Livelihood status of street children in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh: An empirical approach

Abstract

Street children are not a homogeneous group. Each child has a different family background, a different reason for being on the street, a different education level, and different requirements to be filled. An effective categorization will bring a better understanding of the problems and the needs of each group of street children. The study examines the socio-economic profile of the street children in the study area namely Krishna district and it ascertains the causes that paved the way for the respondents to become street children in the study area and it further analyzes the living conditions of the street children in the study area. The present research study adopts descriptive research design and sampling technique applied was Purposive and Proportionately Stratified Random Sampling method. The sample size for the study is 120 and statistical tools like percentages and ANOVA were applied. The study shows that the aspects of poverty, illiteracy, broken family background and orphan factors are the prime factors that effects the livelihood status of the street children in the study area. The study concludes that their exits a significant relationship between the socio-economic profile of the street children and the causes for becoming street children and their livelihood status. The street children in the selected study area are living in pathetic conditions and their livelihood status is squat and stumpy.