A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...

the nature of police work. Consequently, various studies highlight and argue for
improvements in the interaction to ease the tensions and conflicts that arise (Allsebrook
and Swift, 1989; Balanon, 1989, Michaels, 1992; Street Child Unit-Durban City Police,
1993). Further studies highlight the factors that cause or trigger the phenomenon of
children living and/or working on the streets, citing the reasons why children leave
home, e.g. the push away or pull factors (Boyden, 1990, Burman, 1986; Ennew, 1994,
Mullaly, 1993; Machepha, 1997; Swart, 1990; Swart-Kruger and Donald, 1994).
Boikanyo and Donnell, (1997) and Boyden, (1990) focused their studies on the risks of
living on the streets, how children are vulnerable to the exposure to drugs, sexual
abuse, disease, crime and violence.
2.3.1 Intervention Responses
The plight of children living and/or working on the streets evoked a worldwide desire for
interventions to address the challenges the phenomenon posed. As a result, many
shelters and/organisations dealing with the intervention strategies are evident in most
countries, particularly in developing countries (Boyden and Holden, 1991; Blanc, 1994;
Carr, 1995; Jones, 1993). Studies on the intervention strategies point out two important
points: first, there exists a gender bias in representation because there are fewer
shelters for female children living and/or working on the streets than for males (Blanc,
1994). Hanson (1991) argues that there is a lack of research and information with
regard to female children living and/or working on the streets. However, studies also
indicate that there are few female children living and/or working on the streets,
particularly in the South African context, and therefore facilities are few (Richter, 1988;
Swart, 1988; Scharf, 1986); secondly, interventions include the provision of a place to
sleep, food, clothing and a form of learning (Boyden and Holden, 1991). This form of
intervention emphasized a reactive rather than preventative action and was criticised
for not dealing fully with all dimensions of interventions (Hansson, 1991; Scharf, 1986;
Greene, 1997). The Government of South Africa document on minimum standards
child and youth care (1998) stipulates that intervention strategies should endeavour to
provide for the basic needs (shelter, food and clothing) of children. Many intervention
programs were developed with this aim (Agnelli, 1986; Lusk, 1989; MacPherson, 1987;
McCurtain 1988; Karabanow and Rains, 1997). Shelters in Durban included harm
reduction programs due to the children's exposure to abusive and exploitative
relationships, drugs and physical violence while on the streets (Boikanyo, and Donnell,
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