Group+2+Q.3

= __ Question 3: Why do Street kids become "Street Kids "? __ = = = = = = Some of the reasons kids end up living on the streets are... =

Children may end up on the streets for several basic reasons: They may have no choice – they are abandoned, orphaned, or thrown out of their homes. Secondly, they may choose to live in the streets because of mistreatment or neglect or because their homes do not or cannot provide them with basic necessities. Many children also work in the streets because their earnings are needed by their families. But homes and families are part of the larger society and the underlying reasons for the poverty or breakdown of homes and families may be social, economic, political or environmental or any combination of these. > > > Becoming homeless is generally not a decision that children make for themselves. In NZ the reasons young people become homeless generally start with problems at home. For example, children may be getting physically, emotionally or sexually abused, or they may have neglectful parents/caregivers. Another reason kids/teens end up on the streets is youth gang envolvement. Drug & alchohol abuse can also be a part of it. On the other hand living on the streets can be a self-made decision. Children that have depression or that take part in self-harm may feel that they don’t want to be at home so they choose to run away. Although, as depression is a mental dissorder, some people do not see this as a clear choice.
 * Drug use
 * Gambling addictions
 * Mental health
 * Unemployment
 * Use of too much alcohol
 * Physical abuse
 * Home problems
 * Unstable families (mostly parents)
 * Armed conflict
 * Poverty
 * Natural and man made disasters
 * Famine
 * Urbanizing and overcrowding

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