Guwahati: A pioneering research on the need for psychosocial interventions to heal and empower street children has found that the street kids out smart “normal kids” in their life skills.
Fr. C. J. George, Vice-principal of Salesian College Sonada (Darjeeling) conducted the study as part of his doctoral thesis presented at Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) Guwahati, 11th December 2015.
Fr. George has worked with Don Bosco Ashalayam group which has 25 street children intervention centres spread out in Calcutta and neighbouring Howrah and Nadia districts for 18 years.
Recent statistics claim that there are some 18 million street children in India.
“The study is significant as one of my co-workers young Fr George, soon after his priestly ordination, ventured out into the mean streets to save children,” says Fr Anotny Thaiparampil who works for street children in Lucknow sending his good wishes to Fr George who also has worked as Rector and Principal in Calcutta’s two premier English medium Don Bosco Schools at Bandel and Liluah for some 10 years before joining Salesian College.
The four year-long study conducted under the guidance of the ADBU School of Social Sciences Director Dr Riju Sharma is entitled: “Need for Psychosocial Interventions to Heal and Empower Children in Street Habitat: A Phenomenological and Ethnographic Study.”
“The present research is focused on children who have lived and are living in street situations in comparison with children who live life away from the street in normal family settings,” says Fr George explaining the core of his study.
The doctoral research included explorative study with descriptive method with the assistance of observation, survey, questionnaire and focused group discussions involving children in both street habitat and normal home settings.
“Children in the street have a very painful past,” says Fr George listing some of the cruel situations in which children fall victims of human passions, revenge, rape, anger or other negative passions which traumatize them for life.
Sharing the inner stories of the wounded experience of children who if left alone fall victim and constantly suffer at the hands of the general public and law keepers, Fr George says, “children in street situation perceive the society as their threat and at the same time their only means for survival.”
Also the society in its turn feels threatened in the presence of street children and most people treat them with disrespect compelling them “to survive in challenging situations during which they develop various life skills for survival.”
Often street children are found sick physically and mentally needing urgent intervention to restore their mental and physical health says the researcher who finds that most children need simply ordinary human interventions which he terms as “psychosocial to get them mainstreamed.”
Psychosocial interventions and support services describe a wide variety of services, supports and strategies that aim to change behaviour and support people who are affected by alcohol and drug use.
These are services which are provided within community settings.
On a positive note, Fr George says, “[street] children welcome healthy adult friendship and they love to be cared for and being present with them in their various needs.”
“A listening person is appreciated as it helps for better human relationship and assists in building positive feelings of acceptance,” says Fr George. Fr George adds, “simple experiences of love can change their attitudes: being with them, having a meal with them, offering medicine or attending to any other basic needs.”
In a note of assurance Fr George says, “street children expect their dignity to be upheld and they appreciate anyone who respects them as a human person.”
His guide Dr Sharma does not hesitate to state that “the study offers assistance to academicians to empower many more to work for the cause of children offering assistance to grassroots-level workers with scientifically proven methods and interventions to assist children in the street habitat.”
The panel of examiners consisted of Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Controller of Examinations, Director of Research, Dr Kalpana Sarathy of TISS Guwahati and Guide Dr Riju Sharma.