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Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children In the early years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/streetchildren/Jamaica.htm
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CAUTION: The following links
and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the
situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Action needed on street children - Boys
being used as criminal pawns Fabian jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070729/lead/lead9.html [accessed 3 June 2011] Speaking against
the background of recent criminal activities where police have identified
street children as the perpetrators of major crimes, Pious cites the cause as
lack of attention being given these youths. Officer in charge
of crime at the Half-Way Tree Police Station, Detective Sergeant Radcliffe
Levy, says: "It's a big business being conducted by this gang, where
they loot cameras, cellphones, and other items, and sell them at cheap prices
to others that sell them again." REHABILITATION -
"Rehabilitation is equipping these kids with a career skill such as
barbering, photography and cosmetology, so instead of becoming monsters, they
have the self-reliance and confidence to uplift themselves. In our
preventative measures, we go into the homes and communities where these
streets kids are coming from and try to empower the parents of kids with
skills so they don't push their children to street hustling," Pious
added. ***
ARCHIVES *** UNICEF
– www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jamaica.html [accessed 3 June 2011] The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/jamaica.htm [accessed 15 February 2011] INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - More than 2,800 children live on the streets, and
are engaged in work such as newspaper delivery, vending, and domestic
service. Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61733.htm [accessed 15 February 2011] CHILDREN
-
Public primary education was free, universal, and compulsory for students
between the ages of 6 and 11, and the Ministry of Education reported that 99
percent of children in that age group were enrolled in school. However,
economic circumstances obliged thousands of children to stay home to help
with housework and avoid school fees. As a result, attendance rates at
primary schools averaged 78 percent, although some rural areas reported
attendance as low as 50 percent. More than 70 percent of children between the
ages of 12 and 16 had access to secondary school. SECTION
6 WORKER RIGHTS
– [d] The Child Care and Protection Act provides that children under the age
of 12 shall not be employed except by parents or guardians, and that such
employment may be only in domestic, agricultural, or horticultural work. It
also prohibits children under the age of 15 from industrial employment. The
police are mandated with conducting child labor inspections, and the CDA is
charged with finding places of safety for children. However, according to CDA
officials, resources to investigate exploitative child labor were
insufficient. Children under the age of 12 peddled goods and services or
begged on city streets. Concluding Observations of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 6
June 2003 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/jamaica2003.html [accessed 15 February 2011] [52] While noting that
the State party is aware that the number of street children is increasing,
the Committee remains concerned at the situation of street children and at
the lack of specific mechanisms and measures to address this situation, as
well as the lack of relevant data in this regard. [54] The Committee
is concerned at the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children,
including street children, and the lack of accurate data and adequate laws
and policies in this regard. Life On The Streets - Student Unveils Study
On Children At Risk Nadisha Hunter, The
Gleaner, ctober 23, 2010 www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101023/news/news2.html
[accessed 24 September 2011] In providing a
clearer picture of the horrendous living conditions faced by the children who
are between the ages of seven and 18, the young researcher said cardboard
boxes or even the bare ground behind buildings were their resting place at
night. According to Finch
20 per cent of respondents ask members of the public for money, another 20
per cent of respondents are engaged in stealing, 10 per cent peddle drugs, 10 per cent are involved in prostitution while the
remaining 40 per cent take part in other illegal activities. The majority of children interviewed said
they want to leave the streets while about five per cent expressed the view
that they had no problem with their current lifestyle. Finch pointed out that his study found
that most of the children ended up on the street as a result of physical and
emotional abuse, neglect, as well as poverty. Child vendors Kaydia King, Letter to the
Editor, jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090429/letters/letters4.html [accessed 3 June 2011] The Editor,
Sir: It has been brought to my
attention that the number of children vending on the streets has reached an
alarming level. It is as if the number is doubling. What is even more
troubling is the fact that these children can be seen during school hours 'higglering'. Illiteracy - fuel for crime in Clarendon Gareth Manning and Mark jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20081102/news/news4.html [accessed 3 June 2011] STREET CHILDREN - Illiteracy is
probably most common among Clarendon's 175 street and working children who
have poor attendance records at school. Most are between the ages of 11 and
17 years old. The street children study of 2002 reported that most of them
worked in the vicinity of the May Pen Market and along the coast in Race
Course and Rocky Point. Marlon (not his
real name) was one of those boys. The Sunday Gleaner met him last year on a
trip to the Rocky Point fishing district, an area notorious for its robust
gun- and-drugs trade. At 13 years old,
Marlon could not read or write, although he was attending an all-age school.
He was only attending school for three days of the week - Monday to
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were spent on the fishing beach selling juices
to hot, thirsty fisher folk. "Mi parents dem no response fi
mi," he told us then. His words were few, but very profound. He was one
of 14 children for his mother. The man he said is his father has never
claimed paternity. With neither of his parents taking responsibility for him,
he lives with his grandmother. Action needed on street children - Boys being
used as criminal pawns Fabian jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070729/lead/lead9.html [accessed 3 June 2011] Speaking against
the background of recent criminal activities where police have identified
street children as the perpetrators of major crimes, Pious cites the cause as
lack of attention being given these youths. Officer in charge
of crime at the Half-Way Tree Police Station, Detective Sergeant Radcliffe
Levy, says: "It's a big business being conducted by this gang, where
they loot cameras, cellphones, and other items, and sell them at cheap prices
to others that sell them again." REHABILITATION -
"Rehabilitation is equipping these kids with a career skill such as
barbering, photography and cosmetology, so instead of becoming monsters, they
have the self-reliance and confidence to uplift themselves. In our
preventative measures, we go into the homes and communities where these streets
kids are coming from and try to empower the parents of kids with skills so
they don't push their children to street hustling," Pious added. No night out for street kids www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/121358_No-night-out-for-street-kids [accessed 24 September 2011] Government,
grappling with the growing problem of children roaming the streets,
especially at nights, plans to use retired policemen to keep them off and
warned parents that they would face prosecution. The Child
Development Agency (CDA), said the minister, would be seeking to find a
location to house the children where they would be cared for until their
parents are located. "We haven't really worked out the logistic, but we
are going to also find the parents and prosecute the parents," the
minister added. Street kids dilemma www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/111037_Street-kids-dilemma [accessed 3 June 2011] The practice of
putting street-wise kids in foster care or children's homes is futile and
will end in rebellion, a clinical psychologist is warning Golding urges action to rescue street
children from violence, sexual abuse At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3 June 2011] "At the rate
that the Possibility Programme is going, children
are going to be coming on the streets faster than you are able to accommodate
them in this programme. We really need to first of
all get hold of them and just rescue them," Golding insisted "The kind of
things they are exposed to on the streets, the violence and the sexual abuse,
we just need to get hold of them and put them under some sort of care and
guidance." And, Davies insisted: "As well as to get to the root
causes." Child Prostitution Widespread in www.ilocarib.org.tt/projects/childlabour/news/newspaper_articles/2002/jobserver-21jul02.pdf [accessed 3 June 2011] Children, Some As
Young As 10 And 11 Years Old, Are Engaged In Prostitution. Study listed nine
categories of children engaging in sex for gain and said they were pushed
basically by lack of economic support, love and affection. The first of
the nine categories listed was children living and working on the streets,
mostly boys between ages 12 and 18 Violence Against
Children in Dr. Joan Lesser, Dr. Marlene Cooper, and Yunena Morales, 30 minute Paper Presentation in English
at the Third International Conference On New Directions In Humanities, Humanities Conference 2005, h05.cgpublisher.com/proposals/549/index_html [accessed 3 June 2011] Within the last
decade 22,000 youth were labeled "street children" who lived and
worked in the streets doing jobs such as machinery, welding, domestic work, care giving and newspaper delivery. Many turn to or are
forced into child prostitution and/or the drug trade in order to survive. Prostitution In Paul Andrew Bourne, able2know, 2 Sep, 2005 [accessed 3 June 2011] COMMERCIAL SEX
WORKERS - Street
and working children are a particularly vulnerable group to prostitution.
These children lack family and social support. (Dunn, 2001) posits that small
boys between the ages of 6 and 17 years were most exploited. They did not
have the protection of adult family members or institutional environment for
support and as such were exposed to extreme economic deprivation and abuse.
Those involved in sexual activity were between 12 and 18 years. The
majorities were from very poor backgrounds and were out of school; although a
few attended school regularly Dunn, (2001). "Nobody's
Children" Jamaican Children in Police Detention and Government
Institutions Human Rights Watch Report, 1999 -- ISBN:
1-56432-230-0 www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1999/jamaica/Jam995-01.htm#P212_9176 [accessed 3 June 2011] SUMMARY - In the island
nation of Launch of Possibility Program Address By Prime Minister Rt. Hon. P.J.
Patterson, Q.C., M.P. At Launch Of Possibility Programme
At The Hilton Kingston Hotel On Thursday, August 2, 2001 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3 June 2011] The Possibility
Program is a national program aimed at improving the lot of street children
and youths across the nation, by providing them with the resources, support
and tools for maximizing their human potential. It should enhance
connectedness with family, community and the larger society. The ultimate goal of the Program is to
eliminate the need for children and youths to be on the streets, thereby
breaking the cycle of poverty. St Andrew Rotary
Club to build hostel for street boys John Myers Jr., jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20040716/news/news1.html [accessed 3 June 2011] THE ROTARY Club of
St. Andrew this week announced plans to construct a US$250,000 hostel to
accommodate street boys in the Corporate Area as the main component of its
centennial project. The hostel will
provide temporary shelter for boys aged 10 to 18 years old who are registered
under the Possibility Program. National Consultation on Juvenile Justice Address By Rt. Hon. P.J. Patterson, Q.C.,
P.C. Prime Minister On National Consultation On Juvenile Justice Jamaica
Conference Centre Thursday, August 16, 2001 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3 June 2011] Although it is
still a minority of young people that fall into these categories, it is
nevertheless a significant minority which could increase, if we do not put
proper measures in place, to rescue them and ensure that they are given every
opportunity to fulfill their God-given talents. Just recently, I launched
the Possibility Programme, a comprehensive plan to
address the problem of street children. Under this programme
we intend to rescue these children and re-socialise
them to become better-adjusted and productive members of the society. Ultimately, the
problem of street children can only be solved when there is greater societal
concern and awareness, and when parents are more responsible in their care of
children. My Casual
Observations and Questions [DOC] Kiyoshi Abe, Professor of International
Economics, Chiba University Study Tour of Jamaica, Thursday, September 5 to
Monday, September 9, 2002 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3 June 2011] (3) SCHOOL AND
STREET CHILDREN
- Literacy is high in BBC News, 13 September, 2003 news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3097882.stm [accessed 3 June 2011] "The majority
of these women that we work with in prison were the main caregivers - for
both the mothers and grandmothers, and the junior members - they were the
main providers for the household," she stated. "Therefore once they are taken out of
that, the situation is that the elderly mothers end up with extended
families, the children are all over the streets and become street children because
there's no-one there to care for them." USAID/Jamaica - Success Stories United States Agency for International
Development USAID At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 3 June 2011] [scroll down] EDUCATION – HARRY
-
An
estimated 7,500 children currently live on the streets of Street
Children Hooked On Ganja Erica jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20020324/lead/lead4.html [accessed 3 June 2011] She admitted that
it will be hard to keep them off the streets where they can make between $500
and $2,000 a day begging, borrowing and threatening people. Caring For Street
Children Dorothy Smith, Letter to the Editor, jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20011106/letters/letters3.html [accessed 3 June 2011] I had an experience
sometime in July of this year when two street children without the driver's
permission wiped the windscreen of the vehicle I was in and when told that
there was no money to pay them the picture was not a pretty one. It is my belief that legislation should be
enacted whereby the parents of street children should be compelled to get
these children off the street. Children First Children First www.jamaica-kidz.com/childrenfirst/ [accessed 24 September 2011] Children First is a newly
transformed independent non-governmental agency. The original project began
in 1989 with the support of Save the Children Fund (UK), with 50 street
children. In The Midst Of
Gang Violence, Jamaican NGO Makes A Difference Michael Mogensen,
Children and Youth in Organised Armed Violencee COAV, March 25, 2004 www.coav.org.br/publique/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?UserActiveTemplate=_en&sid=42&infoid=660 [accessed 3 June 2011] Authorities
estimate that there are hundreds of street children living on or off the
street in Human Rights Education for Street and
Working Children: Principles and Practice Tracey Holland, Human Rights Quarterly 20:1
Human Rights Quarterly 20.1 (1998) 173-193 muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/human_rights_quarterly/v020/20.1holland.html [partially accessed 3 June 2011 - access
restricted] Human rights can be
used as tools to help street and working children deal effectively with those
difficult, and often confrontational, situations that they must face on a
daily basis. Throughout their
lives, these children are marginalized and forced to live through experiences
that seem to have no relationship whatsoever to such a concept as human
rights. 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 - |
Torture in [Jamaica] [other countries]Human Trafficking in [Jamaica] [other countries]Street Children in [Jamaica Child Prostitution in [Jamaica] [other countries]