Some street boys, notably in more developed nations, are part of a subcategory called thrownaway children who are

children that have been forced to leave home. Thrownaway children are more likely to come from working class and single parent homes.[2] Street boyz are often subject to abuse,neglect, exploitation, or, in extreme cases, murder by "clean-up squads" that have been hired by local businesses or police.[3] In Western societies, such children are sometimes treated as homeless children rather than criminals or beggars.

During my research about female street children in Egypt, I asked the girls how their lives in the street differed from boys lives, and if they were looked at or dealt with differently than their male counterparts. It became clear that there are many differences, and that they can be ascribed to three main factors: girls in the street are considered out of place, weak and awrah, sexually provoking. There are children in the streets of Egypt. Although we see them every day, we do
not know all that much about them, except what is obvious to our eyes. Every day, there are children begging in the street, asking for a pound to buy bread or medicine. On every main road, they are selling paper tissues or other products. Many are holding a dirty piece of cloth with which they wipe, or rather smear, our cars. They knock on our car windows and make a gesture signalling they are hungry. Usually, they are barefoot or they wear worn-out slippers that do not fit them. We talk about these street children and discuss their lives, whether they are victims, criminals, neither or both. We advocate for their right to be in a family, to be unharmed, to have access to education. NGOs, governmental institutions and activists discuss, design and implement ways and projects to solve the issue of street children.

To begin with, one must understand the term street children itself. Who are they? UNICEF defines them as children who live in the streets. The street is their home (Fernandes & Vaughn, 2008, p.670). While this definition seems mundane and simple, there are numerous ongoing factors that compose it. The crux and most-contributing context to this problem is the issue of poverty. Other influences upon street children cannot be understood aside from it, and it is continually addressed throughout this analysis. For instance, the lack of both education and job opportunities is an outgrowth of poverty within Brazilian society. The nations wealthiest 20 percent of the population has access to over 65 percent of the entire countrys wealth. More than 45 million people are living in poverty, with 32 million children living in families that make less than $40 US dollars per month. It is easy to be unbothered by statistical evidence, but the existence of street children is a living result of Brazils numerous socioeconomic issues. Poverty is one of the reasons that lead children to the street. The process of children going to the streets to work in legal or illegal businesses to supplement family income contributes in part to the later phenomenon of street children: children on the street become children of the street (Fernandes &Vaughn, 2008, p.671-2). But where does this distinction lie? By Hilary E. O'Haire

Bell suggested the establishment of multi-resource centres, designed to allow them the autonomy to make their own decisions regarding their care, saying that the practice of admittance to places of safety and/or foster care was simply "not going to cut it".

"These children find it very difficult to live in homes that often call for clear structure and boundaries in which they must operate," she said. She cited her own experience with street children who had fallen out of foster care because of their inability to adapt to such controlled environment.

Children's advocate Mary Clarke agreed with Bell about the required approach to dealing with street children. Giving children the opportunity to make an input in their care is, after all, an important element of the Child Care and Protection Act, she said. "The Child Care and Protection Act requires that, even as it defines the best interest of the child on which it is grounded," she said, noting that once the child was of "sufficient age and maturity" so as to be able to form his or her own views, then such views would be taken into account.
PETRE WILLIAMS

In Cooke's survey, the majority of 'children of the street' (58.5 per cent) indicated that they wanted to return home, though less than 40 per cent of them were able, for one reason or other, to The latest 2002 National Survey of Street Children estimated that of that number, Jamaica may have around 6,500. do so. He said that if nothing is done to address the matter, there will be an increase in the number of children turning to the streets for their survival.