To Investigate Factors Contributing To Street Children, A Case Study Of Meru Municipality, Meru Central District, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The research is aimed at investigating the factors contributing to the street children

problem. Case study of Men, municipality Mem Central district, Eastern Province,

Kenya. The major variables of the study are poverty, child neglect and peer pressure.

This study was aimed at investigating the factors contributing to the street children

phenomenon. It was carried out in Mciii municipality Meru central district of eastern

province of Kenya. The variables examined were poverty, child neglect, and peer group

influence.

The background to the study traces the onset of the problem to the late 1960’s. The

problem is clearly stated by the objectives of the study and justification that is the

rationale and the beneficiaries of the study. In chapter two literature related to the

variables under examination and the topic is reviewed and analyzed in order to throw

light on the study.

Cyclical theory of family breakdown has been used to give a framework and explanation

on the street children phenomenon. The major objectives of the study were to examine

whether poverty, child neglect and peer group influence lead to the street children

phenomenon. The research design used was sample survey which relied on a sample of

sixty respondents that is 55 boys and 5 girls aged between seven and seventeen years old,

the District children officer was also interviewed in relation to the study. Purposive and

mud ball sampling methods were used to arrive at the sample. Methods of data collection

were interviews whereby close-ended and open-ended questions were used, observation

method was also used. Frequency distribution tables, percentages and descriptive

analysis have been used to analyze and interprete data collected from the respondents.

Policies related to the study have bee examined and implications are explained. The

major findings of the study are that the three variables; poverty, child neglect and peer

group influence are as major contributing factor to the street children phenomenon. The

major cause of the street children phenomenon based on the findings is poverty, child neglect peer pressure respectively.