Many social issues have crippled developing countries for many centuries. One of such problems is the presence of street children especially in the biggest cities of the emerging economies. Several prior studies in this area before, but still, the problem persists ( Invernizzi, 2016 ). Ward and Seager’s article aims to offer an interesting position to this problem by aiming at highlighting the root cause of the problem thus advise on the appropriate ways of solving it. The findings of the study are plausible as the researchers argue that poverty is the reason why children end up in the streets. Consequently, empowering all parents living below the poverty line will ensure that they have the means to educate their children, and provide food and shelter for them hence removing the need to look for sustenance from the streets.
Overview of the Article
The article was essential in highlighting the suffering that the homeless children of South Africa go through and possible remedies to the situation. The author starts by describing the nature of street children as more diverse in comparison to homeless adults (Ward & Seager, 2010) . In his perspective, street children may be beggars by day and normal children when night falls. In other instances, they may be on the streets but still in touch with their loved one; or they may have been detached completely from family. These circumstances are the assumptions made by the authors pertaining to the background of the street children.
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Various factors keep homeless children in the streets. Such include being driven away from home by their guardians, or they might have come from a long line of street families, and the streets are the only place they know. South Africa’s population does not recognize those categories mentioned by the author. The government refers to them as children that require specialized programs for sustenance. The research paper avoided the literal term “street children” and focused on the homeless or roofless children. Therefore, the research aimed at giving recommendations that will touch on the lives of most impoverished children in the country, not just those in the streets.
Title, Abstract, and Purpose of the Study
The paper had easy to find sections that led the reader to the title, abstract and purpose of the article. In each of these parts, there was minimal fluff as the researchers went straight to the issues of discussion. Therefore, the title has a few words which give an overview of what the whole study is about. In the same manner, the abstract navigated resourcefully through the various segments that would be found in the paper ( Ward & Seager, 2010 ). Consequently, one could get an overview of the research methodology, findings, and recommendations that the article would highlight even before going to the second page of the study. Finally, the purpose of the article was also clear that the searchers wanted to find out the best way of helping the homeless children in South Africa towns and cities.
Literature Review Section
The study had a limited literature review section; thus it did not give an in-depth explanation of the genesis of the problems. However, the three paragraphs in the literature review were essential in presenting the difference between various terms related to the street children, as enunciated by the experts. In this manner, the differences in conditions such as “street children”, “the roofless” and “the homeless” were apparent. Therefore, as one goes through the other sections of the paper, they have a clear understanding of the various contexts that are mentioned.
Having a broader literature review would have been appropriate in increasing the credibility of the current research. The researchers should have used the moment to highlight the reason why there are so many studies in this field, but none of their recommendations has been used to solve the problem under discussion effectively. Further, using more resources in the literature review would help to identify the gaps that the current study is trying to fill in a straightforward manner.
Sample and Sampling Method
The research employed an effective sampling procedure that entailed picking a few representatives from various groups that were usually in contact with the homeless children. In this manner, four main segments were sampled to offer information about the situation ( Ward & Seager, 2010 ). The first group was shelter managers, field workers, and project managers. The second group involved five women who had initially been street children. The third bunch entailed the street children themselves, and the final cohort was the service providers for homeless facilities such as the soup kitchens. Aside from the street children, there were less than ten individuals in the other segments. Though the number was small relative to the magnitude of the problem, it represented the important factions that interacted directly with the street children.
Data Collection Method
The researchers collected data using three research methods: interviews, surveys, and census. The interviews focused on service provides who operated by serving the homeless children in the city. This method investigated the service system environment and its efficiency. Focus groups included the children living in both makeshift structures and the streets. The research used shelter outreach workers to reach out to create awareness to the street children of the ongoing investigation and the importance of their participation ( Ward & Seager, 2010 ). This process was a well-thought-of strategy, but there is a possibility that some of the respondents who showed up were not well acquainted with the importance of the research and may have led to biased information.
Major Findings
The study findings indicated that poverty was the leading cause of having many homeless children in various cities in South Africa. A review of the factors that lead the children to the streets indicates that the inability of the parents to sustain them in school and give them food and shelter sends them to the streets ( Ward & Seager, 2010 ). The opinions from the five people that were initially street children indicted that if families are supported to get out of poverty, many of the street children would not be loitering in towns. Therefore, the current problems arise due to a lack of a preventative strategy that would keep the children in their original homes. The study appropriately breaks down the findings in a way that can be understood by various stakeholders connected with the street children. In this manner, it is easy to support the final proposition that what is required is a preventative mechanism to deal with the whole issue.
Study Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research
The study concentrated on focus groups to gather data for the research. A focus group is a limited representation of a broader group that is involved in the situation. In this manner, it is not enough to give findings assuming that they will work for the whole situation in the country ( Invernizzi, 2016 ). Future research needs to focus on more wide-scope approaches such as participatory methodologies and ethnographic techniques for them to capture a broad scope of the problem and offer solutions that will keep into consideration the ranging differences in the country. For a country such as South Africa, the differences come in terms of geography, demography, economic classes, and cultural perspectives.
Article’s References
The article is a peer-reviewed journal which consulted 25 references for its research. The secondary materials were appropriate for the topic at hand as they reflected the various factors surrounding the issue of street children. First, a considerable number concerned previous studies about the topic within South Africa. The researchers went further to borrow from similar studies regarding street children in countries such as Russia, Kenya and the continent of Africa as a whole ( Ward & Seager, 2010 ). In this regard, the findings presented to give full scrutiny of the matter.
The references also are composed of many credible sources. A massive chunk of the texts is peer-reviewed studies which imply that the information therein has been vetted by experts. Further, there are several books also published by renowned publishers. Therefore, it is correct to conclude that the study went far and wide to answer its research questions. The references used combined with the quantitative research methods add value to the findings presented at the later parts of the study,
Relationship of Topic to Social Work Practice
Street children are a menace in various ways; thus the article gives solutions that will ensure that the country does not have to deal with the adverse outcomes from the lives of these subjects. First, the street children are likely to be involved in criminal activities to fend for their needs. Secondly, they have high chances of ending up uneducated and with minimal skills. The situation implies that they will be a burden to the country in the future as they will have to be sustained without contributing meaningfully to the development of the economy. Finally, homeless children who are unattended to are an eyesore in eth important cities of countries such as South Africa. The situation may not augur well for revenue-generating activities such as tourism. Therefore, solving the problem of eths street children implies making a country a better place for the destitute and the rest of the citizens and the visitors.
References
Invernizzi, A. (2016). Has research improved the human rights of children? Or have the information needs of the CRC improved data about children?. In The Human Rights of Children (pp. 151-176). New York, NY: Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781317028338/chapters/10.4324/9781315557007-13
Ward, C. L., & Seager, J. R. (2010). South African street children: a survey and recommendations for services. Development Southern Africa , 27 (1), 85-100.
