Children At Risk in Brazil: A Socio-Political Profile of the Circumstances That Put Children at Risk in Brazil’s Urban Centres

Summary

This study aims to draw a profile of the wider socio-political context in urban centres and the combination of circumstances that form the reality in which children continue to live, in difficult, often dangerous and traumatic circumstances. In this scenario well motivated NGOs develop social projects as the only means to change the destiny of these children. Bearing in mind ABC Trusts focus, the questions that mostly guided our research were focused on the circumstances in which children of poor families grow up in the most neglected neighbourhoods.

In Brazil seeing small children alone or in groups in the streets is part of the daily reality in most urban centres. These children might be in the streets temporarily or permanently and over the years various studies have been written about the many aspects that contribute to putting children at risk and the reality children face when living in the streets. By acknowledging the underlying push and pull factors in Brazilian society today we can take the first steps to adopting a more holistic approach and initiate a wider discussion about the social and political factors that continue to foster and encourage an unequal society where children take to the streets because this seems the best option for their survival. To create a safer future for Brazil’s children we need to include the perspectives from the wider society and state politics, and to build a dialogue which will allow us to develop sustainable solutions.