NCJ Number
177522
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 245-255
Date Published
1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Two hundred ten of the approximately 900 children living on the streets in the Yaounde urban center in Cameroon were studied to determine whether misunderstanding between parents and their children as a result of child-rearing patterns influenced children to run away from home.
Abstract
The research used a purposive sampling technique. Information was collected by means of a questionnaire. Results of the chi-square test revealed a highly positive relationship between parenting patterns and the children living in the street. The authoritarian parenting that characterized 62.86 percent of parents was the major factor in running away. A positive but low relationship existed between the level of family income and children running away from home. Thus, the economic crisis that many Cameroonian families are experiencing cannot be considered to be a major factor responsible for children abandoning the home. Findings indicated that interventions should focus on how parents treat their children, without overlooking the need to address the means required to meet family needs. Tables, figure, and 24 references (Author abstract modified)