom lived with their parents in the kachi abadi. They worked for 6-8 hours a day and earned between Rs. 200 and 1200 a day, depending on the nature of their work. They had 5-7 siblings, 2-3 working members in the family and 6-9 members who are dependent on the breadwinners. The findings reveal that once a child leaves his or her home, he or she is categorized as a street child, regardless of the reason for their flight. People viewed these kids poorly and saw them as a societal burden. The street children iv have no idea about their basic rights. The study found that the primary reason for youngsters joining the street was a lack of safety and health care from their families. Physical and verbal abuse are common among street children, and those in power do not protect them. That is why they create organizations in order to protect themselves against abuse and exploitation. The research revealed that some of the street children are happy with their work because they get a good amount of money in a day and according to them their monthly income is so high that if they were educated, they could not earn that much. The city police also share their earnings, street is the most unsafe place for all the types of abuse. The study also discovered that these children are extremely talented, but their surroundings limit their ability. Several institutions and NGOs play a vital role in spreading education and awareness about abuse among street children. The field findings revealed that number of street children is increasing in Islamabad due to poverty, migration, lack of opportunities and education. To address these issues there is need to firmly establish strategies which should be based on ground realities of these vulnerable children. A positive atmosphere should be created for these people, with children are protected from neglect, abuse and exploitation. Key words: Street children, child abuse, exploitation, child trafficking, child rights, substance abuse, child protection system