TITLE:
Apathy of Street Children of Dhaka City towards Rehabilitation: An Assessment
AUTHORS:
Meherunnesa Islam Mou, Shariful Islam
KEYWORDS:
Street Children, Rehabilitation, Push and Pull Factors, Street Life, Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.10,
October
18,
2024
ABSTRACT: The present study has investigated the reasons responsible for the lack of engagement of street children of Dhaka city with rehabilitation initiatives. For identifying the reasons of apathy of street children towards rehabilitation, data has been gathered using a purposive sampling method from eighteen (18) children across Dhaka city. Through interviews and open-ended questionnaires, it was found that most street children do not find the benefits of rehabilitation as they have developed a certain level of adaptability on the streets. This research has portrayed the entire concept as push factors and pull factors. Push factors are those elements that bring those children on the street. The push factors are poverty, parental separation, sexual or mental abuse, lack of basic necessities, child labor, exploitation, and lack of love and empathy. They are the core problems of society and the absence of implementation of children’s rights in our society. Similarly, the study has found some pull factors as responsible elements that make the children unwilling for rehabilitation and pull them back onto the streets. Peer influence, drug addiction, desire to regain self-independence, financial freedom, bullying and abusive environment in rehabilitation centers are some of the factors that pull them back on the streets and create an apathy towards rehabilitation initiatives. Considering the data and addressing the needs and expectation of the street children towards rehabilitation, the study, finally proposes some policy recommendations for developing the rehabilitation initiatives.