Brief analysis of results of the sample statistical survey on Street

children

Main socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewed street children

The main purpose of the statistical survey on Street children was to
find the resons for why children were at the street, the types of jobs of the
street children as well as dangers that threaten them.
208 street children of Baku city were covered by the statistical survey
165 boys and 43 girls. The number of boys among interviewed children is
prevailed and share of boys made 79 per cent.
Sex and age of the children
of which
Total As % to total
Age boys girls
person % person % person % total boys girls
Children aged 9-17
years old - total 208 100,0 165 79,3 43 20,7 100,0 100,0 100,0
of which:
9 6 100,0 2 33,3 4 66,7 2,9 1,2 9,3
10 17 100,0 12 70,6 5 29,4 8,2 7,3 11,6
11 15 100,0 10 66,7 5 33,3 7,2 6,1 11,6
12 21 100,0 19 90,5 2 9,5 10,1 11,5 4,6
13 24 100,0 21 87,5 3 12,5 11,5 12,7 7,0
14 27 100,0 21 77,8 6 22,2 13,0 12,7 14,0
10-14 104 100,0 83 79,8 21 20,2 50,0 50,3 48,8
15 30 100,0 25 83,3 5 16,7 14,5 15,2 11,6
16 34 100,0 28 82,4 6 17,6 16,3 17,0 14,0
17 34 100,0 27 79,4 7 20,6 16,3 16,3 16,3
15-17 98 100,0 80 81,6 18 18,4 47,1 48,5 41,9

Only every second child has given a positive answer to the question if
they had birth certificate or identification card. Every tenth child has
answered, that they had no such document, and 40 percent knew nothing
about its presence.
More than half of the interviewed children had arrived to Baku from
other towns and regions of the country or abroad. 56 percent of boys and 12
percent of girls were Baku born, respectively 42 and 84 percent came from
other regions of country.
 Distribution of the children according to previous place of residence
11.6%
1.8% 4.7%
Born in Baku
Male Female
city
Other towns of
11.7%
35.7% Azerbaijan
Regions of
55.8%
Azerbaijan
Foreign
countries 72.0%
6.7%

From number of Baku born childrens each of fifth lives in the capital
of Azerbaijan for 2-3 years, each second about 4-7 years, and each fourth
more than 7 years.
During the survey 35 per cent of children attended school and almost
all of them went to school every day. The rest of interviewed children didnt
attend school. Either they had stopped receiving of the compulsory secondary
education or in general they never studied. 39 interviewed children or each
seventh boy and each third girl never attended school.
Distribution of the children according to education level
Age Total of which
groups Never attended Graduafed 1, 2, Graduated 5, 6, 7, Graduates of
school 3 or 4 classes 8 or 9 classes the 10 class
person % person % person % person % person %
Total 9-17 208 100,0 39 18,8 36 17,2 111 53,4 22 10,6
boys 165 100,0 25 15,1 26 15,8 95 57,6 19 11,5
girls 43 100,0 14 32,6 10 23,2 16 37,2 3 7,0
Total 9 6 100,0 1 16,7 5 83,3 - - - -
boys 2 100,0 - - 2 100,0 - - - -
girls 4 100,0 1 25,0 3 75,0 - - - -
Total 10-14 104 100,0 38 36,5 18 17,3 48 46,2 - -
boys 83 100,0 25 30,1 13 15,7 45 54,2 - -
girls 21 100,0 13 61,9 5 23,8 3 14,3 - -
Total 15-17 98 100,0 - - 13 13,3 63 64,3 22 22,4
boys 80 100,0 - - 11 13,8 50 62,4 19 23,8
girls 18 100,0 - - 2 11,1 13 72,2 3 16,7

It is necessary to note, that from total number of children never going

to school, 77 percent could read and write. In total number of interviewed
street children, share of children who are not able to read and write was 4
percent.
Children, who had interrupted the compulsory secondary education or
never studied, indicated poverty as the main reason of deviasion from
school. Other indicated reasons was parents force them to earn money, they
more threated unkindly by children or nonfulfilment of task.
 Distribution of the children according to reasons of non-attendance of the
school
40percent 38.5
Total boys girls 34.6
31.2
30
21.8 21.9
20 14.7
13.5 13.9 11.5
11.0 9.4 9.6 10.6 9.6 8.8 9.6
10 7.4 6.7 6.3 6.3
3.1
0
parents forced to didnt have was being treated would like to earn level of education poor other
earn money intention to study unkindly by money for future is not satisfied
teachers (beat and
etc

Family and housing aspects of position of street children

The characteristic of the families of the interviewed children indicates that

problems of families contribute to the children being on the street. From 208
interviewed street children 94 percent had families. Only 61 per cent of children
had full family, i.e. father and mother. About one third of respondents were
children from incomplete families (there was only mother or father). Five
children had only relatives (grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt), eleven
children had no family, and one girl had no information about her own family.
Based on the survey results it was clear that 90 percent of interviewed
children had brothers and sisters, families had on average two children under 18
years old (including interviewed child).
Composition of the families of interviewed children
of which
Total As % to total
boys girls
total % total % totali % Total boys girls
Total 208 100,0 165 79,3 43 20,7 100,0 100,0 100,0
of which:
- both parents 126 100,0 100 79,4 26 20,6 60,6 60,6 60,4
- only mother 55 100,0 44 80,0 11 20,0 26,4 26,7 25,6
- only father 10 100,0 9 90,0 1 10,0 4,8 5,5 2,3
- other relatives 5 100,0 3 60,0 2 40,0 2,4 1,8 4,7
- have no families 12 100,0 9 75,0 3 25,0 5,8 5,4 7,0

One of the reasons of the children being on street was financial

problems of their families. Out of 126 children having both parents, only 9
percent had parents that both worked. 75 percent of all children had either
mother or father working. The parents of each fifth child did not work at all.
 Results of the survey have shown that families of 40 percent of children
lived outside the Baku city. The family of each third boy and 70 percent of girls
lived in other towns and regions of the country. The greatest share was families
living in Yevlakh region (8 percent), as well as Barda, ghdash (6 percent) and
khsu (5 percent) regions of the country.
It is important to note that each second family of interviewed children has
changed the residence since 1988, i.e. after events around the Nagorno-Karabakh
area of Azerbaijan when new category of migrants has appeared in the country -
refugees and IDPs. This fact also has played an important role in the occurrence
of street children in Azerbaijan.
Half of interviewed children have not lost contact with the home. At the
moment of the interview 52 percent of respondents lived with their families. A
part of children lived with relatives (39 percent) or with friends (8 percent).
Distribution of the children according to where and with whom do they live
percent 58.1
60
51.9 50.3 Total boys girls
50
40
30.2
30 21.2 18.8 22.4
18.2
20
7.7 7.3 9.4
10
2.3 1.0 1.2 0.0
0
with family near relatives other relatives with friends alone

The majority (57 percent) of the interviewed children lived in rented

dwellings with their family or with relatives. The survey has shown that
conditions of residents of girls and boys considerably differ. 75 percent of
girls and 53 percent of boys lived in a rented apartment, correspondingly 7
and 36 percent- in a separate flat, 16 and 7 percent - in a hostel, 2 and 1.2
percent - shared apartment.
 Distribution of the children according to living conditions
of which lived
Age Total Separate Shared Abandoned
Rent Hostel
groups appartment appartment houses
nfr % nfr % nfr % nfr % nfr % nfr %
Total 9-17 208 100,0 62 29,8 3 1,4 119 57,2 19 9,2 5 2,4
boys 165 100,0 59 35,8 2 1,2 87 52,7 12 7,3 5 3,0
girls 43 100,0 3 7,0 1 2,3 32 74,4 7 16,3 - -
Total 9 6 100,0 - - - - 4 66,7 2 33,3 - -
boys 2 100,0 - - - - 2 100,0 - - - -
girls 4 100,0 - - - - 2 50,0 2 50,0 - -
Total 10-14 104 100,0 31 29,8 1 1,0 61 58,6 10 9,6 1 1,0
boys 83 100,0 29 34,9 - - 46 55,4 7 8,4 1 1,3
girls 21 100,0 2 9,5 1 4,8 15 71,4 3 14,3 - -
Total 15-17 98 100,0 31 31,7 2 2,0 54 55,1 7 7,1 4 4,1
boys 80 100,0 30 37,5 2 2,5 39 48,8 5 6,2 4 5,0
girls 18 100,0 1 5,6 - - 15 83,3 2 11,1 - -

It is necessary to note that the basic part of the street children having
family, preferred to live constantly with them. 85 percent of children having
family answered that they live either in their family or with relatives. The
share among girls was 93 percent, and among boys - 83 percent.

Distribution of the children according to duration of living

in outside home (stay over night)
of which
Total
boys girls

Total 100,0 100,0 100,0

- always at home (with family and relatives) 84,7 82,7 92,5
- outside home during summer period 11,3 12,3 7,5
- outside home for weeks (until one month) 1,5 1,9 -
- always outside home 1,0 1,3 -
- outside home 2-3 times in a week 0,5 0,6 -
- find difficulty to answer 1,0 1,2 -

The reason - To earn money to help the family-was indicated by

every three out of four children living outside home seasonally or constantly.
 Distribution of the children according to reasons for living
(spend the night) in outside home

percent
80 73.3 77.8 Total boys girls
60

40 33.3 33.3 33.4

20 10.0 11.1 6.7 7.4 6.7 3.7

3.3 0.0
0.0 0.0
0
to earn money to to earn money to live parents (guardians) parents (guardians) beaten at home or at
help family independence are drunkard and drug turned me out children's home
addict

During summer of 2007, 80 percent of all interviewed children spent

their nights with their family or with relatives. 14 percent often spent their
nights in closed down buildings or at friends. A part of children lived in
abandoned houses, in cellars or in deserted houses (6 percent). One boy
spent the night under open-air.
Children try to live with their families at relatives or at friends during
winter time. The share of children spending the nights with their families or
relatives during last winter was 82 percent and at friends - 11 percent. The
rest spent the night in deserted houses, closed down buildings, cellars or
garrets.

Characteristics of labor of the street children

According to results of the survey, all interviewed children had
sources of income. If gathering of bottles, salvage and begging is considered
as job, almost all interviewed children can be seen as working children. Half
of interviewed children were earning money by washing cars (25 %) or
begging (25 %).

Distribution of the children according

to sources of income
of which
Total
boys girls
- Employed 80,3 88,5 48,8
- Money receives from parents 2,4 - 11,6
- Humanitarian aid, compensation and pension 88,5 90,9 79,1
- Illegal casual incomes 42,3 35,7 67,5
 A survey result has shown that the average age of children when
starting a job at the street was 10-11 years. 45 percent of the children started
that age.
Boys started to work at earlier ages, than girls. The greatest part of the
interviewed boys (29 percent) started to work at the age of 10years. Only 14
percent of the girls started to work at this age. 28 percent of the interviewed
girls started to work at age of 11 years.

Distribution of the children receiving income according

to age of starting to work

percent 29.1 27.9

30 boys girls
25
20 18.2
15.8 14.5
14.0
15 14.0 11.6 11.6 14.0
9.7
10 6.7
4.2 4.6
5 2.3 1.8
0
9 age 10 age 11 age 12 age 13 age 14 age 15 age 16 age

It is necessary to note that the majority of the children worked with

the purpose to support their families parents, brothers, sisters or relatives.
The reason to support family was indicated by every second boy (52
percent) as the main reason. 14 percent of interviewed children were forced
to work by parents or brothers and sisters. Need money to buy necessary
things (except drug) (16 percent), work not to starve (8 percent) were
among other reasons. 44 percent of the girls were forced to work by parents
or brothers and sisters; 19 percent work not to starve, 18 percent to
earn money for supporting families, 14 percent need money to buy
necessary things (except drugs), 5 percent relatives whom they lived
with forced to work.
 Distribution of the children according
to reasons to work
percent
60 52.1
45.2 T otal boys girls
44.2
40

20.2 18.5 18.6

20 13.9 15.9 16.4 14.0
10.0 8.0
4.3 4.2 4.7 3.4 4.2
0.0 1.0 1.2 0.0
0
parents or sister, relatives whom I lived need money to help need money to buy want to have money work not to starve need money to buy
brother forced me to with forced me to my family necessary things in my pocket to be drugs
work work (except drug) self-dependent

The job carried out by street children is related with their sex. Boys
basically did manual work. About one third of the interviewed boys had
been engaged in washing cars, 18 percent - collecting scraps, 10 percent
loader. The most common type of activity among children was panhandling:
61 percent of girls and 16 percent of boys were engaged with it.

Distribution of the children according to type of job

of which
Total
boys girls

Total 100,0 100,0 100,0

- manual handling, loader 7,7 9,7 -
- helping to street traders 13,9 13,3 16,2
- cleaning work and trade places 9,6 9,7 9,3
- guarding of goods 1,9 2,4 -
- washing cars 24,5 30,9 -
- gathering and delivering of glass bottles, wastes (mackle
papers, metals and etc) 15,5 18,2 4,7
- beg 25,0 15,8 60,5
- others 1,9 - 9,3

The majority of the interviewed children worked during daytime.

About two third of the boys and 81 percent of the girls were engaged with
labor activity during the day. Other children worked during the day and
night time. More than half of boys and girls worked 7-8 hours per day, 33
percent - 5-6 hours, 14 percent - 9-10 hours.
Almost all girls have indicated that it is hard for them to work (81
percent) and many said got tired (23 percent). Among boys this indicator
made respectively 63 and 37 percent. 2 percent of the girls did not get tired
during work.
The results of interview have shown that in most cases children have
found work themselves. However, about every fourth respondent was
"employed" by their parents, every tenth - by friends of family or relatives.

Distribution of the children on how do they find this work

and who advise it to them
70
56.7 60.6
60 Total boys girls
50 41.9
37.2
40
percent

30 23.1 19.4 20.9

10.1 10.9
20 8.7
7.3
10 1.4 1.8 0.0 0.0
0
nobody advised, found by advise of parents by advise of friends, by advise of the old by advise of friends
myself older relatives (chance friends, (non-relatives)
outsiders)

The majority of the children (70 percent) had organized their own
work, without any leader. The part of children have worked as group without
leader (18 percent), other part as group with leader (12 percent).
In general all interviewed children (92 percent) indicated that the main
reason of their labor activity was money.
Rules of payment by employer (owner)
of which
Total
boys girls
- Only money 91,8 92,1 90,7
- Only food (excluding alcoholic drinks, cigarettes) 1,9 1,8 2,3
- Both money and food (excluding alcoholic drinks, cigarettes) 8,2 7,9 9,4
- In kind 1,4 1,8 -
- Other 8,7 6,1 18,6

Four out of every five boys and girls have indicated that one week
prior to survey their income at average made 3-5 manat per day. 3 percent of
boys and 12 percent of girls had 1-2 manat of daily income, 15 percent of
boys and 9 percent of girls 6-10 manat.
Boys and girls use their money, which they earn, differently. 39
percent of the boys and 35 percent of the girls had spent money on food
products. The girls have spent more than half of money for purchasing of
clothes, but boys only fifth part; for sigarettes respectively 9 and 18
percent.
 Distribution of children according to how
do they spend their earnings
percent 53.5
50 39.4
38.5
40 34.9
26.0 Potal male female
30
18.8 15.2 17.6
20 12.0 15.8
9.3
10 2.4 1.8 0.6 1.2 3.0
1.9 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 0.0 2.9 2.3
0
food clothes education games to spend cigarete alcoholic card other
(internet, leasure hours drinks
billiard and (tee-house,
etc.) cafe and bar)

The sex differences of the child were observed in amount of

expenditures spent for food and non-food products. Boys more often spend
(53 percent) for these purposes 2 mnt per day, and girls (58 percent) - 3
manat. As a whole, almost all children (96 percent) spent for these purposes
no more than 2-3 manat per day.
Providing of the children with different humanitarian assistance was
indicated by 89 percent of children. The day center for street children Light
Home was among these organizations. The children couldnt remember the
name of the other organizations that have provided them with humanitarian
aids.

Health and safety of the street children

According to survey results it is clear that the life style of the street
children affects their health. Only 3 percent of boys considered themselves
in good health. No girls had considered themselves in fully good health.
Distribution of the children according to health state
percent 74.5
80 65.1 boys girls
60

40 30.2
21.2
20
3.0 0.0 1.3 4.7
0
fully in good health sometimes ill as anyone could not feel good not healthy, seriously ill
and ill often

Nine out of ten children had no information on IIV/AIDS, as well as

sexually transmitted diseases.
 The main factor keeping the children healthy is sufficient feeding. More
than half of interviewed girls and two thirds of boys indicated that they didnt
consume sufficient amount of food.
Besides illnesses, some street children are faced with other dangers.
Two of every three girls and 60 percent of boys medicaled that during work
they had been beaten.

Distribution of the children according to cases of beaten during work

percent
80 67.4
60.0
boys girls
60

40 30.9 32.6

20 9.1
0.0
0
beaten not beaten dont want to say

Two of every three children indicated that there were no cases of

sexual harassments from the adults in relation to them. The others didnt
answer to this question.
To the question on have you ever been forced to give anybody a part
of your money? two of every five interviewed children indicaited that they
were not forced to give part of money under threat, and every eighth gave
to parents or relatives.
Distribution of the children according to cases to be forced to
give anybody a part of earned money
of which
Total
boys girls
Total 100,0 100,0 100,0
of which:
- parents or sister-brother 5,8 6,1 4,7
- relatives 7,2 6,7 9,3
- racket 5,8 4,8 9,3
- nobody 39,4 40,0 37,2
- dont want to say 41,8 42,4 39,5

The main aims of life of the street children

The Street children feeling threat to health, life and safety, have to
adapt to the environment. Therefore, question on what is the difference
between you and your coevals living with their parents in well-provided
family? 44 percent of children think that they know a life and people better
than other. A quarter of children think that they are bravery and more
resolute than others. One third of interviewed children found it difficult to
answer this question.
Distribution of the children according to difference between them and their
coevals living with their parents in well-provided family
percent
80 male female
60.5
60 46.7

40 32.5 28.5 24.2

20 7.0
0.6 0.0
0
know life and people appreciate real friendship brave and resolute in find difficulty to answer
better than others behaviour

According to the interviews it was clear that a majority of the children

were not satisfied with their own situation in society and to question f you
were proposed condition to live and study, would you refuse street life and
job?", the majority part of the girls (91 per cent) and boys (83 percent)
answered that they would like to leave the street life.
Distribution of the children according to refuse street life and job if they
were proposed conditions to live and study
of which
Total
boys girls
Total 100,0 100,0 100,0
of which:
- refuse 84,6 83,0 90,6
- refuse, but sometimes wanted to work for
having a pocket money pocket money 13,9 16,4 4,7
- dont refuse 0,5 0,6 -
- other 1,0 - 4,7

According to the interview, the street children clearly recognize their

own situation. It is possible to understand that the results of the answer to the
question: Imagine that your younger brother (sister) implements the job you
are engaged in. What is your attitude to that?. Half of the children gave a
negative answer to that.
 It is important to note, that all children, except one boy, consider
themselves as a believer.
Only two children among interviewed children had any speciality. At
the same time 69 percent of boys and 61 percent of girls would like to
receive any profession during study or practice. 18 percent of boys and 30
percent of girls would like to finish a secondary compulsory school. One
tenth of the interviewed children didnt know whether they want to have any
speciality. Both among boys and among girls the share of those who does
not want to have a profession or to study is insignificant.

Distribution of children according to willing to obtain profession

(cooking, repair of motor car and etc.)
percent
50
42.3 43.0
39.6
40 Total boys girls
30.2
25.0 26.1
30
20.7 18.2 20.9
20
10.6 11.5
7.0
10
1.4 2.3
1.2
0
to study at school to receive occupational dont want to study, generally dont want find difficulty to
knowledge together but would like to to learn anything answer
with education receive occupation

The greatest part of boys (29 percent) want to be a military (at the
police, army), and also to work with technics (idevices, cars, computers) - 26
percent, 17 percent want to be professional sportsmen, or to work with
people (teacher, trade etc.) - 12 percent. Two out of every five girls would
like to work as a teacher or in the sphere of trade, and every fifth - to be
engaged in creative work (painter, musician, journalist and etc.).
 Distribution of children according to their opuinion for future and willing to
work
percent
50 44.2 boys girls
40
26.1 28.5
30
20.9 20.9
17.0
20 11.5
8.5 7.0 6.1
10 2.3 2.3 0.0 4.7
0

engaged in land works

musician, journalist

other
to be professional
to work in creative
machines,computers)

to work mainly with

people (as a teacher,

to be a military man
(in military service,
to go to village and
worker (painter,
trader and etc)
to work with

(equipments,

sportsman
techniques

and etc.)

police)
At the same time, only every third boy and every fifth girl trust that
their dreams will come true. Every fourth boy and every fourth girl didnt
think that. Other children didnt want to answer this question.