Initiation to street life: a qualitative examination of the physical, social, and psychological practices in becoming an accepted member of the street youth community in Western Kenya

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Juddy Wachira¹  Violet Naanyu²  Paula Braitstein³  Susanna Winston⁴  Allan Kamanda⁵  David Ayuku⁶  Lonnie Embleton⁷ 

[1] Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), P.O. Box 4606, 30100, Eldoret, Kenya;Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), P.O. Box 4606, 30100, Eldoret, Kenya;Moi University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya;Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), P.O. Box 4606, 30100, Eldoret, Kenya;Moi University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya;Department of Medicine, Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA;University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Ontario, Canada;Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, USA;Brown University, Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA;Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Providence, RI, USA;Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya;Moi University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya;University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Ontario, Canada;

关键词: Initiation practices;    Street connected children and youth;    Gender;    Sexual practices;    Kenya;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-1942-8

 received in 2014-08-31, accepted in 2015-06-16,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to describe the physical, social, and psychological initiation practices of street connected children and youths, in Eldoret, western Kenya.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted from August 2013 to February 2014. A total of 65 SCCY aged 11–24 years were purposively sampled from the three referral points: 1) A dedicated study clinic for vulnerable children and youth at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH); 2) Primary locations in which street children reside “bases/barracks”; 3) Street youth community-based organizations. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. All data were audio recorded, transcribed, translated to English, and a content analysis performed.ResultsThe overall median age was 18 years (IQR 14–20.5 years) and 69.2 % of participants were male. None had gone beyond primary level of education. The majority (81.5 %) reported to be sexually active. The street community had well-defined structures and rules that were protective of members and ensured survival on the streets. To be fully accepted children had to go through an initiation ritual that had important gender differences. Common rituals between males and females included interrogation, smearing of black soot, and payment of tax. Ritual practices unique to boys were physical abuse, theft of personal possessions, volatile substance use, being forced to eat garbage, and sodomy among the physically weak. Rituals unique to girls were being forced to ‘become a wife or sexual partner’, rape, and gang rape. Physical and psychological abuse during initiation was normalized and there were no clear mechanisms of dealing with these forms of abuse.ConclusionThere were important gender differences in the initiation practices of SCCY. Normalization of physical and psychological abuse during initiation contributes to the high health risks faced by these SCCY. Appropriate interventions need to be developed in collaboration with SCCY.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Wachira et al. 2015