Between home and the streets: street adolescents’ perception of their own daily lives

Abstract

The number of young people trying to survive on the streets is still high, as they are marginalized by society. In this study, we aimed at getting to know the daily lives of nine adolescents who live on the streets of the city of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, Brazil. This is a qualitative research produced from semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the content analysis technique. Results presentation and discussion occurred from three thematic categories: departure to the street; daily life on the streets; and family reference. We noted these adolescents are daily exposed to several conflicts and risks, having to search for strategies to meet their basic needs. In the group under study, most children had a family reference, however, conflicts at home, usually associated with the social background of these families, tend to weaken their existing bonds, which may lead to the expulsion of these minors from home.