Escaping Home, Accepting Uncertainty: Why Children Prefer to Live in the Challenging Street Circumstances

Despite the growing concern of child protection and their well-being, a number of children are continuously forced to live on the street every year. Far from being a matter of choice, street life is imposed upon children by various circumstances, leading to physical-mental abuse, uncertainty of cognitive development, and often ruined their bright future. In order to address this issue, this research aims to identify the underlying factors that force children to live on the street. To fulfill the research objectives, Khulna District was purposively selected. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study to collect primary data, gathering through in-depth interviews using semi-structured interview guidelines. For selecting the participants, multi-stage sampling, including grab sampling and respondent-assisted sampling, was used, and data were collected from twenty street children living in different locations in Khulna District. The data were processed and analyzed by using NVivo 15 software for maintaining its accuracy. The findings of this study revealed that dysfunctional family relations arising from domestic violence, parental separation, and parental death are the key factors for compelling children to live on street life. Additionally, exploitation by caregivers such as inappropriate care from caregivers and abuse at home, emerges as a critical factor pushing children toward street life. Furthermore, economic hardship driven by poverty, forced to earn, and natural calamities pushes them into homelessness. This research highlights the key factors driving children to the street, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to ensure the safety and protection of their rights.