Mean Streets

A new research shows profile of street children.
Boys and girls are living on the streets at much younger
ages than ever before, some beginning at
seven years of age. And violence has become more intense.

A recent study done by Cespi (Coordenação de Estudos e Pesquisas sobre a Infância—Coordination of Studies and Research Concerning Childhood) of the University of Santa Ursula, in Rio de Janeiro, was released and gives a current profile of an estimated 1,200 kids who live on the streets in Rio. The study followed 67 such youngsters from October, 2001 to January of this year.

One of the questions asked was what the kids found to be good about living on the streets. Words such as food, fun, money and freedom appeared in 50 percent of the responses to the question. Some of the boys responded further that having fun to them would be to perform acts of violence or using drugs; but they also said that living on the streets was the "wrong road" or it is a "vice" that is hard to let go of.

But a significant number of kids, when asked what is good about the streets, said "nothing." Among the 43 kids who answered the question, what is the worst thing about the street, 26 said "violence," 8 said "the police," 7 said "prejudices against them," 6 said "hunger," and 6 said "drugs." Of the thirty who were asked if they have ever suffered violence, all responded in the affirmative. Fifteen were victims of police violence, 3 victims of security guard violence, and 6 suffered violence from other kids. Many of the kids said that one of their worst nightmares would be to suffer the fate of "Galdino the Indian." (Galdino was an indigenous man who in 1997 was set on fire by a group of upper middle class youths who thought he was a street person.)

The research team, coordinated by sociologist Irene Rizzini, director of Cespi, didn't go through the streets to count the number of street kids in Rio, but their objective rather was to hear what the kids thought of themselves, society, their fears, plans, and dreams. The goal of the study is to help establish new public policies for this marginalized population. The researchers found that the majority of the kids want what they never had: work, a home, a family, or a place to study.

The study reveals that this portion of the population is fluid—young people who enter and leave the city in diverse groups. The necessity to survive and to have recreation are factors which contribute to this fluidity. The beach especially attracts groups. But for the majority, the kids prefer to circulate throughout the city alone or in small groups. It is only at night that they form large groups—it is a way of defending themselves from "evil" that lurks. But this is not to say that they come and go at will.

There are certain restrictions in their wanderings, especially from the drug traffickers. Even if they don't have a direct connection with organized crime factions, they will often wear signs to identify themselves with a group. Also the study reveals that the so-called "freedom of the streets" is somewhat illusory. According to testimonies, adults (sometimes even the parents) act as "dominators" and "protectors" of the groups, especially as the group is involved in illicit activities such as drug trafficking or begging at stop lights. But the kids speak very little about the exploiters, who act like characters out of a Charles Dickens novel.

The estimated 1,200 street kids is not many more than the number 10 years ago, nearly 900. In absolute numbers, it may seem to be a relatively small problem in a metropolis with over 5 million inhabitants. But according to the researchers, boys and girls are living on the streets at much younger ages than ever before, some beginning at seven years of age. And survival is more difficult because of the intense increase of violence.

"The scenario has changed where these young people live," comments Rizzini. According to the sociologist, when adolescents and children affirm that between living at home and living on the streets, they choose the streets, they are not saying that the street is a great place to be. "Poverty is on the rise, and there are cases where the home can be worse than the streets. Domestic violence and misery have pushed these kids out of their homes." Rizzini concludes, "With this study as a base, we can see that it is necessary to create mechanisms that build up bases of support for these children in their communities and in their families. We need to offer daycare, options for sports, recreation, culture, health programs and work programs for the families."

This material was supplied by SEJUP (Serviço Brasileiro de Justiça e Paz). You can get more information on their homepage at www.oneworld.net/sejup/

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