Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial conditions, resilience status
and intervention strategies of street children in Jimma town. Explanatory sequential
research design was employed. Of total 965 population of the study, 246 on street and
off streetteenager street children were target population of this study. Out of these, 137
street children were selected by simple random sampling from four kebele’s and the rest
seven key informants were selected by purposive sampling technique. Age (13-18)
teenagers and length of time they stayed on the street (≥3 months) were the study
inclusion criteria for street children. To collect data questionnaire, interview guide and
FGD probes were used. Pilot study was conducted and at r =.762 with little modification
final test was administered. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and
analyzed sequentially. The result of the study depicted that street children encounter
various psychosocial conditions and the multiple regression analysis indicated that
anxiety significantly predicted resilience status, b=.297, t (109) =8.418, p˂.001. Anxiety
also explained a significant proportion of variance in resilience status R
2
=.388, F (112)
= 70.86, p ˂.001.But the rest depression (b=.118, p=.107), basic social services, (b=-.018, p=.81), and social support (=b-.069, p=.35), have no significant contribution to
resilience status of street children. Man Whitney U t-test result also revealed male street
children are significantly resilient (Mdn= 65) than girls (Mdn= 55), U= 597.500,
p˂.001, r= -.33. Moreover, descriptive analysis depicted street children had slow
growing moderate resilience status at (M=63.03 SD= 7.89). To reach for these children
government body reunify and reintegrate without rehabilitation and NGOs reunify after
rehabilitate them. However, reunification without rehabilitation could not bring
considerable change in the study area. So, concerned bodies have to provide
rehabilitation service before reunify these children.
