Results and Discussion

The current study attempted to investigate abuse among street children. The street children interviewed during this study were a mixture of Afghan and local children and spoke different languages including Persian, Pashto, Punjabi and Urdu. The majority of these were settled in the Katchi-Abadi like Mehar-Abadi, Rawal Town and in areas outside of Rawalpindi. According to the study, just 5 of the respondents were female, while the remaining 25 were male, owing to the fact that boys can go anywhere at any time. In line with the previous debate, the majority of respondents (70%) had fled Afghanistan due to conflict, while 30% were discovered to be locals. 

This study also revealed that the majority of the kids were illiterate, however some were literate. Only 50% of street children had completed elementary school, 10% had dropped out at the intermediate level, and 40% were illiterate out of a total population of 30. Some of them were enrolled in street schools run by non-governmental organizations in Rawal Town, I-8 Markaz, and Mehar Abadi. This research also indicated that many street children did not have access to sufficient housing, with most respondents living in or sharing rental dwellings and tents, while orphans were also discovered among the respondents. The study looks at their parents' occupations and discovers that the majority of them were beggars, garbage pickers, and labourers. 

Nature of abuse and determinants

According to the findings, a substantial number of children were confronting hunger and poverty as a result of displacement and migration, either with their families or alone and with their friends. While others were runaways who fled their homes due to abuse, poverty, unsatisfactory relationships with family members, or a desire for freedom. The majority of them were involved in scavenging, begging, working as a helper, and selling small items; however, one cannot ignore the fact of sexual, physical, and emotional/psychological exploitation associated with street life, as the study shows that 76% of children experienced physical abuse, 87% experienced verbal abuse, 26% experienced sexual assault, and 33% experienced emotional/psychological abuse. These sorts of child abuse are plainly harmful to children's physical and mental well-being. Although these categories differ from child to child, when abuse occurs, it reflects a community's failure to safeguard its children. 

 

Local perception of child abuse

Study reveals that street children encounter more abuse due to their perception of themselves. Making sex and child sexual abuse a social taboo is also another reason that makes the lives of victims difficult. Social taboos are acts or things which are sinful and immoral. Religion plays a very significant part in it. In the society under study, talking about sex and sexual activities is taboo. Respondents reported that “talking about child abuse and especially sexual abuse is a taboo subject we do not like talking openly about things which are socially and morally prohibited in our culture”. Due to this, cases of child abuse are not reported and the number of cases is increasing day by day. One of the respondents said that

“our society did not consider physical, verbal, and psychological abuses as an abuse. They think that only sexual assault is abuse. Because they also humiliate, exploit and discriminate street children verbally, physically and emotionally”. 

Role of the general public towards victimized children

Because of the taboo, these perpetrators remain outside. Islamabad has an 85% literacy rate, however many people keep their mouths shut and do not accuse the perpetrators. However, as a result of many awareness programs and the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act 2020, people are now in support of harshly penalizing the culprits. Because street children spend the majority of their time on the streets, it is the obligation of society to create a child-friendly environment. Studies reveal that many general public were of the view that as responsible citizens, we can all identify areas or boundaries where children are in greater danger of abuse. Report the incident to the nearest police station and provide personalized care to street children who have been exploited through mediation, counselling, informal education, and other practical efforts. Other tasks for society as a whole include preventing abuse among street children, helping such victims, creating a supportive environment, building trust, and vocational training. 

Judicial system

This study also discloses the laws related to child protection in Islamabad. This study reveals that the issue of street children has been mostly ignored in Pakistan in recent years. In fact, neither the development nor any one rule directly addresses the subject of child safety. Although in Pakistan the first child protection plan was drafted in 2009, it has still to be employed. ICT police conduct many operations to reduce child beggars and create a special force that rescues children from the beggary mafia. In 2021, a campaign was started against the safety and protection of street children by the SSP investigation of capital police, they worked on beggars and ignored the other aspects of streetism like abuse. The study also shows that a significant number of street children were sold to the Gulf States for camel jockeys which is illegal. There is a need for a proper shelter home for street children which provides them with food, shelter and security. As initiated in Peshawar, the project is initiated by Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government known as “Zamang kor” means our homes. Its aim is to collect all the homeless children under one roof where they can live, study, play and feel free from the burdens of begging and street life. Unfortunately in Islamabad, there is no such shelter.  

Role of NGOs in spreading education

Street children are frequently from low-income homes and are forced to live on the streets owing to a lack of resources. They are particularly vulnerable to abuse because they lack basic protection and resources. Some of the NGOs of Islamabad play a vital role in improving the development of street children. Few of them working on providing education to these vulnerable children, and some of them were raising their voices for their rights and protection. These organizations are voluntary and are perceived to be motivated by compassion, promoting sustainable implementation of their policies and achieving positive results. They have emerged as key players in various social development programs. They provide free books, uniforms, bags, education and incentives to attract these children towards education. Their parents forced them to earn money to feed their family instead of education so it is necessary to first educate and give awareness to parents about the importance of education. Many parents are careless and irresponsible towards their children, particularly fathers. Their economic conditions are really bad without any backup system and they have to work for everything for their survival. 

Conclusion

According to the findings of the study, children are pressured by their guardians to work at an early age. Aside from their work, they were involved in a variety of other hidden activities and some children are forced to do these activities. However, poverty is the primary source of stress for children. As a result of their bad economic circumstances, they have no alternative but to seek for themselves on the street, where they face verbal, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse on a daily basis. The Afghan refugees have no access to conventional schooling, and they begin picking garbage at an early age. This research revealed that a large number of street children survived on the streets of Islamabad, including both "on the street" and "off the street" children. Among these children, there is another type of child which revealed during the interviews, the “illegitimate child”. These youngsters faced more challenges than other street children regarding their identity and social status.

Physical and verbal abuse is widespread among street children, and they are not safe from those who are supposed to protect them. The street is where these children learn many crimes such as stealing, prostitution, and drug use. Child trafficking is another form of abuse which is widespread in our country, street children are more exposed to this form of abuse because neither their parents nor anybody else is looking after them. These tiny beings are tremendously gifted, but they are underappreciated and lack a platform to show their inherent abilities. These findings reveal the miserable conditions of street children. To address these difficulties, states must firmly implement strategies that are grounded in the realities of street children. To safeguard children from neglect, abuse, and exploitation, a healthy atmosphere should be provided in which the child can live life fearlessly.

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