Since the 1980s an increasing number of children living and working on the streets have been observed in urban China. The appearance of these children at a time of rapid economic and social change, coupled to the mounting global awareness of the ‘street children’ phenomenon, led to significant responses from governmental and non-governmental organizations.
The English term ‘street children’ threatens the homogenisation of a category of children labeled with a set of common characteristics across China and around the globe. This article addresses the definitional difficulties inherent in this terminology and the narrow interventions it provokes, disaggregating and exploring the diverse range issues that face Chinese children living to the streets, including a lack of educational opportunities, abuse, trafficking, exploitation, and the lack of a supportive family environment. A secondary focus is on describing adult perceptions and responses to the problem of street children in China; numerous accounts of children living on the street provide both a counter to prevailing social views and suggest alternative ways to move forward.
©Save the Children China
