Exploring Effective Development Communication Strategies (Tools) to Address Street-Children Phenomenon in Ghana: A Case of James Town Street-Children

Abstract

Child streetism is a deviation from normal social life in society and proper child growth and development. It is a serious challenge which has been on the ascendancy regardless of uncountable barrier and interventions put forward by past and present governments and development partners like non-governmental agencies. This study identified and explained the causes, negative consequences, and interventions if any, made by the successive governments of Ghana or the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to reform street children into useful citizens of Ghana. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire based, interviews and observations were the main instruments used for the data collection. This study also examined the risk and the features of street children, their activities and sleeping places. It adopted a non probability sampling technique (purposive and convenient) sampling techniques to solicit information from the street children, their parents and stakeholders at James Town. Findings revealed that divorce and poverty contribute to streetism whiles the increase in the numbers on the street comes from neighbouring rural areas. It concludes that the streetism phenomenon has a severe implication for the street children as a lot of human resources go through the drain, increase in illiteracy, and threat to societal peace as some Streetists grow to be armed robbers, prostitutes and its associated rising level of crime. It recommends that intervention policies should be formulated and implemented to assist in lessening the menace if not totally eradicated it.