Demographic and Socioeconomic Determinant of Urban Street-ism amazing children in Hawassa
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Date
2001-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Children's issues have become the concern o/national governments as well as the
international community during the last/ew decades. Children in Difficult circumstances
(i.e. orphans, handicapped, Displaced children, Abused Children, and street children)
which are increasingly becoming common in almost all parts 0/ the developing world
have now gained the attention 0/ policy makers and programme initiators both in the j
developed and developing countries. Among other social problems, the ever -and
alarming increase in magnitude Of street ism in the developing regions 0/ Africa, Asia and
Latin America called/or special/ocus on research and action aiming at ameliorating the
existing problem.
This thesis is an empirical study aimed at identifying the basic demographic, economic
and social determinants 0/ Streetism among children in Awassa town, the capital 0/
Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNP).
First, all the available literatures were reviewed which later helped the development 0/
jive important hypothesis and the conceptual frame work. A questionnaire, consisting 0/
about 53 items, was developed and a two days-training session was organized lor
investigators and supervisors. A pilot test was conducted on fifteen children who were
selected through pwposive sampling which helped the modification 0/ the questionnaire.
A Case-Control,study design, which is known/or treating both exposed (cases) and non
exposed (controls), was used i.e. /or each street child, included in the study, there was
one corresponding non street child (control). In selecting the 540 cases and 540
controls, cluster sampling technique was used. Upon the successful completion 0/ the
jield 'work, the data entry and analysis were done using the SPSS computer software
package. Both descriptive and inferential statistical lechniques were used 10 analyze the
data. The univariate analysis was used to see the percentage share 0/ background
variables. The relative contribution or the net effect 0/ each independent variable to the
dependent variable, controlling and confounding factors, was examined using the
mullivariate analysis.
The jindings 0/ the bivariate analysis using chi-square test, showed the exislence 0/
association between fifteen explanalory variables and streetism. The multivariate
analysis using the logistic regression clearly revealed that age 0/ the child, sex o/Ihe
child, migralion status, Marital instability o/parents and number o/sibling were/ound to
be velY important demographic delerm inants 0/ streetism. Furlher, Educational level 0/
child's parents, exposing children to heavy work load and severe physical, punishment at
home, and the occupational stall IS of/ather were found to be important socio-economic
delerminants 0/ streetism.
Finally, on the basis o/thejindings, /ew policy recommendations were given by
classifYing them into preventive and rehabilitative measures. The need/or advocacy,
educaling parents and the communily aboul child rearing, strengthening the exisling laws
and policies related to street child, strengthening the extended/amily system, poverly
reduction through devising income generation activities and/amily re-unification were
among Ihe most imporlant policy recommendations suggesled by Ihe sludy
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Keywords
Socio-Ecollomic