Psychosocial Conditions, Resilience Status and Intervention Strategies of Street Children in Jimma Town

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.