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Volume :41 Issue : 4 2013
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Jordanian Street Children: Causes behind their Homelessness from the Viewpoint of the Social Worker: A Sociological Study
Auther : Safwat Alrosan
This study is mainly concerned with identifying the phenomenon of street children in terms of its characteristics and reasons leading to it in the Jordanian society. It seeks to suggest suitable solutions to the problem from the perspective of the social worker. The study looks into the various factors behind this phenomenon whether these pertain to the family, the social, the educational or the econmic forces that leave a child on the streets to eke out a living or seek shelter. To address the questions raised by the study, the researcher used a questionnaire consisting of 30 items spread over four main components: the family, social factors, the educational and the economic factors). The study comprised all of the social workers working in the departments of the Ministry of scoail Development in Jordan in 2010, more specifically the specialists who worked with homeless childeren, or worked in institutions for children, which are supervised by the same ministry. An international sampling method was used to select a group of (70) social workers employed by the Ministry of Social Development spread across the Ministry's departments in central and northern Jordan. Analysis of results yielded the following conclusion:
First, the economic, social, educational and family factors have reflected a total variance estimated at 42% for factors interpreted as primarily emanating from the family, social, and econmic parameters; whereas 58% reflected the un-interpreted ones.
Second, the results have shown the order of factors according to their importance in driving children to get out onto the streets. The economic factor scored highest at (16.2%), followed by the family factor (15.3%), and last was the social and educational factor (10.5%).
Third: The study has shown the important role palyed by the social worker in working with this group who are in need of social welfare. Furthermore, the answers given by members of the sample indicated the workers' ability to recognize and understand the problem of street children and their deep knowledge of the reasons leading to it.
Keywords: Family factors; Social, Educational and economic factors; Street children, their homelessness and work, The social worker.