Children%20rough%20sleepers%20and%20runaways:%20a%20european%20research%20project

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Children rough sleepers and runaways a european
research project
With Financial Support from the DAPHNE III
Programme of the European Union
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A Study Relating to Children Rough Sleepers who
are Runaways, Homeless and Victims of Sexual
Exploitation/Abuse and other Violence on the
Streets and the Development of Knowledge Transfer
Activities that Improve Services and Policies to
Support and Protect these Vulnerable Children.

• 2 year project
• Jan 2013 to Jan 2015
• European Partner Countries
• UK
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Hungary
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Czech Republic
• Spain
• Romania
• Project value 1,248,000 Euros

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CRS definitions

• Definition of Child
• For the purposes of this study, we are using the
  UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that
  defines a child as "a human being below the age
  of 18 years.
• NB Some of the countries who are partners in
  this research project have alternative domestic
  definitions of a child for some this may mean
  that statistics which are available and which we
  may use, may define a child as a young person up
  to the age of 21. Should this be the case, this
  will be indicated within the research.

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• Definition of Homelessness
• For the purposes of this study we will be using
  as a starting point the definition contained
  within Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights
  of the Child, which asserts
• State Parties recognize the right of every child
  to a standard of living adequate for the child's
  physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social
  development. Homelessness denies each one of
  those rights.
• According to an Inter-NGO Program on street
  children and youth, a street child is
• any girl or boy who has not reached adulthood,
  for whom the street (in the widest sense of the
  word, including unoccupied dwellings, wasteland,
  etc.) has become his or her habitual abode and/or
  source of livelihood, and who is inadequately
  protected, directed, and supervised by
  responsible adults.

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• For the purposes of this study we shall determine
  that Homelessness /Houselessness /Rooflessness
  for children will be defined in the broadest
  sense according to the following definitions in
  order to reflect both the specific experiences of
  children and also the cultural dimensions and
  differences within partner countries in the
  study.
• Living on the street in the widest sense
  including inhabiting wasteland, unoccupied
  dwellings, sleeping or bedded down in the open
  air (streets, doorways, parks, for example) using
  non-significant or sporadic specialized resources
  or housed homeless and living in the open or in
  non adapted accommodation.
• Children who spend the majority of their time on
  the street or outside of the care of responsible
  adults.
• Living in a situation where that child is
  inadequately protected, directed or supervised by
  responsible adults.
• Children who run away, leave home or are thrown
  out, commonly referred to as Runaways
  including young people who stay away from home
  for at least one night without the permission of
  their parent or carer.
• A homeless child who has no home where they can
  be expected to live, and who may be staying with
  friends, in a hostel, a refuge or in a shelter or
  another type of ad hoc or temporary
  accommodation.
• A street homeless child who is sleeping rough
  outside on the street or elsewhere in a place not
  designed for regular sleeping or who is living in
  accommodation not designed for human habitation.
• Children in roving accommodation.
• Roofless according to the European ETHOS typology
  of triple exclusion that is, social or legal or
  physical.

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The context of the countries in the study

• Romania no data discrimination within systems
  increases in drug and alcohol use and smoking in
  young people.
• Netherlands zwerfjongeren refers to under 23
  problems of living rather than sleeping on the
  street lack of coherent policies links with
  homelessness ADHD in boys.
• Poland no reliable data explicit social
  problems pathologies within families.
• Spain linked to poverty the economic crisis
  most institutionalised problems of unaccompanied
  foreign minors, migrants and ineffective post
  institution resettlement.
• Slovenia no definitions or laws specific to
  children except for parental neglect. Issues
  with Roma children.
• Hungary dictatorship 10 live in
  poverty/destitution poor knowledge economic
  crisis and problems with trafficking.

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The context of the countries in the study

• Czech Republic no data for under 18s
  repressive social measures against all street
  people incl. children no professional guidelines
• Portugal Little data lack of political will
  welfare changes have hit the poorest families.
• UK 70,000 est. children in homeless households
  120,000 est. stateless children research req.
  into effects of welfare regimes and effects of
  drugs, alcohol, trafficking sex work.

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The Journey to Homelessness / Running Away /
Rough Sleeping

• Early onset trauma
• a) Abuse/poverty within families
• b) Institutionalisation
• c) Absence of role models
• d) Lack of education / lack of life skills
  education

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b) institutionalisation

• UK 36
• Slovenia 53
• Hungary 100
• Poland 50
• Netherlands 71
• Spain 6
• Portugal 45
• Czech Republic 80
• Romania 5

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c) Absence of role models

• 22 stated that they had no help and support
  before ending up on the streets
• 19 stated that the help and support they had was
  poor
• 26 stated that the support they had was helpful
• The highest levels of no help and support was
  found in UK 36, Poland 45, Netherlands
  24, Czech Republic 30.

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d) education
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PREVALENCE OF SEX WORK, GANG MEMBERSHIP, STREET
CRIME, USE OF WEAPONS STREET VIOLENCE

• a Sex Work (only reported in the UK)
• b Gang Membership (30 or more)
• c Committing Street Crimes
• d Having or Using Weapons on the Streets
• e Subject to Street Violence Sexual or
  Otherwise (UK NDL score much higher)

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Prevention

• Abuse
• Family Environment
• Early Intervention
• Supported Care
• Awareness Raising and Education
• Guidance and Support
• Poverty Reduction
• Attitudes and Behaviour

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Summary risk factors

• Being a boy
• Coming from a single (mother) household / not
  having an appropriate role model
• Truanting from school 
• Having learning difficulties at school
• Smoking, taking drugs and drinking
• Many CRSR experience violence on the streets, but
  there are clear differences in this between
  countries (UK and NL score much higher)
• On average more than 30 (and in any case
  considerable percentages in each country) have
  been in a gang whilst on the street.
• The child protection system
• The cumulative effect

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Key messages to policy makers so far

1. Awareness raising of issues exacerbated by
   economic climates
2. Prevention empowerment for diverse populations
   incl. stateless, immigrants, runaways or those
   from homeless households
3. The stable adult / role model Netherlands
   social parenting.
4. Greater political commitment to acknowledging the
   links between poverty, social exclusion and
   resultant homelessness

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CRS European Network Membership

• Why join the Children Rough Sleepers Project
  Network?
• Access to latest information on Children Rough
  Sleepers sharing news/best practices
• Access to FREE Newsletter
• FREE membership
• Access to funding information
• Access to FREE training/workshops
• Access to FREE conferences
• Be part of a European network of specialists,
  organisations services working together to
  tackle rough sleeping
• Be part of a joined-up voice
• Please complete your forms and hand to Paramjit
  Singh or Professor Kate Moss

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Thank you for listening

• Professor Kate Moss
• Paramjit Singh
• k.moss_at_wlv.ac.uk
• P.singh6_at_wlv.ac.uk

With Financial Support from the DAPHNE III
Programme of the European Union