Human Trafficking in [Chile] [other countries]Street Children in [Chile Child Prostitution in [Chile] [other countries] |
Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children In the first ten years of the 21st
Century - 2000 to 2009
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CAUTION: The following links and accompanying text have been culled
from the web to illuminate the situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** African Women and Children: Crisis and Response STREET CHILDREN: A NEW LIBERATION
MOVEMENT? - Another
misconception about street children is that they are highly individualistic
or that they are driven to individualistic behavior by their circumstances.
Research shows, however, that they are more likely to live and operate in
groups, where solidarity extends from sharing food so that "everybody at
least gets something" (Burling, 1990a, 1990b) to providing emotional
support. These groups are also highly
organized. They usually have a recognized leader, whose position is rarely
based on harassment, while other members treat each other as equals. Indeed,
it is as if they create for themselves new families. For example, Vittachi (1989) describes a group of children in Chile who lived under a bridge. Every
morning they drew up shopping lists and distributed tasks, and while the
older members went to work, the middle aged children cared for the youngest. ***
ARCHIVES *** UNICEF - The Big Picture U.S. Dept
of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - The National Statistics Institute of Chile estimated that 3.3
percent of children ages 5 to 14 years were working in the country in
2003. The survey found that the
percentage of working boys is higher than that of girls, and that the rate of
child work is higher in rural than in urban areas. The most common
activity for children who work is selling goods on the street and performing
odd jobs. Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS – SENAME,
the ministries of government and health, and other government agencies formed
the Protect Network, which conducted general public awareness and education
campaigns to prevent sexual violence and abuse, including the commercial
sexual exploitation of minors. Nearly 80 percent of SENAME's
budget supported NGO programs, particularly those that worked with street
children. SECTION 6
WORKER RIGHTS – [d]
In August SENAME released a report indicating that, as of September 2004,
there were 1,123 cases of children and adolescents involved in the worst
forms of child labor. Of this number, approximately 68 percent were boys; 75
percent were 15 years or older; and 66 percent did not attend school.
Thirty-seven percent of the individuals were involved in hazardous activities
such as mining; 24 percent in commercial sexual exploitation; 21 percent in
dangerous jobs such as working with chemicals or toxins; and 14 percent in
illegal activities. Concluding Observations
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2002 [49] The Committee, while noting
that the State party has ratified ILO Conventions No. 138 concerning Minimum
Age for Admission to Employment and No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
and increased the minimum age for admission to work to 15, expresses its deep
concern at the large number of children, including those under 15, who are
exploited economically, especially in the farming sector, and the large
number who have to leave school because they cannot conciliate work and
school. HIDDEN TRAGEDIES - Francisco is one of the hidden
tragedies. His mother died giving birth, and his father was shot shortly
after that. He grew up in orphanages, and at the age of 7, he escaped to an
even rougher life on the streets. For half his life, he worked in the sex trade.
It was the only way to feed himself, he says. "I saw that other kids were doing it,
but all of them did it out of need," says Francisco. He is 15 now and
has been off the streets for three months. Francisco also had it rough. He
was beaten by pimps and clients. He now lives in a shelter called Margin,
which tries to get children off the street by helping them find alternative
forms of work. Margin is made up of former sex-trade workers like Maria, who
search the streets for others and offer them alternative ways to make money.
That was the selling point for Francisco.
"This foundation made me change," he says, a twinkle in his
eye. "I left prostitution and now I'm working, as a traveling salesman -
and legally." He peddles key chains on buses and is learning to make
crafts. Your Gifts Are Helping The Street Children Of www.salesianmissions.org/aroundtw/lamerica/chile/ch2.htm At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] The African Women and Children: Crisis and Response STREET CHILDREN: A NEW LIBERATION
MOVEMENT? - Another
misconception about street children is that they are highly individualistic
or that they are driven to individualistic behavior by their circumstances.
Research shows, however, that they are more likely to live and operate in
groups, where solidarity extends from sharing food so that "everybody at
least gets something" (Burling, 1990a, 1990b) to providing emotional
support. These groups are also highly
organized. They usually have a recognized leader, whose position is rarely
based on harassment, while other members treat each other as equals. Indeed,
it is as if they create for themselves new families. For example, Vittachi (1989) describes a group of children in Chile who lived under a bridge. Every
morning they drew up shopping lists and distributed tasks, and while the
older members went to work, the middle aged children cared for the youngest. I Connect Online Street Children Project www.iconnect-online.org/Stories/Story.import4315 At one time this article had been
archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]
The Street Children Telecentre project in The
Protection Project - Human Rights Reports of The Americas - Chile [DOC] FORMS OF TRAFFICKING - A recent study estimates that
4,000 children work in the commercial sex industry in Chile; other studies
indicate that number could be as high as 15,000. Some 65,000 online networks
of pedophiles across the country have been identified. A 2003 scandal involved a prominent Chilean
businessman who was alleged to have recruited street children for a prostitution ring. Two senators have been
under investigation, and several police officers and prominent businessmen
have been arrested since the scandal unfolded, and the affair has reportedly
“opened the country’s eyes to the problem of street children and child
prostitution.” Testimonials from Ray's Chilean friends Ray Gatchalian spent the last week of his life
"in Chile doing what he loved: engaging people, learning, sharing
of himself and his family, making connections that built bridges across
countries and cultures, showing his photos and videos, visiting with and
raising awareness about poor and abandoned children and about those who
devote their lives to helping these children. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial,
nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.
Cite this webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin,
"Street Children - |
Human Trafficking in [Chile] [other countries]Street Children in [Chile Child Prostitution in [Chile] [other countries]