BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES

Behavioural Changes in Street Children When Compare with Children Residing With Parents in Selected Area at Mangalore in India

Behavioural Changes in Street Children When Compare with Children Residing With Parents in Selected Area at Mangalore in India

Need for the Study

Poverty in India forces children into work, beggary and abuse. They toil for their survival. In Mumbai alone, thousands of them are homeless and ought to be protected under rehabilitative schemes as they are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse(Weinberg, 1998). The main purpose of this research paper is to understand the behavioural changes in street children in comparison with children residing with parents in selected Area at Mangalore in India.

Some people adore them. Some abhor them. Yes! They are the street children. Think about them who don't even get their daily bread; who don't have proper shelter? Does anyone care for them? Street children in India, many of them drug-addicts have been facing a bleak future(Fremon, 1996).

An estimated 35,000 street children live in Mangalore. Everyday, they scavenge across the city for a better life, showing courage and resilience that would put most adults to shame.

Most Indian street children work. Children who work, are not only subject to the strains and hazards of their labour, but are also denied the education or training that could enable them to escape the poverty trap.

According to NGOs, 5 to 10% of Mangalore children are out living on the streets. Most of them come from broken homes and situations of extreme poverty. Running away from home, dropping out of school and indulging in anti-social activities are often the traits of neglected children(Balanon, 2009). With little education and parental guidance; and with no sense of direction and social security these children are fast becoming a liability to society.

Literature Review

These are just few of the many invisible faces ...