Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon

Samuel Nambile Cumber; Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni; Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

| Peer-Reviewed

Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon

Samuel Nambile Cumber, Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni, Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 5, Issue 1)

Received: 10 August 2016 Accepted: 1 September 2016 Published: 8 December 2016

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Home background plays a very significant role in the lives of children. The love, respect and attention given to a child at home greatly influences his/her belonging to that home. Knowing the conditions of children at home is imperative if we wish to tackle the problems of street children in Cameroon. This study was to identify and assess the factors associated with the phenomenon of urban street adolescents in 3 cities in Cameroon by looking at the family conditions regarding children’s decision to run away from home. This cross sectional study was carried out on a non-probability snow-ball sample of 399 street children aged 12 to 17, with selection based on their availability and inclusion criteria. Data was collected through interpersonal administration of questionnaires then analysed by univariate and bivariate calculation of frequencies as well as cross tables and chi-square (at what level of significance?). After data collection and cleaning, data was captured in Microsoft Excel (2010) spreadsheet and imported into SPSS statistical package version 19 for windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, for analysis). The study results showed that 75.2% of the participants could not meet their needs while at home, due to the poor status of their parents/guardians as confirmed by 84.5% of them. It should also be noted that 74.7% of participants reported not able to have sufficient meals while at home. Additionally, 70% of participants lived with troublesome (use a different word) parents/guardians such as drunkard or those who are mentally unstable and consequently they had neither respect nor affection for them. The study concluded that the participants experienced unfavourable home circumstances which contributed to them leaving/running from home to dwell on the streets. The Cameroon government should therefore play a major role in assisting street children to ensure that their rights and basic needs are met.

Published in	Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
Page(s)	1-9
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Family, Street Children, Run Away, Cameroon

References

[1]	WHO/UNAIDS. (2015). Global standards for quality health care services for adolescents: a guide to implement a standards driven approach to improve the quality of health care services for adolescents. Geneva: World Health Organization.
[2]	UNICEF. (2012). The state of the world’s children 2012: Excluded and invisible: United Nations Publications Report No: 9280639161.
[3]	Matchinda B., (1999). The impact of home background on the decision of children to run away: the case of Yaoundé City street children in Cameroon. Child Abuse & Neglect Journal; 23 (3): 245-55.
[4]	Nasir, M., (2013). A study to investigate the family background of street children at Lahore. International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 3 (4), p. 194.
[5]	Tchombe, T. M. S., Shumba, A., Lo-Oh, J. L., Gakuba, T. O., Zinkeng, M. and Teku, T. T., (2012). Psychological undertones of family poverty in rural communities in Cameroon: resilience and coping strategies. South african journal of psychology, 42 (2), pp. 232-242.
[6]	Ezeokana, J. O., Obi-Nwosu, H. and Okoye, C. A., (2014). Influence of Street Life and Gender on Aggression and Self-esteem in a Sample of Nigerian Children. International Review of Management and Business Resilience-Enablers among Street Children. J Soc Sci, 39 (3), pp. 265-274.
[7]	Abourahme, Nasser. (2013). "‘The street’and ‘the slum’: Political form and urban life in Egypt's revolt." City 17, no. 6: 716-728. 2013.
[8]	Tchombe, Therese M, Nuwanyakpa, Mopoi Etmonia, Tarpeh., (2001). Street children in Cameroon: Problem and Perspectives. Journal of African Psychology in Africa; South of the Sahara, the Caribbean, and Afro-Latin America, Volume 11 (2), Pp 101-12 5
[9]	Uddin, M. J., Sarma, H., Wahed, T., Ali, M. W., Koehlmoos, T. P., Nahar, Q., & Azim, T., (2014). Vulnerability of Bangladeshi street-children to HIV/AIDS: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 14, 1151. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-1151.
[10]	Strobbe, F., Olivetti, C. and Jacobson, M., (2013). Breaking the net: family structure and street-connected children in Zambia. The Journal of Development Studies, 49 (5), pp. 670-688.
[11]	Oppong Asante, K., Meyer-Weitz, A., & Petersen, I., (2014). Substance use and risky sexual behaviours among street connected children and youth in Accra, Ghana. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9, 45. http://doi.org/10.1186/1747-597X-9-45.
[12]	Vernig, P. M., (2011). Family roles in homes with alcohol-dependent parents: An evidence-based review. Substance use & misuse, 46 (4), pp. 535-542.
[13]	Myburgh, C., Moolla, A. and Poggenpoel, M., (2015). The lived experiences of children living on the streets of Hillbrow. curationis, 38 (1), pp. 1-8
[14]	Aransiola, J. O., (2013). Providing Sustainable Supports for Street Children in Nigeria: Stakeholders Challenges and the Policy Options Available. Advances in Applied Sociology, 3 (03), p. 172.
[15]	Lukman, Z. M., Nasir, R., Fauziah, I., Sarnon, N., Chong, S. T., Kamal, M. M. and Rusyda, H. M., (2011). The relationship between dysfunctional family and the involvement of children in prostitution. world applied sciences journal, 12, pp. 7-12.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber, Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni, Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. (2016). Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Science Journal of Public Health, 5(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber; Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni; Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Sci. J. Public Health 2016, 5(1), 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber, Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni, Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Sci J Public Health. 2016;5(1):1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11,
  author = {Samuel Nambile Cumber and Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni and Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber},
  title = {Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-9},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20170501.11},
  abstract = {Home background plays a very significant role in the lives of children. The love, respect and attention given to a child at home greatly influences his/her belonging to that home. Knowing the conditions of children at home is imperative if we wish to tackle the problems of street children in Cameroon. This study was to identify and assess the factors associated with the phenomenon of urban street adolescents in 3 cities in Cameroon by looking at the family conditions regarding children’s decision to run away from home. This cross sectional study was carried out on a non-probability snow-ball sample of 399 street children aged 12 to 17, with selection based on their availability and inclusion criteria. Data was collected through interpersonal administration of questionnaires then analysed by univariate and bivariate calculation of frequencies as well as cross tables and chi-square (at what level of significance?). After data collection and cleaning, data was captured in Microsoft Excel (2010) spreadsheet and imported into SPSS statistical package version 19 for windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, for analysis). The study results showed that 75.2% of the participants could not meet their needs while at home, due to the poor status of their parents/guardians as confirmed by 84.5% of them. It should also be noted that 74.7% of participants reported not able to have sufficient meals while at home. Additionally, 70% of participants lived with troublesome (use a different word) parents/guardians such as drunkard or those who are mentally unstable and consequently they had neither respect nor affection for them. The study concluded that the participants experienced unfavourable home circumstances which contributed to them leaving/running from home to dwell on the streets. The Cameroon government should therefore play a major role in assisting street children to ensure that their rights and basic needs are met.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon
AU  - Samuel Nambile Cumber
AU  - Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni
AU  - Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber
Y1  - 2016/12/08
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
SP  - 1
EP  - 9
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
AB  - Home background plays a very significant role in the lives of children. The love, respect and attention given to a child at home greatly influences his/her belonging to that home. Knowing the conditions of children at home is imperative if we wish to tackle the problems of street children in Cameroon. This study was to identify and assess the factors associated with the phenomenon of urban street adolescents in 3 cities in Cameroon by looking at the family conditions regarding children’s decision to run away from home. This cross sectional study was carried out on a non-probability snow-ball sample of 399 street children aged 12 to 17, with selection based on their availability and inclusion criteria. Data was collected through interpersonal administration of questionnaires then analysed by univariate and bivariate calculation of frequencies as well as cross tables and chi-square (at what level of significance?). After data collection and cleaning, data was captured in Microsoft Excel (2010) spreadsheet and imported into SPSS statistical package version 19 for windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, for analysis). The study results showed that 75.2% of the participants could not meet their needs while at home, due to the poor status of their parents/guardians as confirmed by 84.5% of them. It should also be noted that 74.7% of participants reported not able to have sufficient meals while at home. Additionally, 70% of participants lived with troublesome (use a different word) parents/guardians such as drunkard or those who are mentally unstable and consequently they had neither respect nor affection for them. The study concluded that the participants experienced unfavourable home circumstances which contributed to them leaving/running from home to dwell on the streets. The Cameroon government should therefore play a major role in assisting street children to ensure that their rights and basic needs are met.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Samuel Nambile Cumber

Discipline of Public Health Medicine, Department of Nursing & Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni

Discipline of Public Health Medicine, Department of Nursing & Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber

Department of Political Science, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber, Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni, Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. (2016). Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Science Journal of Public Health, 5(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber; Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni; Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Sci. J. Public Health 2016, 5(1), 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Samuel Nambile Cumber, Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni, Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber. Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon. Sci J Public Health. 2016;5(1):1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11,
  author = {Samuel Nambile Cumber and Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni and Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber},
  title = {Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon},
  journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-9},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20170501.11},
  abstract = {Home background plays a very significant role in the lives of children. The love, respect and attention given to a child at home greatly influences his/her belonging to that home. Knowing the conditions of children at home is imperative if we wish to tackle the problems of street children in Cameroon. This study was to identify and assess the factors associated with the phenomenon of urban street adolescents in 3 cities in Cameroon by looking at the family conditions regarding children’s decision to run away from home. This cross sectional study was carried out on a non-probability snow-ball sample of 399 street children aged 12 to 17, with selection based on their availability and inclusion criteria. Data was collected through interpersonal administration of questionnaires then analysed by univariate and bivariate calculation of frequencies as well as cross tables and chi-square (at what level of significance?). After data collection and cleaning, data was captured in Microsoft Excel (2010) spreadsheet and imported into SPSS statistical package version 19 for windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, for analysis). The study results showed that 75.2% of the participants could not meet their needs while at home, due to the poor status of their parents/guardians as confirmed by 84.5% of them. It should also be noted that 74.7% of participants reported not able to have sufficient meals while at home. Additionally, 70% of participants lived with troublesome (use a different word) parents/guardians such as drunkard or those who are mentally unstable and consequently they had neither respect nor affection for them. The study concluded that the participants experienced unfavourable home circumstances which contributed to them leaving/running from home to dwell on the streets. The Cameroon government should therefore play a major role in assisting street children to ensure that their rights and basic needs are met.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Family Circumstances Forcing Children to Run Away from Home in Cameroon
AU  - Samuel Nambile Cumber
AU  - Joyce Mahlako Tsoka-Gwegweni
AU  - Rosaline Yumumkah Kanjo-Cumber
Y1  - 2016/12/08
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
SP  - 1
EP  - 9
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.11
AB  - Home background plays a very significant role in the lives of children. The love, respect and attention given to a child at home greatly influences his/her belonging to that home. Knowing the conditions of children at home is imperative if we wish to tackle the problems of street children in Cameroon. This study was to identify and assess the factors associated with the phenomenon of urban street adolescents in 3 cities in Cameroon by looking at the family conditions regarding children’s decision to run away from home. This cross sectional study was carried out on a non-probability snow-ball sample of 399 street children aged 12 to 17, with selection based on their availability and inclusion criteria. Data was collected through interpersonal administration of questionnaires then analysed by univariate and bivariate calculation of frequencies as well as cross tables and chi-square (at what level of significance?). After data collection and cleaning, data was captured in Microsoft Excel (2010) spreadsheet and imported into SPSS statistical package version 19 for windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, for analysis). The study results showed that 75.2% of the participants could not meet their needs while at home, due to the poor status of their parents/guardians as confirmed by 84.5% of them. It should also be noted that 74.7% of participants reported not able to have sufficient meals while at home. Additionally, 70% of participants lived with troublesome (use a different word) parents/guardians such as drunkard or those who are mentally unstable and consequently they had neither respect nor affection for them. The study concluded that the participants experienced unfavourable home circumstances which contributed to them leaving/running from home to dwell on the streets. The Cameroon government should therefore play a major role in assisting street children to ensure that their rights and basic needs are met.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download