Street Children ( anak jalanan)

Children who either live with or without family, hanging out individually or in gangs in different places and surviving by begging, working in someone’s employment, robbery, or working in the sex trade.


I had just spent an entire hour following an online discussion about Jogja street children. What I find very interesting are the varying reactions from people -- pity, resentment, ignorance, apathy, compassion, indifference...

I decided to copy some of the posts that were on that online discussion. It seems as if a few of the members of that particular discussion group have figured some stuff out about the street kids.

Prostitution Street Children In Jogjakarta

Street children can be divided into two categories based on their relationships with their family: children of the street and children on the street. Generally, children of the street refer to the children who have been disconnected with the family and live in the street. On the contrary, children on the street still live with their family although they earn money from the street. Usually the street children from the last category are at the age under five and at the school age. Whereas, the street children

who live far away from the families are at the teen ages. The prostituted street children are adolescent people which are categorized as children of the street. This study intends to discuss the prostitution life of street children. Their process from the beginning of street life until getting into prostitution life.

This study explores the life of ten girls prostituted street children in Yogyakarta. The informants are gathered with the snowball sampling system with indepth interview technique.

The study shows that the prostitution of street children are categorized as prostituting street children and prostituted street children. They leave home because of the uncomfortable atmosphere at home like domestic violence and indifferent treatment from the family. Generally, children come from the unwealthy family who has little attention to the important of children’s education. The relationship between children and their family have lost as soon as they are out of the family ties. It also happens to their education which is disconnected too. The low level of education, the disconnection relationship with the family and the street life which tends to be free
and hard, often make children are very permissive toward the free sexual relationship.

The relationship built between the children and their customer are based on two categorization, first, the usual relationship between street children and their customer and the relationship among couple, second, the relationship between the children and the men in the street community. From the categorization mentioned before, the street children who give sexual service are paid with money, goods, and protection. The street life which is always free because they always depend on their friend and lover, lessen their daily needs including their life style need as the actualization. According to the reproductive health, the prostituted street children has done the abortion and suffered with the sexual transmitted diseases for changing spouse. The hard street life yields the daily threats of violence and abuse, like physical and sexual abused done by their peer group of street children and also by the security guards.

The street children who get into the prostitution are caused by influence fromtheir friend, life style, and the sexual stimulus to make sexual contact. The threeinfluences are also made the street children choosing to exploit their sexuality asanother alternative to earn money.

Aspect of Legal Protection for Street Children

Private Aspect of Legal Protection for Street Children still hasn’t gotten protection measure yet. Street children are the responsibility of all parties, especially for parents. The parents are the important people to arrange them so their activities can be arranged well in their life. Children rights are protected by Convention On The Rights Of Child on 1989 (already ratificated by KEPPRES No. 36 on 1990. Also in Private Law.
Protection for the street children can be done well if the parties who have a role in children protection can cooperate and coordinate well. The parties are: Children Protection Institution (LPA), Legal Aid Institution (LBH).
To keep the street children is the responsibility all people in order to be the good generation.

Stop Give Money To Street Childrens

With so we help them from the risks and dangerous to give the opportunity to stretch their hands to welcome the foundation and do things that are useful for the future soon.

Through our actions and the opportunities that we provide, we are indirectly restore the human rights of children, according to the UN Convention on children's rights (ratified Presidential Decree No.36/1990 RI):
- Right to life
- The right to grow and develop
- The right to protection
- The right to participate

With us stop to give "easy money" means we have to be passive in the volunteer effort of recovery human rights of children. On the one hand we yearn to see them but if we give money, they will still like it and would not welcome help from foundations, which they intend to help. On the other hand, not giving the money so we hope their future will be better from now.

Date Dec. 5 was set as a Volunteer Day globally. In order to commemorate the day, on 5 December 2004, the United Nations in this UNV (United Nations Volunteer) campaigns in Jakarta for the care of street children with the theme "Stop Give Money, Give Us Chance." With this campaign hopes to change the paradigm of giving to the community
street children and lay volunteers who support the campaign.

what can we do so that they are not in the street again?

Many parties and foundations that have been trying to help them with provide free school, free food and housing for layover them. However, they still return to the road. Why? Because your money!

Because every day they get "easy money" at least Rp.25,000 - that means in a month they can earn Rp. 750.000,. The amount is large enough, no wonder they choose to remain in way.

But if left, 10-20 years they will remain November and so can become a civilian living in the streets and expressed children and the poor are not educated. This will be the vicious circle in our countries.

They will not have any other choice, what can we do so that they are not in the street again?