How the psychological factor leads for runaway of children

Swadeque EK

Introduction

Why runaways are happening? What are the reasons for the runaway of the children? Who are the background players of these issues? These are the some of the question arise my mind when I started my study regarding runaway children of Delhi platform. When I completed my study regarding the issue, I found many interesting aspects of these questions. Most of the runaways are happened because of very small reason. Many of them have different psychological disorders.

There are many NGOs are working for the issue. Some of them are concentrating for sudden rehabilitation, some of them are giving education on the platform and some of them are giving counseling. I visited some rehabilitated students home nearby Delhi. Out of 13, 6 are again run away from home with in short span of time. Out of total sample of 53, 44% are runaway more than one time. More than this, many of the reason of the runaway of the children are very common like, scolding of parents, beating of parents, small quarrel with neighbor and education. These reasons are very common in almost all children. So, I thought that, there will be some other factor behind this kind of narrow problems. In other words, some of the basic problems may be there with all of these children. Same time some final or pushing reason also may be there.

This is I observed from the continuous observation of the child. Many of the children have attraction problem. Their reason for the runaway have very close link to these psychological problems. They were doing steeling inside their home and neighbors for getting some kinds of things which they have attracted more. Another problem we found that the child becoming angry very fast. They are not listening any of the family members. We found that, they are not ready to listen and obey the camp instructors. In our FGD with Sathi staffs, also we found that the one of the main reason for the child runaway is physiological disorder.  

Basic information of runaway children in Delhi platform

The age pattern of our sample was restricted with in the 8 to 18. The main category which we found, who are coming more to platform as runaway is more from the age of 11 to 14. 52% of boys and 76.92% of the girls are belongs to this category. 29% was only working in the home and 19% were working and studying both. The rest of the percentages (except above percentage and 29% studying children) of children were idle inside the home. This may be a reason for the psychological change of the child. 15% of them are very habitual and they came to platform more than 3 time. 32.5% of boys and 23% of girls are orphan in any of the mean of becoming an orphan. Among that 14% doesn’t have father and mother, 31.25% don’t have mother and 56.25% don’t have father.

It is possible to categorize those reasons as psychological and non-psychological reason. Many children have very crucial psychological disorder along with some other reason. 62% of the total children have the family problem in any of the mean. , 48% of the runaway children are from the alcoholic or other serious drug using family. More girls are coming to the platform due to the work related problems. 46% of the girls are coming under this category. Many of the children have attraction problem.

Out of 53 samples 41 children are working on the platform. We can broadly classify all the activities in to four; Begging, rag picking, worker in shop and others. 70% of boys and 46.15% girls are addicted with sulation. 40% boys are addicted to the alcohol. 15.38% girls are also using the alcohol. 12% of the children are facing mental problem. These children were faced neglect from the home also. 69.32% girls are abused any of the means of sexual abuse. 38% of the girls are persuade to come for work and sexually abused. 72.5% boys got abuse from the platform. These are the basic information of the study location. (See all annexures)      

Story of Waseem

When I entered to the Sathi camp, one child was focusing me a lot. I sat on the chair nearby all children I was watching the beauty of the runaway children. It was first time in my life, where I got a chance to sit with the runaway children or platform children. Before I was entering to the camp, my feeling was another one. Platform children are rubbish, dirty, bad and very cruel. But all the children who are sitting in front of me were very neat with smiling face.

The camp was inside the government home for the platform children; in a big room which contained two rooms and a toilet with water pipe facilities. Each child has one bed and necessary things. Every day morning they get good breakfast with any of fruits and milk. In noon time they are taking rice and chapatti. Night food also same as noon food. Evening time they can go for playing cricket or football. Some of the days, richest people will come in evening and will give some sweet items to them. These are the routine of the children in the camp. Mr. Baradwaj; a Sathi volunteer told me all these things. Then I went to the inside the room and the area of toilet. The waste of the last day’s food and other things was backside of the washing room.

Again I came back to the place where children was sitting and playing. When I reached the middle of the room, a small boy called me and told to site with him. I went and sate on the floor nearby him. He told me “Bayya what is your name”. I told my name and place everything what he asked. Then I asked about his background.

His name is Waseem. He is from one back ward place of MP called Chatha. He has father, mother, one brother and one sister also. His father name is Iqbal. Now he is at 11. He studied first standard in home and last four year in the government home. Between the departure of home and reaching the government home, he spend two year on the platform.

His family is very poor family. He was selling small things to nearby home mainly to neighbors. Iqbal was always selling some small product or going for the daily labor nearby home. Every day he will take alcohol and will beat mother. His brother, Basheer always made conflict with father due to this habit of father. So he used to beat him also. 

His home is sufficient for their activities. They have one concrete house with two rooms and one kitchen. His mommy is very close to him and motivated him to study. Wasim told the reason for the runaway like this, “One day my father came with complete alcoholic. When he entered to room he called my mother and started to beat her. My brother told my father, if you beat aging we will go from the home and never will return to home. When hear these thing he stopped beating. But it was not for permanent. Next day he came again and beat her. Next day I sow one of my neighbor boy has a small playing material. I told to my father to purchase one for me also. But he shouted me. I went to that boy’s home and theft 200 rupees and purchased that toy. My father came and asked me about that. I told I got this toy from my friend. He did not believe me. He beat me and my mother. My mother and brother did not know about my theft. So my brother told me to go with him. I went with him. My mother was crying during that time.

I left home with brother and reached the railway station. It was not a new place for me. I came to platform seven times due to several reasons. Mostly I will take something from my nearby homes and I will go to platform. After one or two week my father will search and will find me. Then I will go to home back. After reaching home he will beat me more. I will cry and sleep.

So this place was not that much new for me. I told to my brother, to go and sit one place where I have good experience. We went to one shop and ask for work. He told that, you are very small, so I can’t give you work. Then my brother told me to go and clean the train and ask to people to give money. It was my first experience of begging.  Before this I came with money and other thing. Now we don’t have anything. I try to beg on the train, but I am not able to do that. Some time some people scolded me. I was very hungry that time. When I came out the train, I saw one rich family was sitting on a platform bench and eating food. I went and ask them to give some food. They gave me two chapattis and some curry. I went to my brother. I gave to him one part.

After that day I told to my brother, to go from that place. We both prepare to go to Bangalore. We lived on the different platforms of the Bangalore, almost two year. During that time I did not took alcohol, Sulation or any other thing because my brother was very strict on that. But one day one of my friends gave me some alcohol. That day brother understood all those things. He did not tell me anything. Next day when I wake up, he was ready to go to another place. He packed all our dress and other things. He collected all money which we saved on the platform shop keeper. Then we started journey in one train. We did not get any seat. He told to sit with him. He was telling about the usage of the drugs and other thing along with the some stories of mother and father. I understood that, because of my alcohol consumption my brother migrating to another place. We reached a small station. He told me “I will go and I will collect bottle water and I will come back. But before he reached me, the train has left. I was crying with full loud. One person told me to get down in next station and go back to the place. I get down there and went back to the place. But I did not find him. I waited their three days. Then I went to Bangalore again. With in short span of time I become addicted with all kinds of habits. Every day I took foreign liquor. Those days I was able to get more than Rs. 200. I used this money for the consumption of liquor. I become very lean. One day one police officer came and arrested me. The reason was like this. I sow one beautiful dole on the hand of one girl. I like to get that one. I steeled that and came back. But they sow me. They caught me and gave to police. He brought me to police station then to Bangalore government home.

I lived there two year. They understood that, I am from the nearby Delhi. After two year, I transplanted to Delhi. Last two year, I am living in this home. Hear every day we will take bath in morning and they will provide us food. We will go the school at 9 AM and return back at 1 PM. We are not permitted to take book to inside the hostel. They are fearing that, we may take other’s book.  One day one rich men came to gave food for us. He has one beautiful watch. I like that. When he was giving me food, I steeled it.

It is the story of Waseem till that day. By observation in three week, I understood that the child have very strong attraction problem. He wants what he likes to have. He wills to theft those things. His friends told me that he is Paapeeranga, a steeling character of one local story. He told me that he will not take anything.

Then I told to the camp volunteers, you have to understand the psychological issues of the child and work for that. They told me that he totally changed. But he has little bit Papeeranga mentality. Some discussion regarding this happened there.

The camp ending ceremony was very beautiful. Many of the parents came to take their children. They traced Waeem’s home also. He told me that “My mother will come to take me”. But his parents did not come. They told they will come after one week. Waseem was very unhappy. He was murmuring and complete upset. Sathi selected Waseem for a speech at the ending ceremony. He did very good speech in front of all other people. He was telling about his habits. “I was very mad whenever I am seeing one thing. If I saw a nice thing I have to get it. But I learned in the camp, that we should not take anything of others. I never will take other’s things”. He got good appreciation for his speech.

The camp ends. But one problem happened. The camera of the Sathi was steeled by somebody. In late night, they found it inside the bed of the Waseem.

Conclusion

There are several reasons for the runaway of the children. One of the main reasons is psychological reason. Many students are like Waseem only. They have these kinds of disorder and the family may not aware about it or may be aware but not rich. But NGOs are not considering this part of the students. So they are coming back to the street. Some of the students are interested to stay with camps of Sathi. They told us that, they are able to get many affecting from the camp than the home. How they can make the same life of the common children in the home of the runaways is the biggest challenge to these NGOs.

Annexure

1.      Parental status of the children

Family
Cases:	Step parents		Broken family	orphan		mentally unsound/seek	Illicit relationship	alcoholic	abuse
no. of family	0		1	4		3	0	3	4
percentage	0		7.69%	30.76%		23.07%	0	23.07%	30.76%
View of neighbor  regarding the family
Is there any problem		Is it disturb family
2		2
15.38%		15.38%

  

income level	% of the family
100000  to 150000	15
50000 to 100000	31
30000 to 50000	15
10000 to 30000	15
10000 or less	24

2.      Income of the families

No. of children not interested to go back to home
Age Category	Boys	Girls	Total
8 to 10	100	100	100
11 to 14	95.23	100	97.61
15 to 18	100	100	100
Total(AVG)	98.41	100	99.20

3.       No. of children not interested to go back to home

4.      Times of runaway

5.      Children before runaway