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Date: April 25, 2024 Thu
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Results for begging
18 results foundAuthor: Delap, Emily Title: Begging for Change: Research Findings and Recommendations on Forced Child Begging in Albania/Greece, India and Senegal Summary: This report explores the issue of forced child begging both in its local specifics and global commonalities. Forced child begging involves forcing boys and girls to beg through physical or psychological coercion. Forced child begging offers an important focus for the struggle for children's rights in that it represents one of the most extreme forms of exploitation of children in the world today. The research shows that children may be forced to beg by their parents or guardians. Others are exploited in this way by third parties, including cases of children trafficked into begging by informal networks or organized criminal gangs. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2009. 33p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 114862 Keywords: BeggingChild ExploitationChild LaborChild TraffickingChildren, Crimes AgainstOrganized Crime |
Author: Gentiana, Ioana Title: Trafficking in Children in Romania: Study on the Recruiting Process Summary: Human trafficking in every form (sexual exploitation, forced labour and begging or perpetration of crimes) continues to be a worldwide social phenomenon that is morally, psychologically and physically prejudiced to its both its direct victims and others. This phenomenon becomes even more alarming when children are trapped into trafficking networks. In many cases children fall into the hands of individuals for whom nothing is more important than the perspective of financial benefits obtained from their exploitation. The study, achieved within the RO2006/IB/JH 08 Twinning Project - “Improving the institutional capacity of the agencies involved in the prevention of trafficking in human beings in line with the current European standards and best practices (Strengthening the institutional capacity of the agencies involved in preventing human traffic in compliance with the European standards and the best current practices”) represent the outcome of a fruitful cooperation between the Austrian experts from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Vienna, and the research team of the National Agency against Human Trafficking within the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police. The study was a part of the activities provisioned within the “A” component of the PHARE Project. One of its main objectives is to strengthen the research capacity of the National Agency against Human Trafficking. Various studies and much research on human trafficking has been undertaken during the last few years; however, some questions remained without answers necessary to understanding the phenomenon: “What are the main causes and how exactly does the recruitment process of trafficked minors for the purpose of exploitation take place? Also, Why, in similar living conditions, only some minors become victims of human traffic and other do not?” These are examples of questions concerning the research. This study intends to offer further relevant information to understand the children trafficking phenomenon by detailing the recruitment process and other related aspects while analyzing the favouring factors encouraging minors’ vulnerability. Details: Bucharest: Alpha MDN, 2009. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 21, 2010 at: http://anitp.mai.gov.ro/en/trafic/rapoarte/studiu%20ade%20eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Romania URL: http://anitp.mai.gov.ro/en/trafic/rapoarte/studiu%20ade%20eng.pdf Shelf Number: 120043 Keywords: BeggingChild TraffickingForced LaborHuman TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Invernizzi, Antonella Title: Vulnerability to Exploitation and Trafficking of Bulgarian Children and Adolescents in Greece: A Case Study of Street Based Survival Strategies in Thessaloniki Summary: Streets and public spaces in Greece are vibrant and lively spaces during the day as well as night for leisure and social life and also for a number of very diverse economic activities. One might mention artists such as musicians or actors, elderly people selling coffee or cigarettes, people selling snacks or lottery tickets, women near markets selling cloths and curtains, adults and children selling candles or other religious items, tissues, CDs and DVDs, fl owers, with beggars seemingly gaining the sympathy by showing disability or family responsibility, which usually means carrying a baby or a toddler in their arms, or being accompanied by a disabled child. We also observed an adult with an adolescent seemingly in need of care, with a sign explaining about the surgery she needs. At the traffic lights, young people might hand out advertising material or leaflets to drivers whilst adolescents and adults clean windscreens. This is the scenario in which this research took place. Such a broad range of economic activities are carried out in the streets by a very heterogeneous population: old and young, of Greek as well as foreign nationality, of Roma origins as well as belonging to what it is usually considered as Greek mainstream society. Streets in the cities are often fast changing and some of the street work observed during this research might be the survival strategies of particularly vulnerable individuals facing hardship as a result of the economic turmoil. This might include internal or international migrants looking for income in very difficult circumstances. For others, such as students and young artists, the street is a space for generating income as well as having an audience for performances, thus incorporating a dimension of rehearsal and training. For those who beg or sell services or goods of limited use, the need is to generate compassion and empathy in order to gain some kind of income. Where this entail situations of authentic distress and extreme uncertainty, begging equally involves a display of the suffering and powerlessness to persuade the potential benefactor to support the beggar. In some cases, the display might be quite aggressive, as in the case of a woman with a baby showing her breast to drivers to bluntly point to the fact she was breastfeeding. Some beggars might act out fake disabilities, for instance a young woman who cleverly hid her arm in the sleeve of her coat whilst begging or pretend to have family responsibilities by carrying a child in her arms who might be that of a friend. Begging might also be a sort of cover for other activities such as picking pockets and for spotting potential victims or distracting them. More worryingly, both begging and delinquency might be, as information on trafficking shows, for the benefit of others whereby individual children and adults might be working under the hidden control of more powerful and sometimes well organised adults who are forcing and exploiting them into these activities. It is in this complex, constantly changing and very diverse environment that street social workers act to support children and adolescents facing hardship and risks and attempt to protect children from the most negative aspects of the street life. This includes identifying abuse and exploitation as well as, when and wherever possible, potential patterns of trafficking. Professionals need to build at least an often implicit framework to distinguish fake needs from ‘real’ ones whilst accepting that display of misery is part of begging. They have to identify potential delinquent behaviour behind the ‘less unacceptable’ and often tolerated survival strategies and, when it comes to family survival strategies, make the part of that which is the outcome of poverty, instability or particular widespread practices of some categories of the population from what is abuse or exploitation of children and vulnerable adults. They also need to keep an open mind on the possibility of trafficking in human beings. This research was aimed at supporting policy making and programmes active in the field by contributing to a better knowledge of the situation of these populations. Whereas street economic activities, including the most marginal and problematic ones, are from far not a question of specific grouping or categorisation but by and large cover a broader number of national and foreign ethnic and age categories, the specific focus was on Bulgarian children in the streets of Thessaloniki as part of the activities of the MARIO project. It resulted out of a partnership between MARIO project, Terre des Hommes and ARSIS Thessaloniki. ARSIS has proven expertise in the area of child trafficking and has already implemented a number of programmes in Greece and Albania with children working in the street that include prevention and protection in relation to traffi cking as well as support fo families. Whilst the population of Bulgarian children in the streets of Thessaloniki was seemingly increasing, communication and intervention with this population was confronted with barriers in communication and lack of background information on these specific groups. MARIO project’s set up for the study thus included a research team made of ARSIS based social worker, Ms Valbona Hystuna; Bulgaria based social worker, Ms Ulyana Matveeva (Alliance for Children and Youth, Sofi a) and the research consultant who is author of this report. The research set out to examine the situation of Bulgarian children and adolescents living and/or carrying out economic activities in the streets of Thessaloniki with an examination of migration patterns, vulnerability to and experiences of exploitation and, in the event, of patterns of trafficking. Details: Budapest: MARIO Project,Budapest in collaboration with ARSIS Thessaloniki, 2011. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 29, 2011 at: http://www.fitdh.org/pdf/pressreleases/bulgarian_children_in_greece_mario_report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Greece URL: http://www.fitdh.org/pdf/pressreleases/bulgarian_children_in_greece_mario_report.pdf Shelf Number: 121894 Keywords: BeggingChild Sexual ExploitationChild Trafficking (Greece)PovertyStreet Children |
Author: European Roma Rights Centre and People in Need Title: Breaking the Silence: Trafficking in Romani Communities Summary: Estimates provided during research by the ERRC and PiN about the perceived representation of Roma among trafficked persons in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia are several times higher than the proportion of Roma among the general population, indicating a disproportionate impact of this practice on Romani communities. Romani women and children were found to be particularly vulnerable to trafficking, which brings Roma to other countries and to other locations within their home countries. Roma are trafficked for various purposes, including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude, organ trafficking, illegal adoption and forced begging. The vulnerability factors identified in this study are closely linked to those commonly associated with non-Romani trafficked persons and include structural forms of ethnic and gender discrimination, poverty and social exclusion which result in low educational achievement, high levels of unemployment, usury, growing up in State care, domestic violence and substance abuse. Gaps in law, policy and practice in the field of anti-trafficking constitute barriers to the fight against trafficking in Romani communities. Few Roma are identified by police as trafficked persons and many are reluctant to report themselves to law enforcement agencies for fear of reprisal from their traffickers or of prosecution for the conduct of criminal acts as a trafficked person. Similarly low numbers of Romani trafficked persons access victim prevention and protection services and general social protection systems are failing to reduce the extreme vulnerability of Roma to trafficking. The overwhelming lack of support available to Romani trafficked persons negatively impacts the ability of many to re-integrate, leaving them highly vulnerable to re-trafficking. Details: Budapest: European Roma Rights Centre, 2011. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.errc.org/cms/upload/file/breaking-the-silence-19-march-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.errc.org/cms/upload/file/breaking-the-silence-19-march-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 121936 Keywords: BeggingForced LaborHuman TraffickingMinoritiesRomaniesSexual ExploitationTrafficking in Organs |
Author: Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) Title: Hidden Children: The Trafficking and Exploitation of Children Within the Home Summary: The trafficking and exploitation of children can take many forms, both commercial and non-commercial. To date, however, there has been comparatively little focus on hidden children in the UK who are exploited on a non-commercial basis, in domestic servitude. This can be attributed to the fact these crimes are indeed hidden and the number of cases known to law enforcement is limited. In this ‘Hidden Children’ report, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre identifies examples of modus operandi and techniques used by offenders in this form of exploitation. The report also outlines, identifies and profiles the trends and characteristics of this form of abuse, which has resulted in the development of recommendations with UK-wide significance. CEOP’s ‘Hidden Children’ report demonstrates that instances of child abuse through domestic servitude occur throughout the UK, with case studies used to illustrate the nature of the abuse. The report also shows that, in some instances, domestic servitude can occur in tandem with the commercial and economic exploitation of that child. This can take the form of forced labour, begging and pretty crime, and sexual exploitation. Details: London: CEOP, 2011. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: http://www.ceop.police.uk/Documents/ceopdocs/CEOP_Hidden_Children_report_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ceop.police.uk/Documents/ceopdocs/CEOP_Hidden_Children_report_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 122185 Keywords: BeggingChild Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child ProstitutionChildren, Crimes AgainstForced Labour, Children |
Author: Bilger, Veronika Title: Study on the Assessment of the Extent of Different Types of Trafficking in Human Beings in EU Countries Summary: Action against trafficking in human beings has become an important issue on the political agenda of the European Union and its Member States during the last decade. The design of effective measures (those that aim to foster prevention, protect victims and prosecute traffickers) has been commonly agreed to be built on appropriate legal and regulatory framework, research, data collection and information management. The lack of systematically collected and managed statistical data relevant to trafficking in human beings is one of the main obstacles to the successful and effective implementation of anti-trafficking policies and efforts. Objectives • To elaborate appropriate background information and on to assess the extent of different forms of trafficking in human beings in 17 EU Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom). Outcomes • Comprehensive overview of national data on THB in the 17 EU countries covered • Comprehensive overview of national legislation on THB and related areas in the 17 EU countries covered • Comparative Analysis of assessed extent of different types of THB in the 17 EU countries covered • 17 Country Reports on national legislation, national statistics, and assessments of national developments in regard to the extent of THB in 17 countries covered. • Minimum and maximum scenarios on the total (17 countries) extent of different types of THB following the legal and administrative distinctions between victims and perpetrators but also between cases and persons on. Details: Vienna: International Centre for Migration Policy Development, 2010. 448p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2011 at: http://research.icmpd.org/fileadmin/Research-Website/Publications/THB_extent/Study_extent_of_THB_final_26Nov2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://research.icmpd.org/fileadmin/Research-Website/Publications/THB_extent/Study_extent_of_THB_final_26Nov2010.pdf Shelf Number: 123304 Keywords: BeggingForced LaborHuman Trafficking (Europe)Organ TraffickingProstitutionSexual Exploitation |
Author: Ryckmans, Jean-Christophe Title: The Street Children of Nepal: Anthroposociological Study of Social, Cultural and Communicational Practices Summary: This study is based on ten years of observation and intervened on with the street children and youth who are “isolated” on the street and excluded from all parental or family support. They are either plastic pickers, thieves, beggars or money collectors in public transportation on means. These youth, these children are living on the fringes of the Nepalese society with their own habits, dreams and perspectives… This book has been structured in the following way: first, an introduction which explains the general situation on of the street childhood in Nepal and, paradoxically, the huge difficulty to “theorize” or generalize it. This introduction will open up new paths that the following chapters will take. It will set out different points of view (seven) which we considered useful to understand the street child in the complexity of his identity and of his everyday life. Thus, seven chapters which will deal with several different ways of looking at the street child, at a street group or, in a utopian way, at the street childhood in Nepal. Details: Kathmandu, Nepal: CPCS International, 2012. 304p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2012 at: www.cpcs-int.org Year: 2012 Country: Nepal URL: Shelf Number: 127194 Keywords: BeggingHomeless YouthStreet Children (Nepal)Street Youth |
Author: Gurung, Sundip Title: Silent Sufferers: Street Children, Drugs, and Sexual Abuse in Kathmandu, Nepal Summary: Objective: To observe socio-demographic distribution among street children in Kathmandu, and to identify associations between drug use and sexual abuse with regards to socio-demographic variables and predictive variables. Design and participants: A cross sectional study was conducted among 248 street children in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2009. Children were recruited on purposive sampling method and were asked about socio-demographic factors, drug use, sexual abuse, visits to/contact with family, gang involvement, and years spent in the streets. Results: There were significant differences among boys and girls with regard to ethnicity (p=0.002) and main source of income (p=<0.001) as well as with regard to drug use (p=<0.001), gang involvement (p=<0.001), alcohol consumption (p=<0.001), contact with family (p=<0.001), and sexual abuse (p=<0.001). After controlling the potential confounders, an association was observed between drug use and source of income among the boys [begging, OR of 4.9 CI (1.4-17), and thief/pick pocket, OR of 4.8 CI (1.1-24)]. Similarly, there was an association between drug use and alcohol consumption [Casual drinkers, OR of 3.2 CI (1.4-7.4), and regular drinkers, OR of 8.1 CI (2.0-32)]. Conclusion: The study provides important information on how distribution pattern of socio-demographic factors and predictive variables differ among boys and girls in street of Kathmandu. It also provides the information on association of drug use with regards to some of the socio-demographic factors and predictive variables. Details: Umea, Sweden: Umeå International School of Public Health, Epidemiology and Global Health, 2011. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed March 18, 2013 at: http://www.phmed.umu.se/digitalAssets/91/91830_sundip-gurung.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.phmed.umu.se/digitalAssets/91/91830_sundip-gurung.pdf Shelf Number: 128009 Keywords: BeggingChild Sexual AbuseDrug Abuse and AddictionGangsStreet Children (Nepal) |
Author: Surtees, Rebecca Title: After Trafficking: Experiences and Challenges in the (Re)integration of Trafficked Persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region Summary: (Re)integration is a process that involves many steps after the individual's exit from trafficking. Ideally trafficked persons are identified and provided with a range of services to support their social and economic (re)integration. Many trafficked persons interviewed for this study were assisted and supported in these ways. Others were not fully supported through these stages but nonetheless did receive assistance that was valuable toward their recovery and (re)integration. Interviews with trafficked persons yielded many positive examples and experiences, including the important role played by various actors and agencies and (re)integration services in recovery and (re)integration processes. Nonetheless, many trafficked persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) did not have access to these "ideal" pathways and their experiences following their emergence from trafficking further exacerbated their ordeals. Many were neither identified nor assisted as victims of trafficking, which meant they did not receive support to aid in their recovery and sustainable (re)integration. Some trafficked persons received some forms of assistance but not the full package they required (and were entitled to) to move on from their trafficking experience and (re)integrate into society. Equally important, some preferred not to be assisted and declined some or all support offered to them. Understanding these diverse and complex post-trafficking trajectories sheds light on a wide range of issues and dynamics at play in the (re)integration processes in the GMS. It also highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of existing (re)integration mechanisms and processes. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 252 trafficked persons about their experiences of (re)integration, including successes and challenges, as well as future plans and aspirations. The trafficked persons interviewed for this study came from all six countries in the GMS and included men, women and children, trafficked for various forms of forced labour, sexual exploitation, begging and/or forced marriage. The study included persons who had been identified and assisted, as well as those who were not identified and/or did not receive assistance. This research study was undertaken in the context of the a region-wide (re)integration initiative under Project Proposal Concept 5 (PPC5) within the 2nd COMMIT Sub-regional Plan of Action (2008-2010), which sought to assess the effectiveness of (re)integration processes and structures in the region. It continued under the 3rd COMMIT Sub-regional Plan of Action (2011-2013) under Area 3, Protection. While the study is intended for anti-trafficking policymakers and practitioners in the GMS, these findings also have relevance for practitioners and policy makers in other countries and regions who are seeking to enhance their anti-trafficking response, in line with the interests and experiences of trafficked persons. Details: Bangkok: UNIAP/Nexus Institute, 2013. 252p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://www.nexusinstitute.net/publications/pdfs/After%20trafficking_Experiences%20and%20challenges%20in%20(Re)integration%20in%20the%20GMS.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Asia URL: http://www.nexusinstitute.net/publications/pdfs/After%20trafficking_Experiences%20and%20challenges%20in%20(Re)integration%20in%20the%20GMS.pdf Shelf Number: 132084 Keywords: BeggingForced LaborForced MarriageHuman TraffickingReintegrationSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Crime |
Author: Railway Children Title: Children and Young People Living on the Streets in Mwanza, Tanzania. Headcount Report Summary: This report contains the findings of a "headcount" of children and young people who work or live on the streets of Mwanza, Tanzania. The purpose of conducting this headcount was to establish the number of street-based children and young people so as to inform ongoing strategic responses for them by various stakeholders. Railway Children Africa, the key local agencies working with street children in Mwanza and the Social Welfare department make up the partnership "the Integrated Response for Street Children in Mwanza" which is behind this headcount survey. These different partner agencies have observed what appears to be a steady increase of children and young people on the streets, and the current survey attempts to provide valid data to test assumptions about this trend and create a baseline against which to measure changes in the numbers of children on the streets in future years. Periodically quantifying the street children population provides an opportunity to understand the magnitude of the issue and to call various stakeholders to action as they seek to address and support children and young people living alone on the streets. In this report, the data from the headcount exercise is presented and analysed with lessons learnt, conclusions, and recommendations for future work and data collection. We hope that the data will indicate areas that need to be improved and avenues for new directions for work with children living on the streets. Details: Sandbach, Cheshire, UK: Railway Children, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2014 at: http://www.railwaychildren.org.uk/media/11743/mwanza-head-count-report-final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Tanzania URL: http://www.railwaychildren.org.uk/media/11743/mwanza-head-count-report-final.pdf Shelf Number: 133393 Keywords: BeggingChild ProstitutionHomeless ChildrenHomelessnessSex WorkersStreet Children (Tanzania) |
Author: Dimitrova, Kamelia Title: Child Trafficking among Vulnerable Groups: Country Report Bulgaria Summary: Bulgaria is one of the key source countries of victims of trafficking exploited in Europe. Between 2011 and 2013, from 540 to 580 Bulgarian victims of trafficking have been identified throughout the EU. Between 12% and 15% of these victims are children. The predominant type of exploitation of child trafficking in last reported years (2012 and 2013) is begging and pick-pocketing. Although there is no centralised data collection system that would provide information on the socio-demographic profiles of victims, according to expert assessments between 50 and 80% of all victims are of Roma origin. In some specific forms of exploitation, such as begging and pickpocketing, the share of Roma is reportedly around 90%. The study looks at three specific forms of child trafficking - for begging, for pickpocketing and for sexual exploitation of boys - and determines the way these crimes affect the Roma as a group at risk. The three forms of exploitation were chosen in order to address a gap of knowledge on the way the crime manifests itself, the mechanisms of recruitment and of exploitation. While begging and pickpocketing have been recognised as subsistence strategies for impoverished families, they have only recently been recognised as potential form of trafficking and have been criminalised as such respectively. The third form - trafficking for sexual exploitation of boys - remains under the radar of counter-trafficking bodies and empirical knowledge is much needed to improve victim identification and assistance. Against a background of limited data and having in mind the sensitivity of the topic, the report relied on participatory research methods to gain better understanding on the profiles of victims of trafficking, on risk groups and factors of vulnerability, as well as on the mechanisms of recruitment and of exploitation of Roma children victims of trafficking. Roma organisations and community members were actively involved in the preparation and conduct of fieldwork, thereby ensuring that the topic was approached in a non-discriminatory manner and that the research was carried out with a necessary degree of sensitivity to those involved. Details: Sofia, Bulgaria: Center for the Study of Democracy, 201. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://childrentrafficking.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CONFRONT_Country-Report_Bulgaria.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Bulgaria URL: http://childrentrafficking.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CONFRONT_Country-Report_Bulgaria.pdf Shelf Number: 137015 Keywords: BeggingChild Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingPickpocketingRoma ChildrenSexual Exploitation of Boys |
Author: Vidra, Zsuzsanna Title: Child Trafficking in Hungary: Sexual Exploitation, Forced Begging and Pickpocketing Summary: This study explores the mechanisms of three forms of child trafficking in Hungary - begging, pickpocketing and sexual exploitation of children - by focusing on Roma victims. It presents available statistical data on human trafficking and sheds light on some of the major difficulties of data collection regarding human trafficking and child trafficking in particular. It gives an overview of the anti-human trafficking and anti-child trafficking policy frameworks, and it tries to reveal what factors lead to victimisation and how recruitment and exploitation of children actually take place. The study then looks into how the identification of victims, the referral mechanism, and the victim assistance systems all work. Finally, it identifies shortcomings in the criminal processes and the judicial system that undermine effective countering of child trafficking. Details: Budapest: Center for Policy Studies, Central European University, 2015. 277p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://cps.ceu.edu/sites/default/files/publications/cps-book-child-trafficking-in-hungary-2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Hungary URL: http://cps.ceu.edu/sites/default/files/publications/cps-book-child-trafficking-in-hungary-2015.pdf Shelf Number: 137016 Keywords: BeggingChild Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingPickpocketingRoma Children |
Author: Friends International Title: Bangkok Street Children Profile Summary: Most beggars in Bangkok are not from Thailand. They are migrants from neighboring countries, such as Cambodia or Burma, who are drawn to the city's lucrative begging opportunities. These beggars must accept a high level of risk when they travel to Thailand; many are thrown in jail and then deported in a worse state than before. But the biggest issue arises when they bring their children to work on the streets with them. They are at risk of being abused and exploited, are often unhealthy and are in danger of being hit by cars or motorcycles. There are more than 20,000 street children in Thailand's major urban areas. In a single day, a child can earn 300 baht ($10) to 1,000 baht ($30) - much more than the amount a Cambodian or Burmese living in poverty makes back home. In Phnom Penh, for instance, scavenging rubbish all day will only earn a child 16 baht ($0.50). Cambodians make up around 80 percent of Thailand's child beggars. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and half of its population is children. Beggars who are from Thailand usually hail from the northeast Isan region, where 40 percent of the country's poor comes from. Their parents come to Bangkok to find work, usually as motorcycle taxi drivers or construction workers. When they have children, they realize they cannot afford to take care of them. Distrustful of the government-run orphanages, many simply abandon their children in the hands of babysitters, hoping they will find a home there. However, these children are often made to work on the streets to earn some money for their upkeep, according to chairwoman Darat Pitaksit of the Young Women's Christian Association (YMCA) in Bankok, an organization that works with underprivileged children. Because going to school is mandatory until the sixth grade, most Thai children manage to attend at least primary school. Secondary school attendance in Bangkok, however, drops by 20 percent. Despite it being the richest area of Thailand, rates of attendance are lower in Bangkok than anywhere else in the country because of the presence of migrant workers' children and the lifestyles they are made to lead. Contrary to common perception, these street children, both from Thailand and neighboring countries, do not fall into crime, drugs, or other illicit activity. "Thai children are raised to respect their elders," Pitaksit says. "In addition, the belief in karma helps them to be more accepting of their hardships in life." Similarly, Cambodian children would often rather beg on the streets than go to school, says Chantana Sueprom, a staff member of the UNICEF supported NGO Friends International. They feel it is their duty to help their parents earn money. Details: Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Friends-International, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: http://www.admcf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BangkokStreetChildrenProfile2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Thailand URL: http://www.admcf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BangkokStreetChildrenProfile2012.pdf Shelf Number: 139423 Keywords: BeggingHomelessnessPovertyStreet Children |
Author: MacKinnon, Sarah G. Title: Discursive Discrimination and Panhandling in Winnipeg Newspapers Summary: Panhandlers everywhere are a disenfranchised population. They lack the resources necessary to fulfill their basic needs and they encounter discrimination as they go about their daily business. While some people support panhandlers and advocate on tireir behalf, others believe that panhandlers are criminal, dangerous, illegitimately needy, lazy, morally lax individuals who are the agents of their own misfortune. This thesis uses qualitative analysis to examine how panhandlers are represented in Winnipeg newspapers. It explores what these representations mean in terms of a phenomenological orientation which assumes that we create the meaning of our world and those around us through social interaction. This thesis finds that panhandlers are predominantly represented in negative ways in Winnipeg newspapers but suggests that reading newspapers more critically, along with advocating for panhandlers, resisting anti-panhandling by-laws, and empowering panhandlers to represent themselve may improve "panhandlers" status in Winnipeg. Details: Winnipeg, MB: University of Winnipeg, 2007. 133p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 9, 2018 at: https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1993/8043/MacKinnon_Discursive_discrimination.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2007 Country: Canada URL: https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1993/8043/MacKinnon_Discursive_discrimination.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 149083 Keywords: BeggingMediaNewspapersPanhandling |
Author: Child Protection Centers and Services (CPCS) NGO Nepal Title: The Street Children of Kathmandu: Study, approaches and comments on the daily life of street-based children of the Nepalese capital Summary: They are called Raju, Dinesh, Sunita, Bikram, or Akash. In the company of many others they spend their childhood and adolescence living on the streets of Kathmandu. In turn, they warm their frozen hands on the hot coals of a furnace, in turn they sing alone in the dark deserted streets scavenging for any profitable waste, in turn they hassle a passer-by to beg a couple of rupees, in turn they are happy when they fill their empty stomachs with a hot meal, in turn they are sad for having lost a precious trinket, in turn they laugh at the new pleasures that city life has to offer them, in turn they cry remembering the villages they left behind, in turn protector, in turn raped, in turn a player, in turn beaten, in turn a good prince, in turn hunted, in turn living and in turn dead - but in each step, each dream, they remain children and free. Who are these children? Where do they come from? How can they live without parents at such a young age? Are they tempted by soft or hard drugs? What dangers will their lives encounter? In what type of social context do they grow up? Are they surrounded by an education system? These are seven questions that this book will try to illuminate. Other than answers, in this book you will find a new approach to these various questions, mixed with emotions and life experience, as there exists neither theory nor formula to try to understand the magical, tragic and worrying lives that defines the street and the micro-society which the children establish. The service and street workers of CPCS estimate that the number of children living on the street is between 800 to 1100, for Kathmandu alone and its valley. This information has been confirmed by most of the major organisations and other research. This study focuses on these children in particular, as we remain convinced that caution should be used with regards to the multiple "categories" that illustrate the link between the children and the street. The contextual and situational differences between "street children, children in the street, street-working children, street-living children, children with a street-relationship, urban children at risks, etc" appear in effect to be more pertinent in detailed expert analysis than actual reality. This book is based on a survey carried-out with 430 children, 430 lives. In particular, it is the result of an unfinished common working platform between more than 40 people and more than a dozen Nepalese and international experts. The hope is that this book will convey helpful new elements, clues and suggestions that will prove useful not only to NGOs and social workers but also to the general public, as our aim is to reach as many audiences as possible. We remain convinced that it is through a society as a whole, and not only just organisations or governments, that we can bring about an improvement to the condition of these lives and ultimately the social rehabilitation of these children. With this in mind, we have attempted to base ourselves less on the statistics and analysis of data, but rather concentrate our research on children's interviews, illustrations and photos, and in particular on the advice of recognised Nepalese social workers and international experts. At first sight, they may appear to be a certain confusion as the reader is taken on a journey through scientific analysis, essays, witness accounts, and documents. Nevertheless, this confusion permits us to understand the complexity of the situation and the diverse analyses possible. Details: Dillibazaar, Kathmandu: CPCS Nepal, 2007. 194p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2018 at: http://cpcs.international/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/the-street-children-of-kathmandu_en_2007.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Nepal URL: http://cpcs.international/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/the-street-children-of-kathmandu_en_2007.pdf Shelf Number: 149114 Keywords: BeggingChild Sexual AbuseDrug Abuse and AddictionGangsStreet Children (Nepal)Street Workers |
Author: Montgomery County Council Title: Roadway Solicitation Task Force Report Summary: A number of residents and businesses have raised public safety concerns about roadway soliciting on Montgomery County roads. At many intersections throughout the County, individuals can be found selling goods, panhandling or soliciting for charity from the medians. Frequently, individuals who are soliciting step off the median and into the road to collect money, putting themselves and motorists at risk. Also, when panhandling is prevalent in an area, it conveys a feeling of disorder in the community, and can lead people to believe that the community is not caring adequately for its vulnerable populations. Concern has also been expressed that because Montgomery County is one of the few jurisdictions in the metropolitan area without restrictions on roadway soliciting, it is becoming a magnet for panhandlers. Business owners in downtown Wheaton, who are trying to burnish their citys image as a safe place to work, shop and live, have expressed concern that panhandling is a major contributor to the negative perception of crime there. They worry that people will shun the central business district as an undesirable and unsafe place to shop and dine thereby undermining the ability of the small businesses community to thrive in what is already a compromised economy. Because of these concerns, the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee (WUDAC) sent a letter to the County Executive in July 2009, expressing concern about panhandling and asked him to convene a task force to explore the best course of action for discouraging roadside solicitation in the County. In October, 2009, the County Executive appointed a Roadside Solicitation Task Force comprised of residents, business owners, State and County legislators, and non-profit and union leaders to address the issue, and to also determine how the County might best provide assistance to panhandlers who are truly homeless or in need of services. Details: Bethesda, MD: The Council, 2010. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2018 at: https://montgomerycivic.org/files/Roadway_Solicitation_Task_Force_Report_Final_Nov2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: https://montgomerycivic.org/files/Roadway_Solicitation_Task_Force_Report_Final_Nov2010.pdf Shelf Number: 149526 Keywords: BeggingPanhandling |
Author: Ruan, Nantiya Title: Too High a Price: What Criminalizing Homelessness Costs Colorado Summary: Like most of America, Colorado faces a homeless epidemic. Amidst a stark rise in housing costs and equally sharp drop in available affordable housing, Colorado's cities struggle to address the overwhelming needs of its homeless residents. While professing a dedication to eliminating homelessness through homeless and poverty services, state actors continue to write, pass, and enforce local ordinances that criminalize life-sustaining behaviors. Laws that criminalize panhandling, begging, camping, sitting or lying in public, and vagrancy target and disproportionately impact residents that are homeless for activities they must perform in the course of daily living. This Report examines how laws criminalizing homeless people for being homeless have become widespread in Colorado. Through a comprehensive analysis of the enforcement of anti-homeless laws, this Report also examines the cost-economic and social-anti-homeless laws impose upon all Colorado citizens. In the process of examining trends across branches of government and across the state, we found similarities between the constitutional challenges to anti-homeless laws and other discriminatory legal frameworks that criminalized people for their identities or statuses. Ordinances punishing people without homes for behaviors necessary to their daily lived existence will soon become another chapter in a shameful history of invalidated laws, such as Anti-Okie Laws, Jim Crow Laws, "Ugly Laws," and Sundown Laws. Federal courts have begun to recognize the dubious constitutionality of anti-homeless laws, and, in turn, municipalities like Denver and Boulder have begun re-examining how they enforce anti-homeless ordinances. But the data still reveal a trend: a startling high number of ordinances enforced at an alarming rate which comes with a high price tag for Colorado. To analyze statewide trends, we identified 76 cities in Colorado based on population and geographic diversity, which represent roughly 70% of the state's population. We surveyed these 76 municipal codes and identified numerous anti-homeless ordinances that target those without homes, such as: sitting, sleeping, lying, or storing belongings in public prohibitions; restrictions on begging or panhandling; camping bans; loitering and vagrancy prohibitions; and trespass, park closure, and sanitation laws. Based on this research, we have come to following conclusions: - Colorado's 76 largest cities have 351 anti-homeless ordinances; - Cities criminalize homelessness in a variety of ways; - Adopted ordinances inspire similar ordinances in other municipalities; and - Ordinances lack clarity and obstruct government transparency and accountability From the 76 surveyed cities, we selected 23 cities for more in-depth research using Open Records Requests to examine how anti-homeless ordinances are enforced. We found: - Cities issue citations to homeless residents at a staggering rate. For example, 30% of all citations that Grand Junction issued are pursuant to an anti-homeless ordinance. Fort Collins issues citations to homeless individuals at the rate of two citations per homeless resident per year. Colorado Springs has doubled the rate at which they enforce anti-homeless ordinances between 2010 and 2014. - Many cities aggressively target homeless residents for panhandling and for trespassing. Fewer than half of the cities surveyed have restrictions on begging or panhandling, yet Denver arrested nearly 300 homeless individuals in 2014 for panhandling. Between 2013 and 2014, Denver issued over 2,000 trespass citations to homeless individuals. This represents more than half of all trespass citations in the city even though homeless residents are only 0.05% of the population. - Some cities use camping bans to target homeless residents. Boulder stands out in issuing camping ban citations by issuing 1,767 between 2010 and 2014-as compared with Denver, which issued fifteen in the same time frame, or Durango, which issued zero. Boulder issued camping ban citations at a rate of two citations per homeless resident. Eighty-seven percent of Boulder's camping citations were issued to homeless residents. - Several cities fail to track how anti-homeless citations are enforced against individuals who are homeless-this includes Durango, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Aurora. Because most cities also do not track "move on" orders, the data provided by the cities do not address how these widely used policing tactics impact homeless residents' lives. - Cities do not provide sufficient services for their homeless populations. For example, Fort Collins provides 118 shelter beds for over 400 homeless residents. On its best night, Boulder provides 280 beds for 440 homeless residents. Some cities, like Grand Junction, have limited services and publicize their attempts to deter people who are homeless from coming to their city. A major contribution of Too High A Price is that it comprehensively analyzes the cost of anti-homeless ordinances by calculating the cost of policing, adjudication, and incarceration. By studying the enforcement of five anti-homeless ordinances in Denver, we found that in 2014 alone, Denver spent nearly three-quarters of a million dollars ($750,000.00) enforcing these ordinances. We estimate that just six Colorado cities spent a minimum of five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) enforcing fourteen anti-homeless ordinances over a five-year period. For reasons discussed in the report, this number is significantly under-inclusive. Reducing or eliminating anti-homeless ordinances would achieve governmental goals of reducing ineffective spending; expanding efficient homelessness services and prevention; and reducing collateral consequences and implicit social costs associated with criminalizing homelessness. Too High A Price also includes seven separate City Spotlight Reports that takes a deeper dive into the criminalization of homelessness in the cities of Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, and Pueblo. With these case studies, this Report also shows that judicial action alone is not enough to stop the unconstitutional criminalization of homeless people. Despite recent court decisions invalidating panhandling ordinances as unconstitutional, Colorado cities enforce other more facially-neutral ordinances in a way that disparately impacts homeless people. Because so many cities have such ordinances, the Colorado state legislature must step in and enact legislation that establishes affirmative rights for homeless individuals at the state level. The Right to Rest Act, Colorado House Bill HB-16-1191, introduced by Representatives Salazar and Melton in February 2016, will help combat the disparate impact of these ordinances in Colorado's communities. Details: Denver: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3169929 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3169929 Shelf Number: 150125 Keywords: BeggingHomeless PersonsHomelessnessLoiteringPanhandlingVagrants |
Author: Ruan, Nantiya Title: Too High a Price 2: Move on to Where? Summary: Over two years have passed since the University of Denver Sturm College of Law's Homeless Advocacy Policy Project released its report, Too High a Price, detailing the tremendous expenditures Colorado cities make in an effort to criminalize homelessness. As Colorado housing costs continue to skyrocket, its homeless epidemic has grown as well. Unfortunately, state actors continue to write, pass, and enforce ordinances that criminalize some of our most basic, life-sustaining activities. Laws such as camping, sitting or lying in public, begging, and loitering disproportionately target behaviors associated with homelessness, leaving one of the state's most vulnerable populations living in fear. As a follow-up to Too High a Price, this Report details the increased efforts to criminalize homelessness in the state of Colorado. Through an examination of three of Colorado's most prominent cities, Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, this Report highlights the stark rise in enforcement of anti-homeless laws, and the disproportionate and inhumane impact they have on the day-to-day lives of people experiencing homelessness. In the process of examining Colorado's ever-increasing criminalization of homelessness, we found that law enforcement frequently issues "move-on" orders to remove visible poverty from its city streets. A move-on order, also referred to as a police "street check," is a law enforcement technique used to further enforce certain ordinances, including camping bans. In lieu of issuing a citation or making an arrest, officers are directed to instruct homeless individuals, upon contact, to pack up their belongings and "move on" to somewhere else. At first glance, these move-on orders may seem like a viable alternative to outright issuing citations. However, with the extreme decline in affordable housing and the lack of emergency shelter space to accommodate Colorado's growing homeless population, these move-on orders leave homeless people with nowhere to go. Instead, they are merely pushed from one place to the next. To analyze the trends of criminalization of homelessness, we utilized Open Records Requests to obtain data detailing the enforcement of anti-homeless laws in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder. This data revealed that Colorado cities have increased enforcement more than we anticipated. Furthermore, we researched the adverse effects move-on orders have on homeless populations. Based on this research and data, we came to the following conclusions: - The overall number of anti-homelessness ordinances has increased. Between Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder, there are at least thirty-seven ordinances that criminalize behaviors associated with people experiencing homelessness. Since Too High a Price was first released, Colorado Springs has added one new anti-homeless ordinance and Denver Law students found four additional ordinances in Denver. - Colorado Springs and Boulder have increased the number of citations issued under camping bans. In 2017, Boulder issued 376 citations under its camping ban ordinance. Of those 376 citations, an incredible 81.9% were issued to homeless individuals. Additionally, Colorado Springs increased its enforcement of its two camping bans by a staggering 545% over the span of three years. - Denver's use of move-on orders has skyrocketed at an alarming rate. In 2016 alone, Denver law enforcement made contact with over 5,000 people in move-on encounters. Denver police increased its contact with homeless individuals through the use of street checks by 475% in the span of three years. - The number of emergency shelter beds cannot accommodate Colorado's homeless population. In all three cities we surveyed, none provide enough beds to meet the needs of its homeless populations. In Colorado Springs, the number of year-round shelter space can only accommodate 38% of El Paso County's homeless population. Boulder has even fewer resources, with only enough beds for roughly 25% of its homeless population. Denver doesn't fare better, with the 2017 Point-in-Time count indicating that on a given night, nearly 1,000 homeless people sleep on the streets. - Move-on orders have overwhelming collateral consequences on homeless populations. The use of move-on orders has grave consequences on people experiencing homeless, including: pushing people to dangerous areas, pushing people farther away from vital resources, and causing adverse health effects. As homeless people are forced into the shadows, extremely harmful consequences usually follow. Beyond the lack of shelter space and affordable housing, and how criminalization makes homelessness harder to escape, the larger issue is this: why are we so uncomfortable with facing homelessness? Our parks are for everyone. Our streets are for public use. Our free speech rights allow for all citizens to ask for what they may need. We should not view visible poverty as something to be avoided at all costs-especially if that cost results in further degradation and ostracism. Despite some city officials acknowledging that issuing citations does nothing to solve the homeless crisis, our research reveals that city actors continue to criminalize homelessness. This Report concludes by offering suggested changes for Colorado cities moving forward. First, only through stopping the criminalization efforts will we begin to alleviate the vicious cycle of homelessness in Colorado. Colorado cities should repeal camping bans that merely criminalize the human necessity to sleep and rest, provide new resources to homeless populations such as twenty-four-hour restrooms, and invest in education efforts that promote the dignity of people in poverty. Trying to make homelessness invisible does nothing more than make homelessness inevitable. Details: Denver: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Homeless Advocacy Policy Project, 2018. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 18-14: Accessed May 9, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3174780 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3174780 Shelf Number: 150126 Keywords: Begging Homeless Persons Homelessness HousingLoiteringPanhandling Vagrants |