Common Factors Influencing the Behaviour of Street Children and Its Implication to Criminal Tendencies in Barangay 178 Camarin Caloocan City

Abstract

Street children are the children who live on the street. Most of them are victims of physical and psychological abuse that caused them to separate from their own families. In the Philippines, the approximate number of children who live in the street are too highly visible. In the city of Manila, the approximate number of street children is 3,266, while in Caloocan City, 1,530 children live in the street. Street children nowadays commit a crime because of poverty or sometimes trauma. The government needs to create an organization to protect the children’s rights. The UNICEF (United Nations International Children Emergency Fund) has given their full effort to help the street children. This organization aimed to protect the civil, political, economic, social and health and cultural rights of the street children. The study aims to determine the perception of selected residents from Barangay 178 Camarin Caloocan City on the common factors influencing the behavior of street children and its implication to criminal tendencies. The study can be used by the Barangay to resolve some issues related to their problem. In this research, the researcher's used the descriptive research method to determine the common factors influencing the behavior of street children and its implication to criminal tendencies in the Brgy. Camarin, Caloocan City. This study was conducted to identify, define, present, interpret, and analyze the data to determine how street children influence the community and why they commit petty crimes. The respondents are described according to different demographic profiles. The majority of the respondents both came from the age bracket 24-29 years old and 30-35 years old; 60% are female, 50% are married, and 30% are college graduates. Common factors influencing the behavior of street children and its implication to criminal tendencies in Barangay 178 Camarin Caloocan City were identified. The problems encountered by the respondents are theft and riot. In the proposed possible program for a solution, the majority of them said that Monitoring of health status of children and their parents as well as training junior health workers must be done. The results of this study can be used for the improvement of the relationship between the community, barangay officials, and the police officer, raising the common factors influencing the behavior of street children and its implication to criminal tendencies in Barangay 178 Camarin Caloocan City.