Child work in the street

Abstract

This article presents data of two researches into child work in the street which identify the risks that children and adolescents are submitted. In the first research, performed with a sample of 26 children and adolescents of both sexes, the qualitative methodology was used and the territorialization, the systematic observation and semistructured interviews were used as techniques. These last ones were analyzed according to the thematic content analysis of Bardin (1977). The second research was performed with a sample of 81 children and adolescents of both sexes, and the quantitative methodology was used. As an instrument, a questionnaire was used and treated through the software SPSS and through the descriptive statistics. Both researches have presented similar characteristics regarded to the tasks, to the profiles and to the risks. The more common risks are: physical (temperature); chemical (pollution); biological (virus); ergonomic (forced corporal positions and intense rhythms); social (the work won't give professional formation for the future); psychological (cognitive: difficulties with the accompaniment and the acting of the school and affective process: feelings of inability).